The featured image points to a widespread idea now on the web concerning how cola drinks might promote kidney stone passage. It has been called the ‘Coke Treatment for Kidney Stones.‘ Fluids are valuable for all stone formers, but the suggested usage may not be ideal and this post points out some of the drawbacks.
OUR PATIENT
A few months ago, a delightful 71-year-old woman presented to our clinic for a metabolic evaluation to try to stop her chronic kidney stones. She passed her first kidney stone about 5 years ago. A year later she developed another kidney stone, which required shockwave lithotripsy therapy. Ultimately her stone was analyzed and she was told it was a “calcium stone.” Over the following few years, she continued to pass one stone per year. More recently, the frequency had increased to a few times per year. Frustrated with the frequent stone recurrences, she sought information online regarding potential remedies for recurrent stone disease. On several websites she came across a remedy known as the “Coke treatment,” which was purported to dissolve kidney stones and prevent stone recurrence. She sent in her payment of $39.97 and received a booklet instructing her to do the following:
- drink 72 ounces of Coca Cola, ideally not diet or caffeine-free, in 15 minutes or as fast as possible
- steam and puree one-half pound of asparagus and drink immediately
- repeat as necessary until kidney stone pain is resolved and stones have passed
- some variations of this treatment that can be found on the web also recommend drinking water for several hours after the treatment
She dutifully followed the instructions provided and found that on the day of her acute pain, her symptoms did, indeed, abate. Unfortunately, over the next year she found the frequency of her stone attacks actually increased – most recently to as often as passing gravel 2 to 3 times weekly (with significant discomfort). To combat this she has been using the “Coke treatment” about 2-3 times weekly over the last year, creating an apparent vicious cycle (more on that later). Finally, her daughter insisted that she see a physician and so she presented to our office, wondering why her treatment hasn’t been effective.
THE COKE TREATMENT IS COMMON ON THE NET
Using the term ‘Coke treatment of kidney stones’ yielded about 108,000 results, and by page 10 the treatment was still prominent. So cola drinks as a treatment is current.
A claim in Internet lore is that phosphoric acid, an additive used in dark colas, when consumed in large quantities can facilitate a reaction within the kidney that will dissolve the calcium oxalate or calcium phosphate admixture that is the kidney stone. One finds variants of this claim in the discussions by patients.
As I pictured this poor older woman chugging a 6-pack of Coke 2-3 times per week with an asparagus chaser, I was curious to determine whether any potential scientific merit to the internet solution exists.
In short, the answer is No.
Allow me take you through some of the details.
THE EVIDENCE FOR COKE
Fluids are Useful
I will start with the 72-ounces of Coca Cola that are to be ingested rapidly. Of course, if one is having acute renal colic with a small stone stuck in a tiny structure like the ureter or urethra, drinking over two liter of fluids of any sort is likely to be beneficial in attempting to propel the stone forward and out of the body. But why Coca Cola? Or any cola for that matter? Is there some reason to believe cola drinks have special properties as a stone treatment?
As far as I can tell, no.
Cola Drinks Are Not a Proven Remedy
Phosphoric Acid as a Stone Dissolver
Phosphoric acid, mixed with nitric acid, is used as a cleaner in the beer industry to remove beerstone (calcium oxalate) from beer kegs. It is also used in home cleaning solutions, as an industrial etchant, and as a rust remover. This leads to the false impression that drinking acid phosphates in beverages will create conditions in the kidneys like those in the beer kegs.
In beer kegs, and when you clean your floor with cleaners, high concentrations of a strong acid are applied directly to the unwanted material.
You Can’t Get Phosphoric Acid into the Urine
But when the small quantities of phosphoric acid found in dark colas are ingested, the first thing that will happen is that calcium and magnesium binding will occur in the gastrointestinal tract. By the time the remaining phosphoric acid is absorbed, additional buffering will occur in the blood and bone, so essentially neutral – not acid – phosphate will be delivered to site of the stone. In studies of a neutral phosphate’s effect on crystal inhibition and dissolution, no evidence of crystal dissolution has been noted.
Effects of Cola in People
How about real people, instead of crystals?
Cola Drinks Raise Stone Risk in Urine
Four subjects were asked to drink three quarts (96 oz) of a dark cola over the course of 48 hours. The researchers then compared the amounts of 3 urine constituents that are known to affect the likelihood of stone formation: magnesium (higher levels in the urine are associated with DECREASED likelihood of stone formation), citrate (higher levels are associated with DECREASED likelihood of stone formation) and oxalate (higher levels are associated with INCREASED likelihood of stone formation). In this study, the average 24-hr magnesium excretion decreased by 2.6 mg, the average citrate excretion decreased by 122 mg, and the average oxalate excretion increased by 8.6 mg. So in fact, in each of the three constituents, the effect of the cola was a worsening of stone risk.
A larger study performed a few years later confirmed these findings, as well as an associated increase in supersaturation for calcium oxalate in a group of 45 subjects.
Cola Drinks Raise Statistical Risk of Stones
In nearly 200,000 individuals who have been followed over time, Ferraro and colleagues analysed the association between consumption of sugar-sweetened colas and kidney stone formation. Subjects consuming the most sugar sweetened colas were 23% more likely to develop a kidney stone than those in the lowest consumption group. In general cola type drinks are exactly the wrong ones for stone prevention.
Cola Drinks May Pose Other Health Hazards
Sugar and Sodium
The suggested amount of regular Coke in the ‘Coke treatment’ has 840 calories, 270 mg of sodium, and 39 grams of sugar. Taking in that many calories from sugar will almost certainly reduce the amount of other nutrients that one is able to eat or drink in a day, while sugar and sodium are both directly linked to higher urine calcium excretion, a key contributor to nephrolithiasis.
Bone Disease
Whether because of substitution for milk-based drinks, or due to the high acidity associated with soft drinks, consumption of increasing quantities of carbonated beverages has been linked to osteoporosis.
Kidney Disease
In addition to the well known association with diabetes and obesity, a recent report has linked higher consumption of dark colas (2 cans or more per day) with risk of chronic kidney disease.
WHAT ABOUT ASPARAGUS?
Ancient Beliefs
Asparagus has been cultivated in the Mediterranean region and in Asia for over 2000 years. Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans believed asparagus to have medicinal properties ranging from treating mood disorders to rheumatism, and a 15th century Arabic sex manual entitled “The Perfumed Garden” claimed asparagus has aphrodisiac properties. It is believed by many to have diuretic properties.
Not Our Asparagus
The usual variety of asparagus that we would buy at the store, Asparagus officinales, is a different species than the medicinal Asparagus racemosa, which is commonly grown in Asia. Furthermore, the medicinal use of asparagus typically involves the root, not the shoot that we typically eat. In Germany, for example, asparagus root is approved by an herbal oversight board as a diuretic whereas the shoot is not recommended.
Not Any Asparagus?
How good is the evidence? Despite what the herbal board says, a recent review found no evidence for human use of the asparagus root as a diuretic. And what if it were a potent diuretic, for argument’s sake? It would have to have specific effects in the distal convoluted segment (a particular region of the kidney tubule), like the thiazide diuretics, to have any beneficial effects on stone prevention –and certainly unlikely to be effective in the acute setting.
So What’s the Harm in a Lot of Asparagus?
Generally, not much. In normal quantities it is a healthy vegetable loaded with nutrients such as folate, potassium, and vitamin C. For a stone former, however, there may be hidden dangers with a high asparagus intake. Asparagus has a moderate amount of oxalate, and this amount adds up quickly with repeated administrations of such treatments as the ‘Coke treatment.’ Furthermore, vitamin C is also metabolized to oxalate in the body, adding more of the lithogenic substance to the urine. So, as with most things (except water), it seems that moderation is key.
OUR PATIENT
Looking back,our patient appears to have increased her stone attack frequency with the help of the “Coke treatment” from yearly to several times per week. It seems that the remedy was indeed worse than the disease.
During our visit, in preparation for which she performed several 24-hour urine collections, we determined an individualized plan for her kidney stone treatment based on her urine parameters and a thorough history. With a steady increase in her daily fluid intake and the addition of thiazide therapy, at last check she has had no further stone episodes.
OUR FINAL WORD ON THE ‘COKE TREATMENT’
On a hot Summer day, a can of Coke can be delightful. As a medical treatment for kidney stones, no cola is as good as plain water. In the very high doses of the ‘Coke treatment’ there is no benefit predicted from what science we have, and no data to show benefit from a clinical trial. In fact, it would be difficult to organize and perform a clinical trial of the ‘Coke treatment’ because of its evident potential for harm. The trial would be unlikely to pass the human subject protection board review.
Don’t do it.
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It worked for a friend of mine. Worked very well in fact. Don’t knock it until you try it for yourself!
Hi Arron, Please understand. I am a physician and scientist. Treatments sans supporting data are not usable for me. I cannot recommend them. That your friend believes Coke helped is not a generally helpful kind of information. The placebo effect is powerful. So much so that trial designs are essentially made to allow for it. But I have no emotional attachment to all this. I don’t ‘knock’ it, just require better evidence. Regards, Fred Coe
I have had to have a couple surgeries for kidney stones. Not even that big of ones 5mm not weird shaped either. The urologist said I have a bad uter. Will I got a kidney stone 7mm thought here we go again another surgery. I hate them because of the stint they have to leave in for a week so I looked up this trick online because I dreaded it. Guess what I passed it. Urologist said the absurd amount of coke probably stretched out my uter which helped pass it. Only time I have passed one. I have drank gallons of water with flowmax which didn’t put a dent into a 5mm kidney stone. I am going to lean on it be real rather than a fake placebo affect
I had done this 10 years ago and it worked beautifully. I had pains in my lower back and a minor amount of blood in my urine, the pain was so bad I visited a doctor and surgery was recommended (nope!). I consumed a 6-pack of Coke in an hour, then the broth. Minutes after drinking the asparagus broth I peed like Niagara Falls, 3 times in an hour. I could hear the larger crystals hitting the back of the urinal, and my urine stream was intermittently misdirected or my urine was “slushy” if that makes sense. No more pain, immediately. That’s not a placebo effect. That’s a direct correlation strongly suggesting a causal result to the treatment, and I don’t know how much actual reading of the 108,000-odd Google results you found, but the accompanying countless individual testimonials that are eerily similar to my experience sound an awful lot like evidence to me. Science can often get in the way of common sense.
Hi Christopher, Because you have a passionate and philosophical tone, let me try to make my position as clear as possible. First, I have no doubt your own experience is as you say. But what does the word ‘placebo’ mean here? For example, in your case, increased urine from from water alone might have done as much as the coke and vegetable broth. You temporally associate crystal passage with the broth after the coke, but urine flow increase somewhat lags intake so timing can be difficult as a proof the broth added anything. I think by correlation you mean that after the broth stones passed close in time, but I have just pointed out why that may have nothing to do with the mechanisms involved. But let us assume your experiment is as it is said to be: would we not need repetition of the same experiment? This leads to the 108,000 Google entries. They are reports of happy endings, but no more. You might say I am retro and science is in the way of progress and good treatment. But the history of medicine brims over with what we would now call nonsense that once prevailed – blood letting, as an example, with leeches. It ‘worked’; of course it did. Likewise for countless herbs and concoctions. Common sense is not so much wrong as unreliable. Science is not so much in the way as reliable. As a scientist, and physician, I cannot endorse unsupported reports as anything more than that. But I am no censor. I put up all comments that come to this site. It is not so much that I argue with what you write but that outside of science we lack reliability. I represent, for better or worse, what science has given us to the present, and change as it gives us more. Regards, Fred
My dad had 8 kidney stones his late best friend who was a doctor said to drink a 6 pack of coke and a glass o asparagus in a 2 hours period and they will dissolve the next doctor visit they were gone.
Hi William, Thanks for sharing. I doubt that stones disappeared unless they were uric acid – even they will not dissolve in Coke. Regards, Fred Coe
I’m a long time reader of this site, and enjoyed this article – thanks. I would encourage you all to publish more of these types of articles, as they could help stone formers put facts with what they probably hear or read from time to time. I can’t tell you how many “remedies” seem to exist for kidney stones, based on the consistent recommendations I get from friends, family, and colleagues. In each case, someone they know miraculously had no stones after they followed a careful routine of ingesting something odd that is “known to dissolve stones”. I’m an engineer by profession, and skeptic by personality, so I do my best to listen and thank each and every one of them for their suggestions.
No, I do not believe that apple cider vinegar dissolved your Grandfather’s stone, I believe that he passed it and drank a large amount of foul liquid for no scientific reason.
My nephrologist joked about making a coffee table book about all of the bad advice to get rid of stones. Not a bad idea!
Dan
Hi Dan, Thanks for the refreshing comment. Many remedies are promoted by companies that sell versions of them. All are nonsense. But when you run a site, you get patient and unwilling to quarrel with people who honestly believe in this remedy or that remedy. I will not change their minds and if they are ill I would not add to their aggravations or unhappiness. But in all fairness, sans data, I accept nothing. Best, Fred
Hi.. thanks for the interesting read.. I dont have kidney stones but my elderly friend recommended the coke method if I ever had them.. He used a sieve to collect the stones after he passed them and compared them with the stones without using the method. He said that after using the coke method, the sharp jaggedness had been smoothed out. So the smooth stones are much easier and less painful to pass. There is a lot of anecdotal evidence about this method. Maybe you should conduct a study to get conclusive evidence. You could analyse a batch of kidney stones using and not using the method. Sometimes we only discover mechanisms after observing the results. So just because there isn’t a scientific theory at the moment doesn’t mean that it is impossible. I am a scientist myself, and I have applied the same critical faculty that I use to judge works of science to this article. It seems like your title ‘THE COKE TREATMENT IS USELESS’ is a conclusion you’ve drawn based on a hypothetical argument. You haven’t provided any reference to studies that have looked into the method directly. I think the title should be more like ‘Anecdotal evidence suggests that the coke treatment may make passing stones easier, however the down-sides of coke consumption probably outweigh the benefits’ (I must admit that’s not as catchy as yours though!). I would encourage you to do a proper study into the matter, looking directly at the coke method and how its affects the morphology of the kidney stones. You may uncover a hidden mechanism and come up with a treatment that doesn’t have all the downsides of drinking coke.
Hi Zac, You are not wrong. My colleague wanted a catchy title to counter the hype from commercial sources – yes, actually, people sell packs of coke + vegetables as a treatment. As for references, this search on PubMed: ‘coke treatment kidney stones’ – in other words no limiters – gave 0 entries, so I do not think anyone has ever done a trial. As for actually doing a trial – you are a practicing scientist, so I am happy to respond – what is the background out of which to make an hypothesis and an experiment? Coca Cola is a high phosphate low pH beverage whose detailed composition is unknown – trade secret. Because of anecdotes – your word – people believe drinking it at high rates in large volumes along with eating considerable asparagus – multiple species of this veggie and not stated in the anecdotes – will speed up(?) or reduce pain from passage of stones. If that were true, then in a trial of the treatment time needed to pass a stone of a given size (need measures here: time from when to when, how do we do size) will be less than (need a control here) perhaps an equal volume of water (or some better control matched in phosphate and pH but not Coke) consumed at the same rate. Given Coke is a commercial beverage, will NIH pay for this? The trial will cost a fortune – patient selection matching for eex and stone size etc – certainly multicenter and perhaps 5 years to get enough cases. Then there is the problem of real confounders; we use NSAIDS and alpha blockers for stone passage, so we need to match this out, too. Let us say, no difference at 5 years. Will that stop the Coke treatment? I think no, because our control is other fluids, less tasty. Do either the high fluids or Coke help compared to a real control – nothing but usual treatment? That would be a better trial, but now we have three groups – more money, time etc. We would be building a massive scientific undertaking on almost no foundation. Would Coke pay? If they would, there is money. But should they? Would they? What if Coke worsened things in a real trial? You know science: long and hard in human experiments. I have a lifetime of exactly that kind of work. Is the issue worth it to human subjects, given the flimsy underpinnings – anecdote and a lot of hype from companies selling this treatment?
Your idea is different: morphology change of stones. This would require the same design but omit the need for stone passage time endpoints. But the underpinnings are not so flimsy – visual reports of changes to smoothness. Here, I can imagine a real possibility: People send in their stones from Coke treatment or not, and proper experts (lots of those) determine surface and interior composition etc without knowledge of origin. Lots cheaper. But what if the answer is no? No differences. Will that stop the Coke treatment? Why should it?
If you have better designs, perhaps someone might want to try them. I am always interested, and the topic has some natural allure. Like folk medicine that sometimes really works – aspirin as an example. Regards, Fred
Hey guys. I’m a 28 y/o male. Was told I had a 7mm kidney stone almost through to the bladder. I have no health insurance. I’ve been drinking for 3 days a special broth/drink mixture made of kidney bean broth, puree celery, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, and basil broth. Yesterday I bought a stone breaker tincture made of primarily Chanca Pierda. So I’ve had that going through me for a day and a half. Tonight!… I’ve decided to try and wrap things up with this coke and asparagus remedy. I took a flomax, and just finished the coke and pureed asparagus. I just urinated out something that resembles brown sludge. Approx 7mm long. More details to come… I’m having more bowl movements rather than urine currently.
Hi Brock, Be careful. Diarrhea can cause a lot of dehydration so your blood pressure could fall with flomax. Likewise, crystals can form from dehydration, as well. Be sure your physicians know what you are doing, and remain responsible for you. Being young and resilient makes many things safer, but frankly I am concerned. Regards, Fred Coe
Thanks for the advice and concerns! I immediately began rehydrating after the coke trial. Unfortunately, it did not work. Acted more like a colon cleanse! But three days later after continuing to drink my brothy concoction with the Chance Pierda and constant lemon water… I passed three stones this morning. I’m going to follow up with a uroligost. But I feel like I may be home free until the next stone(s) decide to break loose or form. But again, the coke and asparagus was not helpful for me. Thanks for the great article and advise!
Hi Brock, I would avoid other dehydrating concoctions for fear of precipitating more crystals. You would benefit from stone prevention efforts, as I am sure you already know – here is my own favorite starting place. Regards, Fred Coe
This works! I don’t show you doing a study yourself on this only presenting facts about the different chemical makeup on the ingredients and how it doesn’t support working. My husband has been suffering for 3 weeks with a kidney stone and we tried this and the next day he was better.
Hi Hallie, I am glad it worked for your husband. Unfortunately I have about as many people say it did not as say it did. As for a trial, I have written recently – responses to others – about why that will be hard to organize. Our research group is not trial oriented, but one that is will encounter many barriers. Personally, lacking all data, and given what the ‘treatment’ consists of, I have little reason to believe it will do better than chance. But in your case – husband – things went well, and lets just be happy for it. Regards, Fred Coe
I’ve been a kidney sufferer for a long time and come across this method a thousand times. I have also searched for a scientific explanation of this supposed phenomena before trying it myself. Thank you for conducting the research and putting the results in graspable terms. For whatever reason the above commenters seem to be under the impression that you are trying to hamper progress, when in reality you are removing faulty reasoning. Correlation is not equivalent to causation and the ignorant responses I have read are disheartening. If we don’t understand why a method works, or in this case, doesn’t work, we can never improve in any field. Thank you!
Hi Sam, Thanks. You said it a lot better than I ever have. Best, Fred
The “Coke Treatment” contains 234 grams of sugar, not 39.
39g is the amount in a single 12-ounce can. So the 72-ounce Coke treatment is 6 times that, or 234g.
That is a truly vast amount of sugar. I get ill imagining drinking all that.
Thanks, Bill, That really is a horrid amount of sugar, and very bad for anyone. Sharp eye! Fred
I personally don’t believe in this “coke treatment”. Drinking plain water works best for our body. You can try some zeal nutritional drink for supplement. If you are eating and drinking healthy then it is already a good preventative measure. Be well-informed and stay healthy! Thank you for sharing your insights!
Look. This absolutely worked for me. 5mm stone. Went to hospital & they could do nothing for me except give me drugs….. 7 days of excruciating pain, then I tried this put if desperation. In 20 min. I was pain free.
No, it does not work all the time. It depends on what type of body chemistry you have and what type of stones your body creates. It is a 50/50 shot. Better than nothing. It absolutely 100% worked for me. I guess I was lucky in the respect that I create the type of stones this works on! I hope the same 4 you!
That’s a good point, since there are different types of stones, this cure may work on some and not others? I think I might try anything if I were in that much pain.
PhD chemist. Had first stone 13 years ago. Excruciatingly painful. Could not pass it . . .had to have surgery. Developed another stone 6 years ago. Emergency room gave me narcotic and sent me home. Determined that I could not withstand more pain I did an online search and came across the coke/asparagus treatment. I did not believe it but thought what have I got to lose? Pain gone in 24 hours. I think there is something to it biochemically that is not scientifically understood.
Thanks, John. I cannot find the science, and we both know that stone passage – like all events – is stochastic at heart, so to the coinciding of remedy and benefit. Even so, discovery is always waiting for the right experiment. Regards, Fred
It works.. Period…. The drug pushers poo poo it
Yeap. Agreed. It works. Period.
A drug is just a natural or synthetic substance which (when taken into a living body) affects its functioning. Administering coke/asparagus is still coming in from the outside with a chemical to cause change (or allopathic) although we don’t call Coke a drug, or sugar a drug, any food is alters your biochemistry. I think some doctors actually want to help people, and they are not all drug pushers/bad people out to get you, or that have huge egos, or just trying to make money off you.
I think it’s great if it works. Too bad Coke can’t make you a more polite person.
I was just here doing research for someone else. It’s unlikely she’d be able to drink a lot of coke, being diabetic, and the fact coke has so much sugar in it.
I too have kidney stone attack in 2010 been to ER and released with analgesic and flomax.
Ready to have procedures to remove the stones. After reading the internet home remedies with coke and asparagus stones passed within 24 hours.
I told three of my friends they all have stones attack before multiple times and they too tried this remedy and passed their kidney stones without surgery and are happy of the results.
I know most of the researchers said otherwise.
Perhaps the increase in fluid intake are the reasons the stone passed. But to those to suffered these pain this one time or two remedies does wonder.
More research should be done and this remedies is not for prevention rather the treatment of acute attack!
Therefore the focus should not be just for long term study but how it actually assist stone passing through journey and diuretic effects or dilation of the urethra effects of the materials used in this Coke remedy technique!
Yes it absolutely works. I’ve used it 3 times over the last 15 years. I’ve been through emergency rooms, MRI’s, and others but nothing worked. Every time I tell a doctor of this, they give you a cock-eyed look and want to quickly dismiss. But sorry, all you lame urologists, this works at 1% of the cost of the crap you offer..
Hi Jerry, We never said it absolutely does not work, just that there is no evidence that it does work. But if it did work for you I am happy and hope that continues as much as you need it to. Regards, Fred Coe
Hi, Fred.
“We never said it absolutely does not work…” Except in the title, as already pointed out in the comments.
Thank you for unrestricting the comment section. I also appreciate your ability to harness cognitive dissonance when addressing so much anecdotal “evidence”.
When any scientist/doctor (even a stated “well meaning” one) refuses to adjust parameters in light of new and constant qualitative facts, that doesn’t give them the right to claim quantitative superiority for their claim.
The human condition is multi-faceted and varied – of this there is no doubt. I caused my own kidney stone. The coke treatment was just that: a treatment. It temporally resolved my issue. I have the kidney stone and carry it in my overnight sundries case to always remember the situation and solution. As it has not been seen to harm anyone with anecdotal feedback, you should have asked “Is the COKE treatment Useless?” and proceeded from there, scientifically speaking – IMO.
To wit: maybe you should retitle this fine piece. Then read up on how stomach ulcers weren’t caused by H. Pylori all those years. Cognitive dissonance + Scientific hubris seduces even the best medical student, perhaps the best medical students. That common sense and real experiences from real people about real pain seems to fail to interest you in a more refined truth (or title of your article) should give you some pause for thought. What was that oath about again? You know, the medical one…
Thanks for reading, I hope you get pause for thought. Big Think to you. Namaste
Hi Jason, H Pylori has a different story from the coke treatment. The work aimed at causes of gastritis and a link to ulcer turned up in routine questionnaires. It was then tested in good trials and substantiated. For the coke treatment we lack such work and, lacking it, dismiss the idea for now. Regards, Fred Coe
I have used this off and on since I have had kidney stones for decades.
The research quoted is about dissolving stones.
I have used it to move a stone faster. It does work for me.
What I noticed was using this I tended to get mucus like stuff as the stone went out.
Just drinking tons of water did not get the mucus like stuff and took longer for the same amount of liquid.
Need to stop looking at dissolving and start looking at moving stone.
Take a roller coaster one a year to free stones so they can flush out.
Then use the coke treatment to get the dam thing moving on its way out.
Hi Alex, Others have said this. I am pleased to post your comment. Fred
The coke treatment didn’t make my 3 mm uric acid kidney stone pass. I had to have operations to remove uric acid stones because Chanca Piedra, hydrangea, citric acid, potassium citrate,magnesium citrate, and commercial herb formulationsdidn’t help in passing small kidney stones.
The coke treatment didn’t make my 3 mm uric acid kidney stone pass. I had to have operations to remove uric acid stones because Chanca Piedra, hydrangea, citric acid, potassium citrate,magnesium citrate, and commercial herb formulations didn’t help in passing small kidney stones.
Hi Ken, In response to both of your comments. Stone passage is not indeed helped by the materials you mention. But uric acid stones form because urine pH is too low = acid – and will be stopped altogether by potassium citrate that raises pH to 6 or above. So for prevention that is very important. Regards, Fred Coe
I did this Coke remedy
and my stone went from a 18mm to a 10mm in 2 weeks
I use the Coke Treatment every 6 months. I have not had any Kidney Stones problems since than. The doctors will only give you Narcotic pain pills and say Good luck. When the time is that you don’t have health insurance. You have to use other objectives that will help. This Asparagus/Coke (decarbinated) concoction has worked wonders for my health. I recommend it to any one that is having Kidney Stone problems. I always say anymore “It’s worth the Try” 😉
I think that the Coke treatment that the 71 year old woman was using was way TO MUCH COKE. I use the Coke Treatment every 6 months. The mixture is 10oz pureed asparagus with 2 ltr decarbinated Coke on a empty stomach early in the morning within 2 hours. Than drink water for a hour I have not had any Kidney Stones problems since than. The doctors will only give you Narcotic pain pills and say Good luck. When the time is that you don’t have health insurance. You have to use other objectives that will help. This Asparagus/Coke (decarbinated) concoction has worked wonders for my health. I recommend it to any one that is having Kidney Stone problems. I always say anymore “It’s worth the Try” 😉
this is crazy.. I can tell you 100% that my abuse of cola aka Pepsi an coke is what gave me my stones.. not once but 2x I had a 8mm stone for months and months I suffered threw it. both times it was when I came off keto and starting drinking soda this time I am using flomax from the last time drinking lemon water tryin to pass this one it must be smaller because I feel it in my Lower area and it was in my kidney area not more then 2 days ago last time it was months of pain this so far has been days.. on and off lets hope it passes.. but please stay off the sodas high fructose corn syrup is poison they do not use sugar anymore like the rest of the world does.
Hi Chris, cola beverages are associated with increased stone risk. As for fructose beverages, they are indeed highly unhealthy. Regards, Fred Coe
I just passed a 6mm kidney stone from an addiction to Dr. Pepper. I am in agreement. Stop the soda drinking! I do not want to suffer with this again. I am done with soda.
I found out I had hyperparathyroid and it turns out often creates kidney stones .. so get your calcium levels checked to see if you might have this .. the parathyroid was dysfunctioning and causing excess amounts of calcium to spill into my bloodstream .. getting the stones removed soon. I also did the Coke/ asparagus treatment several years ago and it worked !
Hi Carol,
Glad you got your parathyroid under control.
jill
I tried this method, except I eat steamed asparagus BEFORE drinking the Coke. Eat the asparagus first, wait about 30 minutes, and then I drink 2-3 cans of room temperature or maybe slightly warmer if possible Coke. Not diet Coke either. Then I drink water after than and just wait until I have to pee extremely bad. I do this “cleanse” about once every 6 months or so. I don’t drink Coke normally outside of that. Maybe once or twice a month if that. Mainly water. Since I started doing this, I’ve never gotten a stone in 12 years. Not sure if it truly works or not, but as long as I’m not getting a stone, it’s not doing any harm.
I found out the hard way that not only dark sodas are not good for acid reflux. I myself was having bad kidney stones, I cant afford to have the stones tested but I started drinking more water, I never drank water that much, I take depakote for bipolar and found out I was dehydrated, before I started taking depakote. Tea and coffee I believe makes me have stones. Is there any truth in that?
Hi Mark,
Read this:https://kidneystones.uchicago.edu/new-post/
Best, Jill
Hi Mark,
Read this to see what beverages you can have:https://kidneystones.uchicago.edu/new-post/
Best, Jill
I am 45 years old and I have MSKD. I pass debris daily and larger stones frequently. I started “noticing” my disease from symptoms that worsened in my 30’s and became life altering after the pregnancy of my last child (which is when my diagnosis was confirmed.) Since that time, I have tried many things. Long term antibiotic therapy, Flomax, Rocephin injections in combination with antibiotics…and many home remedies such as cranberry juice, concentrated cranberry, lemonade, gallons of water, cider vinegar, soda, and diet soda. Out of all of these things I have “tried” the ONLY thing that seems to work (NOT with stone formation but with aiding a stone to “move” out, once it drops) is soda or diet soda. My family argues, my doctors argue, science argues, but I KNOW MY body. I do not drink sodas normally but when I am in agony and a stone feels “stuck” and my urine is not flowing (no matter how much water I drink) and my kidney is spasming…I pop a top of one soda and sip on it…my urine begins to flow and the stone passes (usually within a few hours.) My husband used to think I was nuts but now sees…it works (on me.) I wish I knew WHY it works because I don’t see much evidence supporting it. I wonder how many other people it might help? I don’t add asparagus because the soda alone, works. And btw Cranberry juice…is for the birds (I get SO sick of people trying to force me to drink it…been there, done that, for a stone builder…it shows no instant relief.)
How much coke did u have to drink? And was there a time to drink a certain amount?
Comment *Cranberries prevent bacteria from settling on the walls of the urinary tract, making them easier to rinse out.
I love all these comments. I’ve done the coke/asparagus treatment with success. These comments just prove, doctors, nurses, people, should not “text book” a person. We are all so very different. The “text book” is a good place to start, but please keep an open mind and listen to our body, doctors truly.. listen without forming your reply while your patient is talking. Wishing you all good health.
Hi Tamara,
Sounds like you had a negative doc visit. Sorry to hear that. Thanks for writing.
Best, Jill
jharris, typical response from someone in the medical community
I have been plagued with kidney stones since my 30’s. I am now 65 and passing a stone or trying too. My sister drinks a six pack of Diet Pepsi a day. She has never had a kidney stone. My brother & I, rarely drink any soda and we both get them frequently. It defies science but there must be something to this.
I tried it ands it worked amazingly. I was instructed by a holistic Dr to drink 1 warm 12 once can of Coke every hour for eight hours. For you that beleive everything the medical community says, ask youself a question. If coke can desolved rust, what do you think it will do with a kidney stone. Personaly I beleive the medical community sends misinformation with anything that doesn’t MAKE THEM MONEY. shockwave lithotripsy therapy costs $8,000.00+ and a coke cost $.75
You are right. I had my gallbladder removed and I get stones in my bile duct. I drink 2 cans of coke and some 100 percent lemon juice. It dissolves the stones.
Gallstones and kidney stones have different causes. It seems impossible for lemon or coke to influence gallstone formation or dissolution, but coke and especially the lemon can dissolve tooth enamel so try to rinse your mouth after using them. Of note. Fred Coe
I was at the E R yesterday trying to figure out what the pain was about. After a lots of testing it was determined that I have a kidney stone.
I decided to order on the way home a MC Donalds comobo extra large with coke. I decided to drink it all really fast.
Since the ER wouldn’t allow me to eat or drink due to a long day of back to back testing.
The results…? it didn’t cure my kidney stone, but it did help move it a long to a different place.
My pain triggers are now different after drinking the coke. I still have the pain but the stone seems to be moving along or relocated its position
I’ll try the remedy above to see if it works.
Hi Matthew,
I think water would have done the same thing. It is fluids that helped, not necessarily coke.
Best, Jill
I wonder how this myth got started. I say that because this is something the Amish are known to use as a “remedy” back home, (Northeast Missouri). I dont know that all the Amish did, just a few, or if it was a regional thing but we aren’t talking about people who use the internet. Maybe a few just picked it up word of mouth from locals who saw it on the internet. Hard to say. Can’t go back that far. Perhaps its something associated with Coke’s beginning and having been created by a doctor. However it was not created as a medicine.
I used the Coke remedy for a stone that was too big to pass thru my kidney and it worked. I had to do the treatment twice and it worked. I have been stone free for at least 10 years now.
I’ve had kidney stones for 15+ years. I seriously doubt coke works. My stone formation has accelerated greatly in the last several years and I’d been drinking dark sodas during that whole period. I recently dropped them and have been reducing protein intake to see if that helps. One thing that does help to a degree is l-limonene. It’s a food additive with a good safety profile. It’s supposed to help dissolve stones. I’ve found this to be partially true. I examine every stone I catch after they come out. Prior to taking l-limonene the stones all has crystal spikes, and afterwards, the spikes were gone. It doesn’t seem to reduce the core stone material at all. I’m still producing spike-less stones, But the removal of the spikes does help a lot. The spikes cause pain and can keep the stone from moving. Some research around this would be good.
Hi Darryl, Certainly the coke thing was nonsense and remains so. Dark colas are in fact associated with increased stone risk. But I think given your continuing stones you might want to pursue a full diagnostic evaluation as to cause so treatment can be focused and more successful. The change in crystal habit may not auger well. For example calcium oxalate dihydrate crystals may be changing to smoother calcium phosphate crystals. I would have all of these stones analysed – your physician can arrange this – to find out what crystals you need to prevent. Regards, Fred Coe
I’m wondering about the origins of this theory. Pure cocaine (coke) absolutely murders kidney stones in my experience, and I can attest to this. So if this is an old cure, back from when Coca Cola still had Cocaine in the recipe, I’d say that this would 100% work like a charm.
From what I gather in literature, the metabolic pathway for cocaine generally results in decent acidic shift in your urine. I remember when I first started using it and I went on a bender, I had to take a break from it for a few days and we were working in extreme heat. I was unaware I even had kidney stones at this point in my life, as I was only 31 at the time. However, reviewing previous X-ray notes it seems that an x-ray tech had spotted several bright small bright spots dotting my pelvis and noted them as potential kidney stones. I had much bigger medical fish to fry, so they didn’t even mention it to me at the time, but that’s beside the point.
After that bender, when I flushed my system and gave it a chance to catch up, I passed somewhere on the order of a hundred non-liquid objects. I was absolutely terrified, and quickly fished outa sample of everything I would need to show a doctor. The clear ones were malleable, which was very weid. But there was also a handful of dark colored rocks in there, spotted with crystal growths upon further inspection. The same thing happened the next few times as well.
I continued to use it recreationally, and every once in a while another one let loose, with decreasing frequency. The last one was a collection of 4 stones that got stuck on their way out, eventually resolved after a week or two, but when I fished them out it was clear that they were one solid object before.
I might be an idiot in many peoples’ eyes for doing drugs, but.I am not an idiot otherwise. I am a scientist, and PhD candidate and I don’t believe I’m confusing causality with correlation.
In my experience, (Pure) Cocaine breaks kidney stones up!
Hi Guy, The article was about Coke sans cocaine. About cocaine as a personal choice I have no opinion. Likewise about its effects on urine chemistry. Regards, Fred
As someone with a 10mm stone in my desk drawer in front of me, I can tell you the only mis-information here is from the University. Eat the asparagus (one can or a pack, cooked), then start drinking EIGHT cokes. Try to finish one every 15 minutes for 2 hours. Yes, it’s hard, even for a coke-lover. Try to hold your pee. Eat more asparagus afterwards for good measure if you want. Go pee when you can’t take it anymore. Thank me in your prayers.
I am pleased it worked for you. <y colleague could find no evidence to support this measure. Fred Coe