9. Medications: The Double-Edged Sword
The irony of medicine is hard to ignore. Designed to heal, medications can sometimes be the villains in our stories, contributing to conditions like proteinuria. And it’s not just one or two types; a variety of drugs, from NSAIDs to certain antibiotics, can throw your kidney function out of whack.
Consider NSAIDs, the common over-the-counter painkillers. They reduce inflammation but can also reduce blood flow to the kidneys. Reduced blood flow means impaired filtration, and yes, you guessed it, potential proteinuria. It’s a classic example of a solution creating another problem, almost like fixing a leak in your home only to discover you’ve now got an electrical issue.
If that’s not intriguing enough, consider chemotherapy drugs. Designed to kill cancer cells, these potent medications can sometimes damage healthy cells, including those in the kidneys. The damaged kidneys may then allow protein to leak into the urine. It’s not a guaranteed side effect, but it’s a risk, adding another layer of complexity to cancer treatment. (9)
