The calcium oxalate crystals responsible for your kidney stones may well be responsible for your arthritis. Eighty-five percent of all kidney stones are calcium-based, 10 percent are uric acid based and struvite and cystine make up the remaining 5 percent. Calcium oxalate, not excreted by your kidneys, crystallizes in your kidneys, ureters or body joints, causing either painful renal stones or arthritis.
Crystal-Induced Arthritis
Patients on renal dialysis may develop an unusual form of acute arthritis due to calcium oxalate aluminum phosphate crystallization. Even rarer is primary oxalosis, a metabolic disease culminating in calcium oxalate deposition in the kidneys. Joint and soft tissue arthropy occurring from the deposits may become chronic. Diagnosis is made by identifying calcium oxalate crystals in synovial fluid. Treatment is non-specific, but symptoms may be allayed with increased dialysis, oral and injected medication.
Pseudo-Gout
Pseudo-gout mimics gout, but nonetheless is very painful, mainly affecting the fluid around your knees. Instead of uric acid crystals building up causing the arthritis, calcium oxalate crystals build up. According to MayoClinic.com, reducing the inflammation of pseudo-gout is the primary course of treatment, since the calcium oxalate crystals cannot be rid of once in your joints. Treatment includes cortisone injections, rest and NSAIDs. A low-oxalate diet may help prevent crystallization occurrence.
Low-Oxalate Diet
You can reduce or eliminate calcium oxalate stones by following a low-oxalate diet. The University of Michigan Nephrology Department recommends that you drink 64 oz. of non-alcoholic, caffeine-free fluids daily. Monitor your urine color. If it's light yellow, you are getting enough fluid. Limit meats to 5 oz. daily and dairy to two servings. Getting more than 3,000mg of sodium daily can up your urine calcium levels. Stay away from processed foods, as they tend to be packed with sodium. Vitamin C supplements can increase oxalates, but don't avoid foods rich in C. Don't restrict your calcium since low levels increase oxalate absorption and limit high-oxalate foods.
High-Oxalate Foods
Avoiding peanut products, soy proteins like tofu, wheat germ, grits, tea, cranberry juice, cola and cocoa may reduce the oxalates that can crystallize and cause arthritic problems such as gout. High-oxalate fruits and vegetables include blueberries, grapes, oranges, strawberries, beets, carrots, greens, sweet potato, spinach and cauliflower.
References
- University of Miami Department of Urology: Kidney Stones
- University of Southern California Department of Surgery: Kidney Transplant Program: Kidney Stones
- University of Michigan Nephrology Department: Dietary Changes to Prevent Calcium Oxalate Stones
- "Journal of Indian Rheumatology Association"; Crystal Induced Arthritis: An Overview; SJ Gupta; 2002
- MayoClinic.com; Pseudogout: Treatments and drugs; April 2010
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