How to Prevent Analgesic Nephropathy

Analgesic Nephropathy is kidney damage caused by months or years of taking over-the-counter pain medication. It most commonly occurs in women over age 30 who have chronic pain which they treat themselves with over-the-counter medication. Analgesic nephropathy can be very serious and can even lead to complete failure of the kidneys.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Read the labels on any over-the-counter medication you take. Ingredients such as salicylic acid, acetaminophen, phenacetin, aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen sodium or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are all analgesics. You should take care not to take them over the long term or combine them with other medication that contain analgesics. You also shouldn't combine analgesics with caffeine.

2. See your doctor for any chronic pain, even if it is minor. Rather than continuing to take over-the-counter pain medication, get medical help which can provide an alternative method of relieving your pain.

3. Take only the recommended dosage of any over-the-counter medication unless your doctor tells you to do otherwise, then follow his or her instructions carefully.

4. Report any unusual symptoms to your doctor, such as blood or solid material in your urine, decreased urine output, increased frequency of urination, drowsiness, fatigue or weakness, nausea, bruising, swelling or pain in your back and sides.

Tips & Warnings

• Analgesic nephropathy can be successfully treated if caught early, and in many cases the damage can even be reversed.
• Analgesic nephropathy sometimes mimics the symptoms of other health conditions. Also, kidney damage can occur without causing any symptoms at all. Be sure to tell your doctor if you regularly take over-the-counter analgesics, even if they don't seem to be causing any problems.

Resources

• Learn which common over-the-counter drugs contains analgesics.

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