People’s Pharmacy: Flomax and lithotripsy may help with kidney stone

Is there a way to make passing a kidney stone less painful? I went from uncomfortable to unbearable pain within hours. The ER doctors gave me narcotic pain relievers but nothing to speed the stone out.

If surgery is not needed to remove the stone, Flomax (tamsulosin), the drug used to ease symptoms of prostate enlargement, may facilitate passage of kidney stones (Current Opinion in Urology, March 2008).

Shock-wave treatment (lithotripsy) is sometimes used to break kidney stones into smaller pieces. Flomax has been used along with lithotripsy to help smaller stones move. Not all studies show that the drug is effective, however, so you will need to discuss this approach with your urologist.

I’ve taken Fosamax for about 12 years. Last summer, I had acid reflux and pain and learned I have Barrett’s esophagus, a pre-malignant condition. Could Fosamax have caused this? My doctors disagree.

Fosamax can be very irritating to the esophagus. Diane Wysowski of the Food and Drug Administration has suggested that people with Barrett’s esophagus should not take it (New England Journal of Medicine, Jan. 1, 2009). There don’t seem to be enough data to determine if Fosamax, Actonel and Boniva actually increase the risk of esophageal cancer (New England Journal of Medicine, April 23, 2009). This is a controversial question.

Joe Graedon is a pharmacologist, and Teresa Graedon is an expert in medical anthropology and nutrition. https://www.peoplespharmacy.com