Large doses have been associated with nerve damage. Stop taking B 6 if you develop numbness in your hands or feet or unsteadiness in walking. Protection with Potassium Power Medical experts agree that eating grains, vegetables and fruits helps avert kidney stones, and one reason for this may be that vegetarian fare offers lots of potassium . Low levels of this mineral can increase the risk of stone formation. People with low potassium levels, and especially those on potassium -draining diuretics such as thiazides, are likely to be prescribed potassium supplements and to be told to get more potassium in their diets, explains Lisa Ruml, M.D., assistant professor of medicine and a researcher in the Department of Mineral Metabolism at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas.
Low potassium can lead to low urine citrate, which is the direct reason for increased stone risk.
Doctors who recommend potassium as a preventive for kidney stones generally suggest aiming for 3,500 to 4,500 milligrams daily. You can get this amount by eating at least five servings of fruits and vegetables, including plenty of citrus fruits and juices, every day. One form of this mineral, potassium citrate, which is available by prescription, may be helpful not only for people with low blood levels of potassium but also for many who form calcium oxalate stones, Dr. Ruml adds. In a study done by researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, people cut their chances of forming new stones to close to zero during three to four years of daily potassium citrate therapy. Potassium citrate changes the pH of urine, making it able to hold more calcium oxalate without forming crystals because citrate is increased, Dr. Ruml explains.