More than 30 million people in the US take over-the-counter and prescription NSAIDs for pain relief, headaches and arthritis. Nevertheless, with kidney disease, there’s more you need to know before taking any pain medications.
People dealing with CKD may use NSAIDs to manage the pain that comes with kidney disease. Patients under the use of NSAIDs can experience negative outcomes due to their altered drug metabolism. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are considered threatening for kidney patients as it puts them at a higher risk of developing nephrotoxicity. Opioids are a common pain management choice among kidney disease sufferers.
Electrolyte imbalance, acute kidney injury (AKI), accelerated loss of GFR, are among some unfavorable outcomes from using NSAIDs with kidney disease. NSAIDs are only suggested to be carefully used among people with serious chronic kidney disease. The improper use of pain medications with damaged kidneys may only worsen things for those with CKD. Omega 3s and curcumin are two products that can help with inflammation in kidney disease.
If you have chronic kidney disease, you should be aware that NSAIDs are categorized as one of the most harmful medications. Some patients may still use NSAIDs from over-the-counter and prescription use but there has been a steady decline in doctors prescribing NSAIDs for people with chronic kidney disease. Overall, Tylenol is one of the safe options that are okay to use with kidney disease. Ibuprofen is another safer option for the use of NSAID. However, you should still consult with your doctor before taking pain medications with kidney disease.
NSAIDs & Acute Kidney Injury (AKI)
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