I Thought Beer Helped with Kidney Stones… Until I Looked Deeper

A while ago, a friend of mine swore that a couple of beers helped him pass a kidney stone. He said it “flushed it right out” — like some sort of magic potion. At first, I laughed it off. But then I started noticing more people echoing the same thing: “Beer’s good for kidney stones, na?” I even saw memes and short videos joking about doctors secretly prescribing lagers. It got me thinking — is this one of those old-school remedies that actually works, or are we all just repeating something we want to be true?

So, I decided to dig in.

Turns out, this whole “beer helps kidney stones” thing is more myth than medicine. There’s a detailed article that breaks it all down, reviewed by doctors, specifically for Indian readers: https://askdocdoc.com/articles/760-can-beer-help-remove-kidney-stones-a-doctorreviewed-guide-for-indian-readers. It explains that while beer might make you urinate more, that doesn’t mean it’s helping your kidneys. In fact, alcohol can make things worse by irritating your kidneys and dehydrating you.

But wow — the myth is everywhere. On Instagram, I saw a post that had a cold pint of beer with the caption “Nature’s remedy for kidney stones” — total bait. https://www.instagram.com/p/DMplwAXSWxz/

Then over on Threads, someone did a decent takedown of the myth, explaining how social media has turned casual opinions into medical advice. https://www.threads.com/@askdocdoc/post/DMplvyuoHgu

What hit me hardest, though, was a Facebook post where someone said they tried the beer trick instead of going to the hospital. Ended up in the ER with more pain and complications. https://www.facebook.com/122099392514743210/posts/122134926122743210

That’s when I realized this isn’t just some funny old wives’ tale — people are genuinely putting themselves at risk.

Pinterest even has one of those myth/fact charts. Beer? Giant red "X" under the “myth” side. https://www.pinterest.com/pin/928445279436520955

And if you want a laugh, someone on X (formerly Twitter) joked about “Friday night kidney therapy” — like beer was the new medicine. https://x.com/1881713393369030656/status/1949794486260838810

Funny, sure. But these things stick in people’s minds more than facts do.

On a more serious note, AskDocDoc also shared a thoughtful post on LinkedIn explaining how misinformation like this spreads because it’s easy to believe. It sounds nice. But believing it can delay real treatment. https://www.linkedin.com/posts/askdocdoc_despite-popular-belief-beer-does-not-help-activity-7355560265179959297-oDB6

So here’s the truth: if you have kidney stones, don’t reach for a beer. Reach for water. Then talk to a doctor. Hydration, dietary adjustments, and sometimes medication — that’s the real path to recovery. Beer just isn’t part of the equation.