Twenty years ago, "The New York Times" reported on a study at Johns Hopkins in which the effects of customary doses of ibuprofen were shown to alter the kidney function in 12 women with mild kidney disease. Ever since that time, doctors have warned kidney patients to stay away from ibuprofen. For example, the National Kidney Foundation exhorts patients to "avoid medications that are toxic to the kidneys such as ibuprofen." Although most people can take Advil, Motrin and other ibuprofen-containing drugs without adverse effect, for a select few, the effects of ibuprofen on the kidneys can be permanent.
Analgesic Nephropathy
MedlinePlus explains that ibuprofen can cause an irreversible condition called analgesic nephropathy. This condition occurs when ibuprofen and other over-the-counter painkillers such as aspirin and acetaminophen are taken daily over a period of years. According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, four out of 100,000 people will develop analgesic nephropathy, and it is most common in women over 30. Massachusetts General Hospital states that analgesic nephropathy "gradually leads to end-stage renal disease and the need for permanent dialysis or a kidney transplant to restore renal function."
Acute Kidney Failure
The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases states that ibuprofen can cause acute kidney failure in people who are geriatric, alcoholic or who already have systemic lupus or chronic kidney disease. Some patient case reports point to instances of using ibuprofen causing acute renal failure, notes the institute. Acute renal failure is treated with short-term dialysis.
NSAIDS
Ibuprofen belongs to a class of drugs called nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDS. These include aspirin; ibuprofen; acetaminophen; naprosyn; rofecoxib, brand name Vioxx; and valdecoxib, brand name Bextra. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration pulled Vioxx and Bextra from the market because of other side effects not related to kidney function.
References
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases: Analgesic Nephropathy
- MedlinePlus: Analgesic Nephropathy
- Yale Medical Group: Analgesic Nephropathy
- Massachusetts General Hospital: Analgesic Nephropathy
- "The New York Times"; Kidney Peril Found in the Pain Reliever Ibuprofen; April 16, 1990
Member Comments