Medicine can play an important role in protecting your health. But if you have chronic kidney disease, certain medications can have risks. That\u2019s why using caution before taking medications matters. Here\u2019s what to know.<\/p>\n
Many medications, including over-the-counter<\/a>\u00a0ones, can affect kidney function.\u00a0<\/p>\n For someone with healthy kidneys, this may not be an issue. However, if you have chronic kidney disease, caution is important, according to Geisinger kidney doctor Jamie Green, MD<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Medications that can affect kidney function include:<\/p>\n NSAIDs, like Ibuprofen or naproxen Other medications are cleared by the kidneys but won\u2019t harm them directly. These include:<\/p>\n Some antibiotics To avoid potential complications, your healthcare provider may need to adjust your dose.<\/p>\n How do medications affect your kidneys?<\/p>\n Medications can impact the kidneys in a few ways.<\/p>\n Causing kidney damage<\/p>\n Some medications can directly damage the kidneys, which can lower kidney function. \u201cDamaged kidneys have to work harder to filter waste,\u201d Dr. Green says. \u201cKnowing which medicines are safe can help you protect your kidneys and avoid further damage.\u201d<\/p>\n Causing high amounts of medicine in the body<\/p>\n Your kidneys help remove certain medications from your body. But when your kidneys are damaged, these medications can build up in your blood and make you sick. Ask your healthcare provider if your dosage needs to be adjusted because of your kidney disease.<\/p>\n Reducing blood flow<\/p>\n Some drugs, like NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), can reduce blood flow to your kidneys. This can lower the amount of oxygen and nutrients they get. Over time, that lack of blood flow and oxygen can damage healthy tissue. Examples include ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) or naproxen (Aleve). Patients with kidney disease should avoid all NSAIDs.<\/p>\n Taking medicine the right way<\/p>\n No matter what medicine you\u2019re currently on, using caution will help protect your kidneys. To keep your kidneys as healthy as possible, consider these tips:<\/p>\n Have a conversation<\/p>\n \u201cBefore taking any new medicine, including prescription medications, over-the-counter medicines or herbal supplements, talk to your healthcare provider,\u201d advises Dr. Green. They can help you find the right medication to help you manage symptoms. And keep your kidneys working as well as possible. They can also make changes to your doses or medicine schedule.<\/p>\n Use a single pharmacy<\/p>\n Filling all your prescriptions at the same pharmacy can help you stay organized. It can also help you avoid potential drug interactions<\/a>. Your pharmacist may also recommend alternatives that will be safer for your kidneys.<\/p>\n Be mindful of labels<\/p>\n Many medications, especially cold medicine<\/a>, can raise blood pressure. \u201cIncreased blood pressure can be harmful to your kidneys,\u201d says Dr. Green. To be safe, always read the label and ask your health care professional for advice. If you\u2019re not sure, take something else.<\/p>\n Ask for a medication review<\/p>\n If you\u2019re taking multiple medications<\/a>, your pharmacy team may recommend a medication review. They can look at the list of all your medications, including over-the-counter ones, vitamins and supplements to check for potential interactions or side effects. They can also help determine if the medications you\u2019re on are necessary, effective and above all, safe.<\/p>\n Pay attention to how you feel<\/p>\n Kidney damage often causes no symptoms early on. But if a medication is stressing your kidneys, you may notice signs such as:<\/p>\n Swelling in your legs or feet<\/p>\n Tiredness Contact your healthcare provider if you notice new symptoms, or if your current symptoms have gotten worse.<\/p>\n Keep the lines of communication open<\/p>\n Managing chronic kidney disease often involves an entire care team. Keeping them in the loop on changes to your medication or overall health can help everyone be on the same page. And being on the same page can help you achieve your health goals.<\/p>\n See also:<\/p>\n Learn about kidney care at Geisinger<\/a>
\n Certain antibiotics<\/a>
\n Acid reducers
\n Supplements<\/a>
\n Diuretics
\n Contrast dye used for certain imaging, like MRI or CT<\/p>\n
\n Medications to treat diabetes
\n Heart medication<\/p>\n
\n Reduced urination
\n Back or side pain
\n Confusion
\n Blood in the urine<\/p>\n
Can kidney stones cause kidney failure?<\/a>
What\u2019s that pain in your side?<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Medicine can play an important role in protecting your health. But if you have chronic kidney disease, certain…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":353890,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[163,85,46],"class_list":{"0":"post-353889","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-health","8":"tag-health","9":"tag-il","10":"tag-israel"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/353889","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=353889"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/353889\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/353890"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=353889"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=353889"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=353889"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}