Podcast: The Chemistry of Kidney Stones, and How to Avoid Them

By Cameron English and ChuckDinerstein — Jun 25, 2025

Kidney stones are excruciatingly miserable, causing intense, unrelenting pain — often described as worse than childbirth. These hard mineral deposits form in the kidneys and can lodge in the urinary tract, causing sharp, stabbing sensations in the back or abdomen. Here's perhaps the worse chemistry lesson you'll ever learn.

Image via Pixabay

Join Cameron English and Dr. Chuck Dinerstein on Episode 119 of the Science Dispatch podcast as they discuss:

Kidney Stones Are Torture. So's a Chemistry Lesson About Them

Ever had a kidney stone? If not, congratulations. You’ve never screamed while trying to pee out microscopic shrapnel. It starts with a bit too much spinach or exercise and ends with you on the bathroom floor praying for death or morphine, whichever arrives first.
To make this experience even more miserable, here's A Dreaded Chemistry Lesson From Hell.

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Cameron English

Director of Bioscience

Cameron English is a writer, editor and co-host of the Science Facts and Fallacies Podcast. Before joining ACSH, he was managing editor at the Genetic Literacy Project.