Are Opiates Bad For Your Kidneys?

The kidneys filter blood and then ultimately create urine of the waste and extra fluid. Your kidneys work to keep electrolyte levels stable and make sure that waste and fluid don’t build up in your blood. When you take drugs or drink alcohol, these substances must be filtered through the kidneys as well.

Some of the issues that can cause problems with how kidneys function include toxin exposure, hypertension, diabetes, aging and conditions like kidney stones.

If someone is on opiates and they don’t have optimal kidney function, this can be a problem because the effects of the drug are magnified. If a person has bad kidneys, their body cannot effectively cleanse the drug from their system, which puts them at high risk of sedation and overdose. As a result, the person may need smaller or less frequent doses of the opioid. So, the answer to “Are opiates bad for your kidneys?” is that damaged kidneys cannot effectively control the effects of opioids.

There are also specific ways that the actual use of opiates can contribute to kidney problems.

When this happens, there is the potential for damage to the kidneys.

Essentially what happens with rhabdomyolysis is a breakdown of tissue during an overdose-related coma because the person has been not moving for an extended period. The muscles start to disintegrate and that produces chemicals, which then go into the bloodstream and set off other damaging reactions throughout the organs. This is one of the number one reasons for kidney failure. During this situation, heart damage and heart attack can also occur.

Also, people who use heroin intravenously may be more likely to contract infections that can lead to kidney inflammation, and for people who inject heroin under the skin, there’s an increased chance of getting secondary amyloidosis. This is a buildup of protein in organs and tissues that can lead to kidney failure.

When kidneys become damaged, people tend to be unable to regulate their own hormone levels or excrete waste properly. If the damage is severe, the person may have to undergo dialysis in which a body then does the work kidneys are meant to do naturally, including filtering waste through a system. Eventually, a kidney transplant can be required.

So, the answer to “are opiates bad for your kidneys” is yes. Opioids like heroin are directly bad for your kidneys and can have severely damaging effects, and then there are other indirect effects including the exposure to acetaminophen that can also lead to kidney damage.