Some common household medications may be bad for your kidneys

BOSTON — Some common household medications may be bad for your kidneys. 

A lot of people assume that if a medication is sold over the counter, it's completely safe to take. But some drugs sold without a prescription can have significant side effects, and even harm your kidneys, depending on your underlying health.  

One example is the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or NSAIDs which are used to treat pain and fever.  These include aspirin, ibuprofen found in Motrin and Advil, and naproxen found in Aleve. 

Some prescription medications can also pose a risk. 

Certain drugs used to treat high blood pressure, depression, and antibiotics like penicillin can lead to kidney damage in rare cases.  

So if you have underlying kidney disease, heart disease, diabetes, or high blood pressure, talk to your doctor about whether there are certain medications you should avoid.

Mallika Marshall, MD

Mallika Marshall, MD is an Emmy-award-winning journalist and physician who has served as the HealthWatch Reporter for CBS Boston/WBZ-TV for over 20 years. A practicing physician Board Certified in both Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Dr. Marshall serves on staff at Harvard Medical School and practices at Massachusetts General Hospital at the MGH Chelsea Urgent Care and the MGH Revere Health Center, where she is currently working on the frontlines caring for patients with COVID-19. She is also a host and contributing editor for Harvard Health Publications (HHP), the publishing division of Harvard Medical School.

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