24-hour urine collection: Why and how

Jill Harris, LPN, CHC

February 14, 2018

You have a kidney stone episode and your doctor asks you to collect your urine for 24 hours. Why oh why is this being asked of you? Isn’t it dreadful enough that you just had a kidney stone?

The only way to find out WHY you are forming kidney stones is to complete a urine collection.

The test results will tell your doctor how saturated your urine is with stone making crystals.

The more saturated your urine is, the more likely you are to form new stones.

Read the full article at kidneystones.uchicago.edu.

About the Author

Jill Harris is a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) who specializes in kidney stone prevention. Her goal is to teach you what you need to know and, more importantly, how to put that knowledge to work so you can stop forming stones. For good.

Hannah

March 10, 2021

Hello,
My question is, I had 24hr urine tests and is Oxalate 0.60 out 0.46 and another is 52.8 out of 40.5 . So that mean I have on oxalate diet? And what else can I do to stop having UTI?
Thank you so much

Reply
1. Jill Harris
  
  March 11, 2021
  
  Hi Hannah,
  Talk to your doc about dealing with the UTI- could be stone related, maybe not. Your oxalate is high and if you are a kidney stone former this could put you at risk. Go to the start page and get your free resources to start your prevention journey. kidneystonediet.com/start
  j
  
  Reply
Kimberly amburgey

February 19, 2022

Hello I take 24 hr urine test every 6 months and I been having good labs but why would I keep making stones if my urine samples are good?

Reply
1. Jill Harris, LPN, CHC
  
  February 24, 2022
  
  Hi Kimberly.
  I would love to see those results. Perhaps the person looking at them is not asking you the right questions or perhaps some of your values are in normal range for that lab, but the lab doesn’t know where exactly we want stone formers to fall. Make sense? I have a 15 minute inexpensive call for just this if you want to understand better. Well worth it so you STOP making stones. kidneystonediet.com/shop
  j
  
  Reply
Patricia Oros

May 5, 2022

I have hypoparathyroidism and make calcium stones am very low in citrate in urine <36 but nephrologist only put me on diuretic to keep me from expelling to much calcium..What about low citrate?

Reply
1. Jill Harris, LPN, CHC
  
  May 8, 2022
  
  Hi Patricia,
  You should ask your doc about this. Low citrate will def increase your kidney stone risk. And use of diuretics (some) could lower potassium and citrate so talk to doc.
  j
  
  Reply
Sherron Berg

August 24, 2022

Hi Jill. I have an appointment with you in October. Do I get the 24 hour urine test from a doctor?

Reply
1. Jill Harris, LPN, CHC
  
  August 24, 2022
  
  Hi Sherron,
  Yes, your doc will order the urine test for you.
  Looking forward to helping.
  
  Reply
cindy cort

November 12, 2022

How much 8s the 24 hour urine test review?

Reply
1. Jill Harris, LPN, CHC
  
  November 20, 2022
  
  Hi Cindy,
  Not sure what you are asking? LMK
  j
  
  Reply
Nancy Sarris

December 11, 2022

I have asked both my GP and Urolologistfor a 4 hr. urine test. Both said, “no”.
Don’t understand why. Have a 5m at junction of bladder (traveled down the ureter pretty quickly.) Have had 2 CT scans, 2 ultrasounds, 2 xrays and 6 urine cultures (not viable.) Have been dealing with this for 4 months. Only symptom is dark urine…no pain!

Reply
1. Jill Harris, LPN, CHC
  
  December 13, 2022
  
  Hi Nancy,
  Yes, not everyone has pain believe it or not-
  Push back and tell your doc you want to find out WHY you are forming stones and that is the reason for the test. That is like saying you have high blood pressure and they both refuse to put on the cuff and check it.
  Ridiculous.
  j
  
  Reply
Debbie

December 30, 2022

I read somewhere that if you eat a high oxidate food with a food high in calcium it helps to counteract. Example- blueberries eat with enriched calcium milk Orin yogurt. Can eat spinach with cheese. Is this accurate?

Reply
1. Jill Harris, LPN, CHC
  
  January 5, 2023
  
  Hi Debbie,
  Take spinach away please it is just too high. There is not enough calcium to bind with all the oxalate (nearly 700/cup) Watch this so you can understand how it is done.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMFYYEs_ggQ&t=247s
  j
  
  Reply
Kristen Hoyt

May 10, 2023

I’m trying to get to you quickly. Hydroxyapatite crystals are very high. Urine pH is high, oxalate crystals are high. Iron is very low (5 with range of 23-336). How do I lower pH and increase iron, prevent crystals. I have nephrocalcinosis. Please help!

Reply
1. Jill Harris, LPN, CHC
  
  May 27, 2023
  
  Hi Kristen,
  It is complicated and would require a consult with me which you can book here if you like:https://kidneystonediet.com/24-hour-urine-analysis/
  j
  
  Reply
Laura

June 30, 2023

Hi from Canada!

Long time stone maker (calcium oxalate kidney stones, gallstones and saliva duct stones! I’m really good at it!) and I just started listening to your podcast.

I just listened to the urine analysis episode. It’s been almost four years since I saw my urologist, and I am waiting for an appointment that will be set up in the fall, but I could get in with my GP sooner and have an appointment with a dietician in a few weeks. The podcast episode mentioned a free resource on this site that might help me talk to my GP about getting urine analysis, but I can’t seem to find it. Am I missing it?

Liking the free resources I’m finding, though! Thank you!!

Reply
1. Jill Harris, LPN, CHC
  
  July 2, 2023
  
  Hi Laura,
  Here is the article found on my blog:https://kidneystonediet.com/13-things-to-do-at-your-first-urology-appointment/
  j
  
  Reply
shubhi

July 28, 2023

which 24 hour urinalysis test needs to be taken, calcium or uric acid or ?

Reply
1. Jill Harris, LPN, CHC
  
  December 1, 2023
  
  Hi Shubhi,
  There is a whole panel that should be done:
  j
  
  Reply

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