Have you been recently diagnosed with Medullary Sponge Kidney (MSK) disorder? Maybe you’ve heard of it and think it’s the cause of your calcium oxalate stones. Whichever the case, let’s take a close look at this condition and how it can impact your health.
First, the disorder is not a condition you develop but rather a congenital disorder where there are problems that occur in the tubules, or tiny tubes, or in the collecting ducts (a channel where urine is collected for removal) in your kidneys. With a normal kidney, urine will flow through normally without any problems. In the case of MSK, cysts form inside the tubules or collecting ducts. This can make it more difficult to pass urine.
Now what are the symptoms of Medullary Sponge Kidney disorder?
MSK is usually a benign disorder without any symptoms, but it can lead to other problems, such as urinary tract infections and kidney stones, because of the urine flow being blocked.
Some of the common symptoms of this disorder includes:
- Pain while urinating or a burning sensation during urination.
- Pain in your back, groin, sides, or abdomen area.
- Bloody or dark urine that are caused by the pressure in the tubules.
- Fever, chills, and even vomiting if you have a bad case of the condition.
Symptoms depend on the cause and severity of urinary blockage. Kidney failure occurs in about 10% of people with MSK,
As you can imagine, some of these symptoms are very similar to when you have challenges with calcium oxalate stones. That’s why it’s very important to figure out what’s is causing these symptoms rather than simply passing it off as you have developed a kidney stone. It’s important to note that in some cases, you may have MSK and also have kidney stones and/or are passing kidney stones as you urinate.
How is Medullary Sponge Kidney Diagnosed?
If you have a history kidney stones, urinary tract infections, or other symptoms of MSK, your doctor may use an imaging test to help confirm what is causing your symptoms. Diagnosis may involve a type of x-ray procedure called an intravenous pyelogram (IVP), also called an intravenous urogram. This procedure uses a special dye that is injected to help your doctor visualize the kidneys and look for any problems, such as cysts in the kidneys or blockages in the urinary tract. Other possible imaging tests include an ultrasound or computed tomography (CT) scan.
Often times your physician may in also take blood and urine tests to see how your kidneys are working and to look for any signs of infection. Your doctor may also check to see if there is blood in the urine (hematuria)
Can MSK cause long term health complications?
Fortunately, MSK is often a benign condition, albeit a painful and disruptive one. Many people will likely experience regular urinary tract infections. Some people will also develop calcium oxalate stones frequently. The condition rarely ( less then 10%) will lead to something more serious such as kidney failure.
At the same time, you have to be aware of urinary tract infections. When treated promptly and properly, lower urinary tract infections rarely lead to complications. But left untreated, a urinary tract infection can have serious consequences.
Complications of a urinary tract infection (UTI) may include:
- Recurrent infections, especially in women who experience two or more UTIs in a six-month period or four or more within a year.
- Permanent kidney damage from an acute or chronic kidney infection (pyelonephritis) due to an untreated UTI.
- Increased risk in pregnant women of delivering low birth weight or premature infants.
- Urethral narrowing (stricture) in men from recurrent urethritis, previously seen with gonococcal urethritis.
- Sepsis, a potentially life-threatening complication of an infection, especially if the infection works its way up your urinary tract to your kidneys.
It’s important to see your doctor if you suspect any kind of infection that seems to be persisting for a long time.
MSK is More Common Than You Think
One thing that may surprise you is the fact that MSK affects between 10 to 20 percent of people that go on to develop calcium oxalate stones. This is why if you develop calcium oxalate stones, you should talk to your doctor about checking for this condition.
Another thing you should be aware of is the fact that the condition can become aggravated later on in your life. It is widely seen in adults between the ages of 30 to 50. You may have had the condition for a long time and not noticed because it hasn’t become aggravated. The condition is also likely genetic, so you should check for it if there’s a family history of calcium oxalate stones.
Can MSK Be Treated?
The answer is no. There is no surgery or medication that can treat MSK. The best that your doctor can do is to monitor changes of your kidneys and make sure to focus kidney health during your visits. This can predict problems like infections and large stone formations.
However, your doctor can help you with urinary tract infections that can occur due to MSK. Usually a simple antibiotic will be prescribed to kill the infection. For large calcium oxalate stones, various treatments can be done such as shock wave lithotripsy and ureteroscopy. Both treatments involve breaking up the stones to help them pass.
Can Medullary Sponge Kidney Disorder Be Managed?
Yes, the condition can be managed. The best way to approach this condition is to change your lifestyle so that you limit calcium oxalate stone formation. This will mean that you will have to do several things.
- Make sure you are consuming a diet with foods that have low oxalate content.
- Make sure you limit excessive consumption of sodium and sugar. Sodium will make you expel more calcium in the urine which will bind with oxalates to form the stones.
- Drink a minimum of 6 eight-ounce glasses of water spread throughout the day. It’ll also help to drink water with some lemon in it as citric acid can deter the formation of stones.
- A supplement called Kidney C.O.P. Calcium Oxalate Protector has an optimized formula that has shown to inhibit the rate of calcium oxalate crystal growth by 99%. Several people that have MSK have provided wonderful reviews for Kidney C.O.P. Here are just a few that we saw:
Review - 1
5.0 out of 5 stars MSK OR OXALATE STONES MUST TRY-"UPDATED 2019
Reviewed in the United States on November 20, 2018
Size: 120 Count (Pack of 1) Verified Purchase
Much Thanks to this product!! I suffer from Medullary sponge cystic kidneys for 30yrs now and have had 13 kidney surgeries can usually pass 4-6 stones monthly. Along with blood and sand in my urine always.
Since using this product I have stopped using a prescription flomax and no longer wake up 6x a night to urinate and I'm not peeing out a sandbox, no more pain!! If you have oxalate stones or MSK u must try this product!!
UPDATE NOVEMBER 2019
I have been using this wonderful product and I'm happy to say first the stones that do come out are smaller and smoother. (Due to my disease the stones will never stop) I also have ultrasounds to count stones every 6mths. I usually have anywhere from 10-15 stones in each kidney, but I now have 3-6!!
This is beyond amazing for someone who has suffered through hundreds of stones over the last 30 years and 13 surgeries and I cannot begin to explain the pain I have gone through.
I cannot THANK the makers of this product enough, I hope it helps many to not go through what I had too!
Review - 2
“MAGICAL PILLS! AMAZING PREVENTATIVE APPROACH”
I cannot even begin to explain how MAGICAL these pills are! Unfortunately, I have congenital MSK (medullary sponge kidney), a condition that makes me more prone to forming an insane amount of calcium oxalate kidney stones.
I first had 14 kidney stones bilaterally when I was about 18 years old. I’d be in and out of the ER for pain meds and to just be discharged home with a huge bill and a terrible experience.
I then followed up with an excellent urologist who recommended this to me. At first, I was hesitant because I just didn’t trust these random things you find online claiming to help. Yet, both my dad, a pharmacist who explained the chemical mechanism of these pills, and my urologist kept recommending it. Fine, I gave it a try and would take them every 2-3 days, definitely not religiously, but certainly every once in a while as a preventative approach to my stones.
I just followed up with my urologist and he told me that my XRays were all clear! Genuinely couldn’t believe it! After 5 years of forming at least 16 stones every summer, I am now clear of them 1 year later after using this product.
PLEASE GIVE THIS A TRY! I promise you, you are almost guaranteed to see MAGICAL (but actually medical, and scientifically backed research) results! Yay to preventative approaches rather than dealing with the pain when the stones arrive!
Yoyo | July 5, 2020
By following these simple lifestyle changes, you’ll be able to better manage MSK and deal with fewer calcium oxalate stones.
