Can Kidney Stones Cause Diarrhea or Chronic Diarrhea?

Key takeaways:

• Kidney stones don’t cause diarrhea – neither acute nor chronic diarrhea.
• Pain, nausea, and vomiting are common symptoms associated with kidney stones.
• Consult your doctor if you’re experiencing diarrhea after a kidney stone or are unsure of what’s causing your diarrhea.

Kidney stones, also known as renal calculi, urolithiasis, and nephrolithiasis, are a very common condition. In the United States, one in every eleven people will experience kidney stones during their lifetimes. Kidney stones commonly cause significant pain as they travel through the urinary system. Other symptoms associated with kidney stones include frequent urination, pain with urination, nausea, vomiting, and cramps or severe pain in the back or abdomen.

One symptom that is not common for kidney stones is diarrhea. Neither chronic nor acute diarrhea is a normal result of a kidney stone. If you’re experiencing diarrhea during or following symptoms of a kidney stone, it’s best to consult a doctor.

Do kidney stones cause diarrhea?

Kidney stones can result in gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and abdominal or flank pain or cramping. There is no evidence, however, that kidney stones cause diarrhea.

Still, it is true that chronic diarrhea with fluid loss may lead to dehydration, which can result in the formation of kidney stones. Kidney stones are prevalent in 9% of the US population and 13.72% of patients with chronic diarrhea.

How kidney stones can cause diarrhea

Kidney stones do not cause diarrhea. However, the significant fluid loss that sometimes accompanies chronic diarrhea can create an increased risk of kidney stones.

Dehydration caused by fluid loss may predispose people to the formation of renal calculi. Gastrointestinal disorders that cause diarrhea, like inflammatory bowel disease, are also associated with an increased risk of kidney stones.

Although no evidence is currently available that kidney stones cause diarrhea, some gastrointestinal symptoms occur with kidney stones, including nausea, vomiting, and low abdominal, flank, or back pain. Fever, chills, and blood in the urine can also occur with renal calculi. Blood in your urine can be microscopic or can turn your urine pink, red, or brown.

Warning signs of kidney stones

Some small kidney stones do not produce symptoms. However, there are several warning signs and symptoms that suggest you may have a kidney stone.

Pain

Kidney stones are associated with sudden severe pain in the region of the kidneys. This area is known as the flank, which refers to areas on either side of the back between the ribs and pelvis.

Flank pain can travel as the stone passes down the ureters to the bladder and urethra. This pain, known as renal colic, typically occurs in waves lasting 20 to 60 minutes. Although it is usually caused by a stone getting stuck in the urinary tract, it can also occur with movement of the stone as it passes. The pain is severe and can travel to the lower abdomen and back.

Hematuria (blood in urine)

Ninety percent of people who have nephrolithiasis have hematuria. Blood in the urine may be microscopic and only identified with urine testing. In many cases, the blood can cause urine to change color to pink, red, or brown.

Pain with urination

Dysuria, or burning pain with urination, occurs in urinary tract infections and can occur in patients with nephrolithiasis and infection.

Urinary frequency and urgency

People with nephrolithiasis may experience increased urinary frequency and a sense of urgency.

Fever and chills

In patients with a urinary tract infection and kidney stones, fever, and chills indicate an upper urinary tract infection, such as pyelonephritis.

Nausea and vomiting

Nausea and vomiting can occur because of pain or infection in patients with renal calculi. This can increase dehydration. Cloudy urine or urine that smells bad can also occur.

Common causes of diarrhea

Diarrhea can cause dehydration, leading to the formation of kidney stones. If you have diarrhea and kidney stones, treating the diarrhea can help you resolve kidney stones and prevent further episodes. Some common causes of diarrhea include the following.

Infection

Parasites, harmful bacteria, and viruses can cause diarrhea. Some particularly common causes are E. coli, Hepatitis A virus, and Giardia lamblia. Traveler’s diarrhea is one type of infectious diarrhea. Most cases of gastrointestinal infection resolve without treatment, but sometimes anti-infective medications are needed.

Medications

Some medications can alter the balance of bacteria in the GI tract, which can result in overgrowth of harmful bacteria. These medications include antibiotics, antacids with magnesium, and chemotherapy drugs.

Stress and anxiety

The intestine has more nerve cells (neurons) than any organ in the body except the brain. The nerves in the digestive system are part of the autonomic nervous system, which controls involuntary bodily functions like breathing and digestion. Stress causes a fight or flight response that can increase the speed of the muscular contractions in the gut that move food along.

Increased contractions mean shorter transit times for food as it moves through the large intestine. Since the colon (large intestine) is responsible for removing most fluid from semi-digested food, a shortened transit time does not provide enough time for fluid resorption, which results in loose, watery stools.

Gastrointestinal disease

Disorders like chronic diarrhea, inflammatory bowel disease, and irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea cause dehydration and have been associated with urolithiasis.

Caffeine and alcohol

Caffeine and alcohol speed up the movement of food through the colon, resulting in diarrhea. This can lead to dehydration, which is a cause of renal calculi.

Endocrine conditions

Hyperthyroidism, which is an overactive thyroid gland, can speed up digestion and cause diarrhea, leading to dehydration. Diabetes has also been associated with diarrhea.

Food intolerance

People with intolerance to certain foods cannot digest properly, leading to increased food transit speed through the digestive tract. Some examples include lactose intolerance and celiac disease, both of which are associated with diarrhea.

Artificial sweeteners

Sorbitol and mannitol can cause diarrhea because their osmotic effect pulls fluid into the colon. The osmotic effect is the movement of water across the intestinal membrane from a low solute concentration to a higher concentration of sorbitol and mannitol in the gut.

Read our guides on different types of diarrhea and common causes of diarrhea for more.

When to see a doctor about diarrhea and kidney stones

Although small kidney stones often pass through the urinary tract without difficulty and many types of diarrhea resolve on their own without treatment, there are specific symptoms for which you should seek medical care.

These symptoms differ for diarrhea and kidney stones. You should seek medical care if you have any of the following symptoms.

You should see a doctor if you experience one of the following:

• Blood in your urine
• Cloudy or bad-smelling urine
• Vomiting
• Pain with urination
• Trouble urinating
• Symptoms lasting more than a day

You should go to the emergency room if you have any of the following and can’t see your doctor:

• Fever
• Chills
• Severe pain in your back or flank areas
• Blood in stool
• Large amounts of blood in your urine
• Lightheadedness or feeling faint
• Vomiting and inability to keep liquids down

Question to ask your doctor about diarrhea and kidney stones

• What is causing my diarrhea? Could it be related to kidney stones?
• What can I do to treat my symptoms at home?
• How can I prevent future episodes of diarrhea or kidney stones?

How to treat or get relief from diarrhea when you have kidney stones

Since diarrhea can result in kidney stones due to dehydration from the failure to replace fluids lost in your stool, treating your symptoms is essential. Here are some preliminary steps you can take to get relief from your diarrhea, even if you have a kidney stone.

Hydrate

Drink plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration. You can drink water, ginger ale, and oral rehydration solutions with electrolytes, which replace lost salts and minerals.

Over-the-counter medications

You may find certain over-the-counter medications helpful. These may include Loperamide (Imodium) and Bismuth salicylate (Pepto-Bismol).

Probiotics

Probiotics are living microorganisms that can boost the gut's ‘good’ bacteria. They can be obtained by eating certain foods, such as yogurt, or through supplementation.

Prescription medications

In severe cases, your doctor may prescribe medication to treat your symptoms. This might include medications to reduce the frequency of diarrhea, treat underlying health conditions, or treat kidney stones.

Read our full guide on treating diarrhea for more.

Frequently asked questions: diarrhea and kidney stones

You may still have some questions about kidney stones and diarrhea. Below are frequently asked questions that may be helpful.

Can kidney stones cause diarrhea and nausea?

Kidney stones can cause nausea but are not a cause of diarrhea. However, chronic diarrhea is associated with an increased risk of nephrolithiasis.

What other gastrointestinal problems can kidney stones contribute to?

Kidney stones are associated with nausea, vomiting, and low abdominal pain.

Key takeaway on kidney stones and diarrhea

There is no evidence to suggest that kidney stones cause diarrhea, although diarrhea can result in kidney stones due to dehydration. Fluid losses in dehydration concentrate calcium, uric acid, and other minerals, forming renal calculi when the urine is oversaturated. Whether it’s related to kidney stones or not, diarrhea is worth paying attention to and treating with care. If your symptoms persist, worsen, or point to a possible kidney stone, it’s important to consult your doctor sooner rather than later.

General Medicine follows a strict editorial process, including using real experts to write our articles, vetted primary sources, fact-checking, a secondary medical review, and updates as necessary. This article was medically reviewed and fact checked by Dr. Pallabi Sanyal-Dey, MD.

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