Drugs That Cause Kidney Damage

What types of drugs cause kidney damage, and how can you minimize your risk of harm?

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How Do Drugs Affect the Kidneys?

The kidneys play an essential role in filtering waste and other toxins from your bloodstream. They also maintain appropriate pH balance in your blood, produce glucose (sugar), and help to increase blood pressure when necessary.

When you use any type of drugs, the substances are usually metabolized, or broken into component parts, in your liver. When blood containing these components pass through the kidneys, they are filtered and prepared for elimination via urine.

Drugs can endanger your kidneys in many ways, such as by placing additional strain on them, restricting blood flow, causing dehydration, triggering inflammations, and creating blockages.

5 Examples of Drugs That Cause Kidney Damage

The many drugs that cause kidney damage vary considerably in terms of how they work and why people use them. For example, some are legal and have medical value, while others are illicit and used solely for recreational purposes. 

The list below is by no means exhaustive, but it demonstrates that many different kinds of substances can pose a danger of kidney damage.

Opioids

The category of opioids includes a variety of both natural and synthetic substances, including heroin, morphine, fentanyl, and the active ingredients in many prescription painkillers. 

Medically, prescription opioids are most commonly used to treat moderate to severe pain. However, their ability to ease tension and induce a state of relaxed euphoria has also made them popular as recreational drugs.

According to a January 2017 article in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences, the primary risk of opioid-induced kidney problems involves those who use the drugs improperly or who have certain medical conditions.

“The renal toxicity [of opioids] appears in the context of inappropriate use: either inadvertently higher than needed doses, in the presence of other toxins, with pre-existing dehydration, or prostate enlargement,” the study noted.

Stimulants

Stimulants are substances that increase the delivery of messages throughout the central nervous system. 

Some of the more widely known drugs in this category are cocaine, amphetamine, methamphetamine, and MDMA (molly or ecstasy). All four of these drugs are used for illicit recreational purposes, though amphetamine and methamphetamine are also present in some prescription medications.

Stimulants can contribute to kidney damage in several ways, such as:

• Promoting urine retention, which puts additional pressure on the kidneys
• Constricting blood vessels, which can reduce blood flow to the kidneys
• Causing rhabdomyolysis, which causes the breakdown of muscle tissue and the release of proteins that can damage the kidneys

Alcohol

Drinking alcohol forces your kidneys to work harder than usual in order to filter the drug and its metabolites from your bloodstream. 

If you engage in binge drinking (consuming a large amount of alcohol in a short period of time), your kidneys may not be able to keep up with the demands placed on them. This can cause a buildup of toxins and prevent the kidneys from maintaining an appropriate balance of fluids and electrolytes.

Damage from binge drinking – which clinicians refer to as acute kidney injury (AKI) – may be reversible, though it can be severe enough to warrant dialysis. 

Also, alcohol causes increased fluid loss and elevated blood pressure, both of which can be damaging to the kidneys over time. Thus, even those who avoid drinking binges may expose themselves to harm if they consume alcohol on a regular basis.

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)

NSAIDs are a category of drugs that are commonly used to reduce pain, fever, and inflammation. Many NSAIDs are available only on a prescription basis, but several can also be purchased over the counter (OTC), such as:

• Aspirin
• Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin)
• Naproxen (Aleve)

Though OTC meds are often thought of as safer than prescription drugs, in the case of NSAIDs the improper use of either type can be damaging to your kidneys.

As described by the National Kidney Foundation, one effect of NSAIDs is reduced blood flow through the kidneys. If you take large amounts of NSAIDs or use the meds for an extended period, this can lead to an acute kidney injury. 

People who already have chronic kidney disease (CKD) are typically advised to avoid NSAIDs completely due to risk of exacerbating the condition.

Antibiotics

Antibiotics such as penicillin have been hailed as wonder drugs for their ability to treat bacterial infections that at one time were incurable. But the widespread use and benefits of these drugs shouldn’t obscure the fact that some can be quite harmful to the kidneys.

According to an August 2023 article in the journal International Kidney Reports, antibiotics are one of the most common causes of drug-induced kidney damage. 

Polymyxins, a variety of antibiotic that were initially discovered in the 1940s, can be particularly hard on the liver. By the 1950s, awareness of the risk posed by polymyxins caused a significant reduction in their use. Today, they are often employed only after other antibiotics have proved to be ineffective.

In the U.S., the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires polymyxin packaging to include a black box warning due to an elevated risk of both nephrotoxicity (kidney damage) and neurotoxicity (nerve damage).

How to Avoid Drug-Induced Kidney Damage

Here are three tips for limiting your risk of drug-induced kidney damage:

• Over-the-counter medications: Carefully review all warnings on any over-the-counter drugs that you take. If you’re not sure if an OTC med is safe for your kidneys, ask a pharmacist.
  
• Prescription drugs: Talk to your doctor about the potential side effects of any medication they prescribe to you. Also be sure that your doctor is aware of any kidney-related problems that you’re already having, as well as which other medications you are currently taking.
  
• Recreational substances: Depending on the substance, you should either use it infrequently and in moderation or not at all. In addition to posing a direct threat to your kidneys, using alcohol, opioids, or stimulants can also lead to addiction, which significantly increases your risk of substantial, potentially irreversible, damage. 

If you’re unable or unwilling to stop using any drug, even though that you know that continuing to do so may be hazardous to your health, that could indicate that you’ve developed an addiction. 

Though addictions can be devastating conditions, they are treatable. An ideal first step is to consult with your doctor or schedule an assessment with a reputable treatment provider in your area. 

Learn More About Drug Treatment in Jacksonville

Design Recovery is a trusted provider of personalized outpatient care for adults in the Jacksonville, FL, area who have been struggling with addictions to alcohol and other drugs.

Treatment options at our outpatient rehab in Jacksonville, FL, include a partial hospitalization program (PHP), an intensive outpatient program (IOP), and an outpatient program (OP). We’ll work closely with you to understand how you ‘ve been impacted by addiction, so that we can identify the programs and services that best align with your unique needs and goals.

To learn more about how we can help you or a loved one, or to schedule a free assessment, please visit our Admissions page or call us today.