Extremely rapid stone formation in cystinuria: look out for dietary supplements!

Cystinuria is an autosomal recessive disease characterized by recurrent nephrolithiasis. The prevention of new stones is based on diluting and alkalinizing urine, as well as a low salt and moderate protein intake. The avoidance of food rich in methionine (the precursor of cystine) is also advocated. We report the case of a young adult adherent to the preventative strategy who was stone-free and within months formed a large stone. This coincided with the recent intake of a dietary supplement containing both cystine and methionine. Patients and physicians should be aware of the potential harm of such supplements in patients with cystinuria.