Contents:
- Medical Video: Pharmacist Discusses Medications for Kidney Disease
- What is the effect of the drug on the kidneys?
- What medications are more at risk for kidney damage?
- How to prevent the effects of drugs on the kidneys?
Medical Video: Pharmacist Discusses Medications for Kidney Disease
Medication is your savior when you are sick. When you have dizziness, fever, cough, runny nose, pain, aches, or other health problems that make you uncomfortable, you will immediately find a medicine without a prescription at a pharmacy or drug store. These medicines may even be carried anywhere, when you are traveling, in anticipation of feeling sick. However, be careful because the use of drugs can certainly have an impact on your body, including the kidneys. The effects of drugs on the kidneys can have a negative impact on your overall health.
What is the effect of the drug on the kidneys?
The kidney is an organ that serves as a filter (filter), removing remnants of substances that no longer needed by the body. Inside the kidney there are millions of small structures or filtering units called nephrons. This nephron helps the kidneys filter up to 200 liters of blood a day.
The drug and the final product of the drug is one of the substances filtered by the kidneys. When you take medicine, the drug dissolves in the intestine and is absorbed into the bloodstream. Furthermore, the drug will reach the kidneys and filtered by the kidneys to be absorbed back into the bloodstream. So it's not surprising that the kidneys that continue to be exposed to high-dose drugs can be damaged.
High drug doses can have harmful effects on kidney tissue and structure. Some ways drugs affect the kidneys are:
- By reducing blood flow to the kidneys by shrinking blood vessels
- Interferes with urine flow
- Causes kidney injury
- Causes allergic reactions that can damage the kidneys
Kidney damage can make the kidneys work inefficient in filtering various substances every day, including poisons. Toxins that must be removed by the kidneys, even not wasted and eventually accumulate in various tissues in the body.
What medications are more at risk for kidney damage?
Although all drugs can cause kidney damage if used excessively, but there are several types of drugs that can increase the risk of kidney damage. These drugs are:
- Painkillers, such as acetaminophen, and aspirin and ibuprofen (included in the class of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs)
- Antibiotics, like aminoglycosides, cephalosporins, sulfonamides, amphotericin B, bacitracin, and vancomycin
- Certain high blood pressure medications, such as captopril, lisinopril, ramipril, candesartan, and valsartan
- Drugs used for chemotherapy, such as cisplatin, carboplatin, methotrexate, cyclosporine, and tacrolimus
- Rheumatic drugs, such as infliximab
- Gastric acid drugs, such as cimetidine
How to prevent the effects of drugs on the kidneys?
You may not be able to avoid using drugs. Medication can help you to relieve the pain you feel. However, too much or often taking medication is also not good for your kidney health.
People who often consume lots of drugs in their youth can have a higher risk of kidney damage in old age. Older people can also have a stronger reaction to the drug because kidney function decreases, so the dose of the drug needs to be reduced.
In addition, people who suffer from diabetes or heart disease who often take medication can also increase the risk of kidney damage. Not only medicine, consumption of supplements which is too often also associated with kidney damage.
To reduce the risk of kidney damage, you can do the following:
- Avoid self-medication, without consulting a doctor
- Make it a habit to always read labels, drug use instructions, and warnings before you take medication, especially over-the-counter drugs without a prescription
- Don't get used to taking medication in certain conditions, such as sleeping pills or painkillers. Don't get too often or dependence on drugs.
- Long-term medication consumption should be under the supervision of a doctor
- Drink enough water to help remove toxins in the body. Do not let you become dehydrated when using drugs.
- Don't drink alcoholic beverages
- Avoid taking painkillers while pregnant
