Q: I am 30 years old and had a kidney stone, size 7 mm, in the upper calyx pelvis junction. I have also been diagnosed with hydronephrosis. I also suffer from pain on the lower backside very often. After undergoing treatment for one month [Allogoric tablet 100 mg (1-1-1), Aquazid 12 mg (1-0-0) and Potrate-m syrup], the stone moved to the lower calyx. However, there is no change in its size. Is this treatment effective?

A:Review of your history indicates persistent symptom of pain associated with the presence of hydronephrosis (distended/dilated kidney) resulting from an obstructing kidney stone in the urinary outflow tract. Kidney stone usually of less than 4 mm tend to pass spontaneously on its own while larger stones always need surgical intervention, especially if there are associated signs and symptoms as in your case. You certainly require a surgical intervention by a urologist. Medical management is usually not effective in treating a formed stone. Instead, medicines are used for treating the symptoms of pain and help to prevent recurrent stone formation. For this you would require extensive lab work-up including 24-hour urine studies meant for the chemical and metabolic analysis to identify the stone composition and predisposing factors towards the stone formation. Lastly, daily intake of >1.5 litres of fluid and low salt diet are known to reduce the chances of recurrent stone formation.