Are Opiates Bad For Your Kidneys?

Before think about whether opiates are bad for your kidneys, below are some facts about kidneys and their functionality.

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 things 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 in and of itself be a problem because the effects of the drug are magnified. That means then the kidneys are more likely to be damaged from the toxicity of that drug. So if you already have impaired kidney function for whatever reason, the answer to “are opiates bad for your kidneys,” is yes.

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

One example of how opiates are bad for your kidneys is the impact of heroin. Heroin is a dangerous opioid, and it leads to wide-ranging medical effects including everything from constipation to lung problems. If someone were to overdose on heroin, this could lead to rhabdomyolysis, which is a condition in which muscle and tissue begin breaking down and then proteins are released into the blood.

When this happens, there is the potential for obstruction and 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.

Also relevant to the conversation of whether opiates are bad for your kidneys is the combination of many opioid painkillers with something called acetaminophen. Acetaminophen is found in over-the-counter painkillers like Tylenol, and it’s also combined with many opioid painkillers including Vicodin and Percocet.

The long-term use of acetaminophen, particularly when paired with prescription painkillers, can include something called analgesic nephropathy which can progress to renal failure, as well as chronic kidney failure.

When kidneys become damaged people tend to be unable to regulate their own hormone levels or excrete waste properly naturally. 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 yes is the answer to are opiates bad for your kidneys. 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.