Your kidneys are essentially your blood’s filtration system. This means that any toxins that are in your blood eventually finds their way into your kidneys, where they are later transformed and expelled through urine. All of your blood is filtered by these organs multiple times a day (1).
Both are located on your back, along your spine, and are each about the size of a fist. Kidney disease and failure are so hard to detect, in fact, that it’s possible to lose up to 90% of kidney function without experiencing any symptoms or problems, according to WebMD.
Drug-Induced Kidney Damage
Drugs are one of the most common causes of kidney damage. Over the last 30 years, instances of drug-induced acute kidney injury have been on the rise (2).
According to a 2008 review published in American Family Physician: “Drugs cause approximately 20 percent of community-and hospital-acquired episodes of acute renal failure. Among older adults, the incidence of drug-induced nephrotoxicity may be as high as 66 percent.”
In part, drugs can cause kidney inflammation, which can lead to fibrosis and renal scarring, and thus, kidney failure.
Nephrotoxic Drugs That Cause Kidney Damage
Before taking any of these drugs, be aware that they are known to cause severe (and sometimes deadly) kidney damage (3,4,5).
If you already have kidney problems, these drugs can be deadly even in small doses. And so, make sure to only take medication prescribed by your healthcare provider and respect the recommended dose. Click next for a full description…