Most people know it’s not a good idea to share prescription medications. You never know if someone has an underlying health condition or is taking another medication that could lead to a dangerous, health-threatening situation. But over-the-counter medications and supplements are taken—and shared—a lot more casually.
If a friend asks if you have any ibuprofen they can have because they had a headache, you’d probably hand her over the bottle without a second thought, right? Similarly, if you’re traveling with someone and they ask if you have any melatonin you could share, you’d probably do it. Most of the time, favors like these aren’t a big cause for concern. But sometimes, it can negatively impact health.
Related: This Common Cold Medicine Mistake Could Make You Sicker, ENTs Warn
Roughly 82% of adults 50 and older take at least one prescription medication. That means that they’re at higher risk for possible dangerous drug interactions with over-the-counter medications. This is particularly relevant because roughly one in four US adults experiences chronic pain, with it most prevalent among adults 50 and older. There’s one common painkiller that nephrologists wish people would stop taking so casually, including those with chronic pain.
The Medication Nephrologists Wish People 50 and Older Would Stop Taking So Casually
According to scientific research, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are the second most common over-the-counter drug people take. Ibuprofen (found in Advil and Motrin), aspirin, and naproxen (in Aleve) are all examples of NSAIDs, and they’re commonly taken to reduce fever, pain and other types of inflammation. While NSAIDs are generally considered safe, it’s still important to use them responsibly.
Dr. Sean Hashmi, MD, FASN, a nephrologist and obesity medicine doctor in California, and the co-founder of the non-profit SELF Principle, explains that NSAIDs can cause stomach bleeding, kidney damage and heart problems when not taken correctly. “They ease pain by blocking prostaglandins, chemicals your body makes. But prostaglandins also protect the lining of your stomach and help keep blood flowing to your kidneys. Block them, and you can end up with a bleeding ulcer—sometimes with no stomach pain beforehand—or an injured kidney,” he explains.
Related: 3 Hepatologists Are Begging People To Stop Combining This One Thing With Tylenol
Because of this risk, Dr. Michael Klein, MD, JD, a nephrologist and associate professor of medicine at New York Medical College, says that anyone with chronic kidney disease should be especially careful when taking NSAIDs. “NSAIDS can also trigger an immune reaction that can cause urinary protein leakage and acute kidney failure, even in people with normal kidney function,” he adds.
Dr. Klein says that it’s also important to avoid taking them if you’re dehydrated. “If a person has heart failure or is dehydrated while taking them, the reduction in blood flow can become noticeable with reduced kidney function,” he says.
Many older adults take blood pressure-lowering medication, and Dr. Klein says that this can present another complication because some blood pressure medications work by reducing pressure in the kidneys, but this is dangerous when combined with NSAIDS due to the possible dramatic reductions in kidney blood flow.
“The Food and Drug Administration also warns that ibuprofen and naproxen raise the risk of heart attack and stroke, and that risk can show up in the first few weeks of taking NSAIDs,” Dr. Hashmi says, highlighting another risk.
With all this in mind, it becomes clear why NSAIDs shouldn’t be taken so casually, even though they are readily available to buy over the counter.
Related: The #1 Mistake to Avoid When Taking a Cholesterol Medication
Who Should Avoid Taking NSAIDs Entirely
Given the potential risks of NSAIDS, Dr. Hashmi says that people with kidney disease, heart failure, a past heart attack or stroke, a history of stomach ulcers or on blood thinners should avoid them entirely.
“I also worry about people who take two common blood pressure medicines together. One has a name ending in -pril or -sartan, like lisinopril or losartan, and the other is a water pill. Add an NSAID to those two, and the kidneys take a real hit,” Dr. Hashmi says. He highlights a 2013 scientific study showing that this combination raised the rate of kidney injury serious enough to need a hospital stay by 82% in the first month.
What’s particularly alarming is that Dr. Hashmi says that many people don’t know they are at an increased risk for kidney complications from NSAIDs. “The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that up to 9 in 10 adults with kidney disease don’t know they have it. If you have diabetes or high blood pressure, ask your doctor to check your kidney function before you start taking NSAIDs regularly,” he says.
?SIGN UP for tips to stay healthy & fit with the top moves, clean eats, health trends & more delivered right to your inbox twice a week?
Common Mistakes People Make With NSAIDs
One common mistake Dr. Klein says people make with NSAIDs is taking them before doing something active, like playing a sport or going to the gym. He explains that losing water through sweating plus the impact of NSAIDs can impair the kidneys.
Dr. Hashmi says that it’s also possible to double-up on NSAIDs without realizing it. “Ibuprofen and naproxen are in products like Advil PM and some cold medicines. People take them when they’re dehydrated from a stomach bug, hot weather or a long workout. That’s when the kidneys are most at risk,” he says. If you’re taking multiple over-the-counter medications, make sure you check the label for any ingredient overlap.
In general, Dr. Hashmi says that NSAIDs should be taken at the lowest dose possible for as short a time as possible. “[Don’t] take it for more than 10 days for pain or three days for fever without talking to a doctor, and call sooner if a fever gets worse. If you’re still hurting after that, something is going on that needs to be looked at,” he says.
Dr. Hashmi warns against taking too much. “For ibuprofen, don’t take more than 1,200 milligrams in a day. That’s six of the regular 200-milligram tablets,” he says, emphasizing that many people do go over this limit. “In a 2018 study, 11% of ibuprofen users took more than the daily limit at least once in a single week,” he says.
If you do find yourself reaching for NSAIDs daily, it’s important to talk to your doctor about a better solution. For example, Dr. Hashmi says that over-the-counter NSAID gels often work better than pills to treat sore muscles because not as much enters the bloodstream.
Remember, just because you don’t need a prescription to get it, doesn’t mean it’s risk-free. If you have any underlying health conditions or are taking any prescription medications, talk to your doctor about what over-the-counter drugs are safe for you to take. That way, you can feel confident about your treatment plan.
Up Next:
Related: Cardiologists Warn That This Unexpected Supplement Can Spike Blood Pressure
Sources
Views on Medication Describing Adults Among 50-80. Institute for Healthcare Policy & Innovation. University of Michigan. Chronic Pain and High-Impact Chronic Pain in U.S. Adults, 2023. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Kamal M., Negm WA, Abdelkader AM, et al. (2023). Most common over-the-counter medications and effects on patients. European Review for Medical and Pharmacological Sciences. 27(4):1654-1666. NSAIDs (Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs). Cleveland Clinic. Dr. Sean Hashmi, MD, FASN, nephrologist and obesity medicine doctor in California, and the co-founder of the non-profit SELF Principle. Dr. Michael Klein, MD, JD, nephrologist and associate professor of medicine at New York Medical College. Annamaria Buciuman C., Maximiliana Dobrea C, Butuca A, et al. (2025). Exploring the Cardiovascular Safety Profile of Ibuprofen: Insights from EudraVigilance Database. Pharmaceuticals. 18(7):1045. Lapi F., Azoulay L., Yin H., et al. (2013). Concurrent use of diuretics, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors, and angiotensin receptor blockers with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and risk of acute kidney injury; nested case-control study. The BMJ. 346:e8525. doi: 10.1136/bmj.e8525. Awareness of Chronic Kidney Disease remains low among US adults. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Kaufman DW, Kelly, JP, Battista, DR, et al. (2018). Exceeding the daily dosing limit of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs among ibuprofen users. Pharmacoepidemiology & Drug Safety. 27(3):322-331.Hence then, the article about nephrologists are begging people over 50 to stop taking this painkiller so casually was published today ( ) and is available on Parade ( Saudi Arabia ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Nephrologists Are Begging People Over 50 to Stop Taking This Painkiller So Casually )
Also on site :
- Brazil vs Japan: Match Date, Kick-off Time and TV Channels for Today's International Friendly 2026
- Macy’s ‘Lustrous’ Freshwater Pearl Studs With Over 1,500 5-Star Reviews Are 80% Ahead of Black Friday
- 59 Years Ago Today, The Monkees Released Their 4th and Final No. 1 Album; It Sold More Than 3 Million Copies and Helped Pioneer a New Sound