Study	Reason for exclusion
Agarwal 2009	MET adjunct therapy to ESWL.
Aravinthan 2012	Stones larger than 10 mm were included, and data could not be separated for adequate analysis of stones measuring 10 mm or less.
Avdoshin 2005	Stones larger than 10 mm were included, and separate data were not available for stones measuring 10 mm or less.
Aydogdu 2009	Participants were children.
Bak 2007	No extracted data were available.
Bhat 2015	Prospective study, but unclear whether this study was randomised.
Borghi 1994	Intervention was calcium channel blocker.
Brausi 2015	No randomisation was performed.
Chau 2011	Patients with pyelonephritis were included.
Cooper 2000	Intervention was calcium channel blocker.
Cuni 2013	Use of Rowatinex/Terpenes vs tamsulosin without control or placebo group.
Damiano 2008	Participants were patients who had undergone ureteral stent positioning.
Deliveliotis 2006	Participants were patients with stone‐related hydronephrosis who had opted for conservative management with insertion of a double‐J ureteral stent.
Dellabella 2003	Stones larger than 10 mm were included, and separate data were not available for stones measuring 10 mm or less.
Dellabella 2005	Stones larger than 10 mm were included, and separate data were not available for stones measuring 10 mm or less.
Dellabella 2005a	The intervention comprised corticosteroids added to 1 of 2 tamsulosin groups.
Gandhi 2013	Stones larger than 10 mm were included, and separate data were not available for stones measuring 10 mm or less.
Gupta 2013	Tamsulosin vs silodosin. No placebo or control group available for comparison.
Gupta Shyam 2014	Tamsulosin vs herbal preparation. No placebo or control group available for comparison.
Gurbuz 2011	Hyoscine‐N‐butylbromide (antispasmodic drug) vs alfuzosin vs doxazosin vs terazosin. HBB was not given to alpha‐blocker groups. No placebo or control group available for comparison.
Haxhiu 2014	Unclear Results section. Data not interpretable.
Hwang 2012	Retrospective study.
Imperatore 2014	Tamsulosin vs silodosin. No placebo or control group available for comparison.
ISRCTN24675122	Study closed in January 2011 owing to insufficient recruitment.
Itano 2012	Retrospective study.
Jayant 2014	Tamsulosin vs tamsulosin and tadalafil. No placebo or control group available for comparison.
John 2010	Participants were patients with large renal or ureteral calculi who underwent ureteroscopic laser lithotripsy.
Khawaja 2005	Patients with multiple stones were included.
Kumar 2014	Tamsulosin vs tamsulosin and tadalafil. No placebo or control group available for comparison.
Kumar 2015	Tamsulosin and prednisolone vs naftopidil and prednisolone vs watchful waiting (no prednisolone). Therapy groups cannot be compared with watchful waiting group because prednisolone was used by treatment groups. Every positive effect reported in the therapy group could be due to use of prednisolone instead of the alpha‐blocker.
Loftus 2015	Retrospective study.
Lu 2012	Naftopidil vs naftopidil and tolterodine vs tolterodine. No placebo or control group available for comparison.
Mohseni 2006	Stones larger than 10 mm were included, and separate data were not available for stones measuring 10 mm or less.
Moon 2015	Retrospective study.
Morozumi 2013	Naftopidil vs buscopan group. No placebo or control group available for comparison.
Multescu 2014	Retrospective study. Not an RCT.
Nasim 2014	Retrospective study.
Ohgaki 2010	Data on primary and secondary outcomes not available.
Porpiglia 2000	Intervention was calcium channel blocker.
Ramesh 2015	No information on inclusion and exclusion criteria available. Stones measuring > 7 mm were included; maximum diameter was unknown.
Reddy 2016	Study method is cohort; not an RCT.
Resim 2005	Stones larger than 10 mm were included; separate data were not available for stones measuring 10 mm or less.
Resorlu 2011	Investigators included no control group.
Salem 2015	Silodosin vs tamsulosin. No placebo or control group was available for comparison.
Sameer 2014	Children were included in the study (8 years old).
Shabana 2015	Tamsulosin vs alfuzosin. No placebo or control group was available for comparison.
Shah 2013	"Random base"; not an RCT.
Skrekas 2003	Intervention was calcium channel blocker.
Su 2016	Data were not consistent throughout the article. Participant numbers were different in tables as compared with the flow chart and text.
Sumer 2012	Primary outcome was resolution of colicky pain. Stone clearance rate was not reported.
Tchey 2011	Retrospective study.
Tsuzaka 2011	Naftopidil vs silodosin. No placebo or control group available for comparison.
Vavassori 2012	No randomisation performed.
Wang 2009c	Patients underwent ESWL before study entry.

ESWL: extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy; HBB: hyoscine‐N‐butylbromide; MET: medical expulsive therapy; RCT: randomised controlled trial.