Are you among those who have become dependent on pain medicines or analgesics? 

Have you ever thought about what effect pain medicines have on the kidneys? If not, then spare some time for your own sake and go through this article. 

If you are taking your pain medications as prescribed by your doctor with the required amount of dosage, their regular use doesn’t affect your kidneys. To know more about the effect of painkillers on kidneys, this article would be of great help. 

But before proceeding with that, let us know more about what pain is and what are analgesics

What is pain?

Pain (algesia) is an ill-defined, unpleasant sensation, usually evoked by an external or internal noxious stimulus. It is a warning signal and primarily protective but causes discomfort and suffering; it may even be unbearable. 

What are analgesics?

Analgesic is a drug that selectively relieves pain by acting in the CNS or peripheral pain mechanisms without significantly altering consciousness.

Analgesic medicines help to reduce pain (analgesic), fever (antipyretic), and reduce inflammation (anti-inflammatory). Aspirin, ibuprofen, acetaminophen, ketoprofen, and naproxen sodium are a few of the standard analgesic medicines used as painkillers.

Some analgesics contain a combination of different painkillers, like a combination of aspirin and acetaminophen. Such drugs are believed to cause damage to kidneys when consumed for a long duration. However, these drugs are not readily available in the market.

Do Pain Medicines Damage Kidney?

Pain medicines or analgesics, as they are popularly known, are used as a part of our everyday life. We assume it to be one of the safest and the most effective medicine against pain. But little do we know that these medicines can cause severe damage to the kidneys.

Regular use of pain medicines can damage kidneys when consumed more than the prescribed dosage calculated using the age and body weight of an individual. Pain medicines, when finished more than the prescribed dosage for a long time can have health issues on the filtration system, that is, the kidneys.

However, with recent studies, it has been revealed that you need not worry about the effect of pain killer medicines on kidneys. Researchers have concluded that a low to moderate dose of these medicines is less likely to cause kidney problems.

But the fact that a prolonged or overuse of the drug can be harmful to the body cannot be ruled out. Before you get used to the effects of painkillers, it is advisable to check with your doctor about the drug’s safety, most importantly if you are already suffering from kidney disease. Pain Medicines

Study regarding regular use of Pain Medicines

A study was conducted and published in the journal of the American Medical Association regarding the use of non-prescribed pain medicines like Aspirin, acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) lien Advil, Motrin, Aleve carried on over 11,000 individuals for 14 years.

The result

No kidney problem was reported for people who took an average of 3 to 4 pain pills in a week. The study was entirely focused on the effect of pain killer medicines on kidneys. The other Side-effects of the drug on the liver and gastrointestinal tract were ruled out. A total of 2500 pills were used during the study.

Dr. Morrell M. Avram, chief of nephrology at Long Island College and Hospital, SUNY Brooklyn, believes that the test result is not applicable in the real world. Because the number of pain medicines used was comparatively less than people taking them, he also believes that no possible damage to the kidney if you take 2 to 3 pills a week.

In the study, an overdose of the pain medicines was ruled out and not taken into consideration. People taking these medicines for a day or two to relieve their headaches and other acute pain were considered. This was deemed to be regular use. Under this circumstance, there was no reported risk of abnormal kidney problems.

Tips and Precautions to be Followed when Taking Pain Medicines

• Length of time and dose: Pain medicines can harm the kidneys when taken in massive amounts or smaller doses for an extended period. 
• Drink lots of water: Drink lots of water when you are under pain medications. I prefer drinking water rather than tea or coffee as they may cause further kidney damage.
• Avoid smoking: Avoid smoking when taking pain pills. It may cause further kidney damage caused by the pain medicines. 

Conclusion

Pain medicines, when taken in the usual dose as prescribed by the physician or the doctor or as by the manufacturer, are less likely to have any side effects on the kidneys. When taken in the lowest possible dose, for a short period, its regular use doesn’t damage the kidneys.