What medications are normally prescribed for cystine kidney stones?
Cysteine stones, of course, are rare. Interestingly, cysteine stones can be prevented, again, by alkalinising the urine. An alkaline environment actually prevents all stones from forming. So, if we can artificially change the ph of the urine, then we can inhibit stone formation. However, if more is needed in the cysteine stone former, then what we can do is add one of two drugs, either Thiola or Penicillamine. The problem with these drugs, however, is that the side-effects are harsh and they are mainly gastro-intestinal. Rarely, blood disorders can form with the use of those drugs.
