What should you know about wine and kidney stones?

Kidney stones form when minerals in urine collect into crystals that can enlarge. A stone may pass without intervention, but it can also irritate or block part of the urinary tract. Alcohol is not a stone treatment. Wine can be particularly unhelpful if it replaces water, worsens nausea, or leaves you dehydrated. The appropriate advice also depends on the stone type, your kidney function, and any medicines you take.

Kidney stones can present with flank pain, pain that moves toward the groin, nausea, blood in urine, or pain when passing urine. Similar symptoms can have other causes, so an assessment may be needed.

Drink fluids according to your clinician's advice and choose water as your main drink while symptoms are active. Avoid using wine to manage pain, sleep, or anxiety. If you have previously passed a stone, your clinician may ask you to collect it for analysis and may tailor prevention advice to its composition.

For persistent symptoms, a GP can review your history, urine symptoms, medicines and pain control. Imaging such as an abdominal ultrasound may help clarify whether a stone or blockage is present.

Get urgent medical care for fever or chills with urinary pain, vomiting that prevents you from keeping fluids down, severe or escalating pain, very little urine, or difficulty passing urine. These features can accompany infection or obstruction and need prompt assessment. Seek medical advice if you notice blood in urine or pain does not settle.

Ask whether your symptoms fit a stone, whether imaging is appropriate, and how much fluid is suitable for you. Ask which pain medicines are safe with your health conditions and whether any dietary changes should wait until the stone type is known.