Patient discussions

Advise adult patients to drink 2.5 to 3 litres of water per day and children and young people (depending on their age) 1 to 2 litres.[16][43][44] In patients who are known stone formers, a target output of 2 to 2.5 litres per day is recommended; intake volume may need to be up to 4 litres per day to achieve this.[71][72][73] Also encourage the patient to adopt a low sodium intake and a normal calcium intake.[16][46]

  • People with nephrolithiasis are often advised to avoid a high protein diet. The European Association of Urology recommends limiting animal protein to 0.8 to 1.0 g/kg/day.[47] However, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) in the UK does not give a recommendation regarding protein intake based on its assessment that the evidence on the effectiveness of low protein intake in reducing stone recurrence is inconclusive.[16]

Encourage the patient to establish a healthy lifestyle, including physical activity habits, to achieve and maintain a healthy weight.[74]

Use of this content is subject to our disclaimer