Your kidneys will not tell you when they are ailing, most often, until it is too late.
A colleague tells of a patient that came in with back pain that hurt all the time; it was not better or worse with movement. In addition, his face was puffy which showed that he was retaining fluid. The doctor suspected kidney trouble, so he checked the patient’s urine for protein. As there was protein there when it should not be, that was a tip off. The kidneys were not working.
This is alarming because the patient seemed fine at his last check-up the year prior. What had happened since was that he had been regularly taking the recommended dosage of ibuprofin for tendonitis. That was enough to damage his kidneys and cause his death several months later from kidney failure.
Yes, over-the-counter medications taken regularly can cause some people to die from kidney problems. Both prescription and over-the counter medications are a leading cause of early death. And it is getting worse.
These old friends could be damaging your kidneys if you are susceptible or they are taken regularly. The aspirin is problematic at higher doses.
Generic Brand Name(s)
NSAIDS
- Ibuprofen Advil, Motrin
- Naproxen sodium Aleve
- Aspirin Ascriptin, Bayer, Ecotrin
Acetaminophen
- Acetaminophen Tylenol
A Wake-Up Call
I hope this is a wake-up call to be aware of what practices could be damaging your kidneys. The long-term use of these pain-killers is one.
There is a way to find out the health of your kidneys. It is not to wait for symptoms, we already saw that was too late.
A simple blood marker on a “metabolic panel” can give you a clue. On a blood test, look for the measurement of something called “creatinine.” Creatinine is a break-down product of muscle, and it must be excreted through the kidneys.
Your kidney function can be calculated with your creatinine level, age, gender, with an adjustment for African Americans. The dialysis company DeVIta has a calculator on its website where you can calculate your percent of kidney function.
Here is their chart to see where your number lands. GFR stands for “glomerular filtration rate” and is expressed as a percent of optimal kidney function.
Now, on the blood test, most likely, if the GFR is calculated, the result is considered to be normal if it is over 60. As you can see on the chart, there is mild kidney damage between 60 and 89 percent of function.
That is a time to take action.
The first thing to do is to find out if something you are doing is damaging your kidneys. The medications listed above is the first place to look. There are other ways to deal with pain.
For the anti-inflammatories action, several herbs or herbal formulas can be effective. In addition, I have found that homeopathic remedies are very effective in dealing with the cause of pain for pain relief. Each of the herbal or homeopathic solutions must be individualized for the specific person and their condition. It takes more work, but it is worth it, considering the alternative could be death!
Most people whose GFR has fallen below 30 need dialysis in order to continue to stay alive. Please don’t ever get to that point!
It is possible to improve kidney function with the use of Biotherapeutic Drainage. There are systems to improve the function of your kidneys and preserve the cells there through the use of the Unda numbers and other homeopathic remedies. It is not a overnight fix, however, over the long run has been shown to preserve and improve kidney function.
Please comment below if you have checked your creatinine level on your blood test and found out your GFR.
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