What is the appropriate amount of time for antibiotics to dissolve struvite crystals?

• A. 3-5 days
• B. 10-14 days
• C. 2-3 months
• D. 6 months

Answer: (C)

Dissolving struvite crystals with medical management is a slow process. Struvite stones form in urine that’s often alkaline due to urease-producing bacteria, so the plan is to clear the infection and shift urine toward acidity while the stones gradually dissolve. Because dissolution happens over weeks to months, a timeframe of roughly two to three months is typical for the antibiotics to play their role in this process, assuming the stones are not too large. Short courses lasting only a few days or weeks won’t allow sufficient dissolution, and extending treatment to many months is usually unnecessary unless there are complicating factors like large stones or recurrent infections. Antibiotics are part of the approach, but the overall dissolution relies on sustained infection control and urine pH management.