Ibuprofen is one of those drugs that resides in medicine cabinets all over the globe, its
familiarity having become its greatest weakness.
It is used like a glass of water, frequently, casually, and without much thought to the
actual effects it is having, beyond the obvious relief it is providing from the current
distress.
The familiarity with the drug is certainly warranted, but from a renal standpoint, the
actual effects it is having are worthy of a much more honest discussion than the
packaging would suggest.


The actual method by which the drug works is important, however, because it explains
everything.
Ibuprofen, an NSAID, works by inhibiting prostaglandins, which are chemical messengers that, among other duties, are responsible for controlling blood flow to the
kidneys.
Normally, in a well-hydrated, healthy individual, the kidneys do not depend too greatly
on prostaglandins to ensure an adequate blood supply to the kidneys themselves.

However, in states of physiological stress, dehydration, decreased cardiac output,
existing kidney disease, and old age, prostaglandins are extremely important to ensure
an adequate blood supply to the kidneys, and the inhibition of such can result in a
significant reduction in the blood supply to the kidneys, a phenomenon known as acute
kidney injury, which can occur in a matter of hours from the time the drug was ingested.

One patient that should be recalled is a fifty-eight-year-old male, a healthy, active
individual, who took the drug as directed, but in a quantity that increased as the
summer training season intensified, coupled with a lack of fluids in the body.

The patient had markedly increased levels of creatinine, fatigue, and decreased urine
output.

This patient had taken the drug dozens of times without incident, but what he didn't
know, or perhaps what he did know but didn�t understand, is that the drug had remained
the same, but the conditions in his body had altered.

The concern with the long-term, regular usage of the drug is a different story.
The long-term usage of NSAIDs is a known cause of chronic kidney disease, hypertension, and increased fluids in the body.

The long-term usage of NSAIDs in individuals who are elderly, diabetic, hypertensive, or
have pre-existing kidney disease is a significant cause for concern.

The kidneys of a sixty-five year old, operating on decades of intermittent ibuprofen
dosing, tell a different tale than the label on the bottle would suggest is possible.

Occasional dosing at recommended dosages for healthy, well-hydrated individuals is low
risk, and this must be stated simply to avoid raising alarms unnecessarily.

However, the term occasional has been interpreted by human nature in a way that would
not be recognizable to a physician, and if the bottle is being used more than a handful of
times a month, if it has become a background element in the constant juggling of
discomforts, this must be discussed with a physician, not continued quietly, as the
overwhelming majority of people will do, simply because it is accessible, familiar, and
effective enough that the long-term cost does not feel real until it no longer is.

More info...
https://www.quora.com/Is-ibuprofen-bad-for-the-kidneys

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