Medicines may cause Renal Failure

Nowadays there are many drugs which may damage to our kidneys even to cause renal failure. The common medicines which may damage the kidney in the clinical treatment are as follows:

1. Antibiotics and other chemotherapeutic agents. This type of medicine have three classes as following:

Often damage class: amphotericin B, neomycin, cephalosporins Ⅱ.
More often damage class: gentamicin, kanamycin, streptomycin, tobramycin, amikacin, polymyxin, vancomycin, sulfa drugs.

Occasionally damage class: new penicillin (Ⅰ, Ⅱ, Ⅲ), ampicillin, carbenicillin, chlortetracycline, oxytetracycline, cefotaxime (Ⅳ, Ⅴ, Ⅵ), rifampin, ethambutol.

2. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory analgesic contains indomethacin, ibuprofen, phenylbutazone, piroxicam, aspirin, aspirin compound (APC), phenacetin, antipyrine, aminopyrine, acetaminophen and naproxen acid.

3. Chemotherapy drugs for Cancer includes cisplatin, methotrexate, brilliant toxic mold, mitomycin, nitrosoureas, 5 - fluorouracil.

4. Antiepileptic drugs are including trimethadione and phenytoin sodium.

5. Medicines which have the function of anesthetic, such as ether, methoxyflurane.

6. Metals and complexing agents.

7. Angiography various agents.

8. Others: cyclosporin A, piperazine cimetidine, allopurinol, mannitol, heroin, dextran.

9. Single herb: aristolochia plants, Hook, gossypol, fish guts, gall bladder, cantharidin, centipede, bee venom, motherwort, Aconitum, fruit, tuber, two ugly, Bolbostemma, epazote, croton, aloe , large maple, Neem bark, TCS, Sakura roots, so that a gentleman, Clematis and so on.


There are so many medicines which may damage the kidney, so that it is necessary for us to take medicines under the doctor’s guidance strictly to protect our kidney.