What Common Painkillers Can Do To Your Kidneys Over Time

Most people use painkillers for quick pain relief from headache, backache, or body aches. Medications are easy to access, and in many cases, taken without much thought. However, using these medications frequently or for prolonged periods of time can unknowingly harm your kidneys over time.

What we need to understand is how this happens, and how to protect kidneys while treating pain.

How Painkillers Impact Your Kidneys

Many painkillers, and particularly the group of medications called NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) such as ibuprofen, diclofenac, and naproxen, function to reduce inflammation and block pain signals. However, these medications will decrease blood flow to the kidneys.

Your kidneys clean waste from your blood. To do their job well, they need plenty of blood flow. That is one of the reasons why you need to make sure you do not take painkillers too often; if you do, the blood vessels in your kidneys will narrow, which will prevent them from working properly.

You probably will not damage your kidneys right away. The damage will develop gradually. 

The Risk Develops Gradually:

Kidney damage related to painkillers usually develops without clear signs and often the person will feel fine at first. However, frequent high dose use, or too much use overtime can result in serious consequences, such as:

• Weak kidney function or long-term issues with kidney disease
• Problems in body salts
• Hypertension
• and in rare cases, chronic kidney failure.

The risk is even greater with pre-existing diabetes, hypertension, or kidney difficulties, as well as in older adults, and people with heart conditions.

Do All Painkillers Damage Kidneys?  

Not all painkillers are equally damaging. For instance, when taken regularly and not in excessive amounts, paracetamol is typically safer for your kidneys. However, having  any drug for example alcohol or without taking enough water can make it worse. 

Similarly, some natural or herbal pain remedies can be troublesome to your kidneys or interact with other medications.

How to Use Painkillers Safely

• You do not have to avoid pain relief completely. But being careful makes a big difference. Here are a few tips:
• Small dose for the shorter time period
• Drink plenty of water when taking medicine
• Do not mix different painkillers or take them with alcohol
• Talk to a doctor before using painkillers often
• Try other ways to ease pain, like light exercise or stretching

Painkillers can be a great help when taken properly, but long-term or irresponsible use can silently damage your kidneys. If you find yourself  using pain relief, you should be aware of the damage and get advice from a medical professional. At Sugam Hospital you can speak with some of the best nephrologists in Chennai, who can provide you advice on safe pain relief and how to keep your kidneys healthy in the long term.