With the onset of cold weather, the risk of catching a cold increases significantly. No one is safe from infections, and treatment is usually long and expensive. But if it was not possible to avoid inflammation, it is necessary to find out which medications help with kidney inflammation best. The right choice of components of the treatment regimen will facilitate both the work of the doctor and the healing process of the patient.
General information on kidney inflammation
Inflammatory processes in the kidneys have many types and causes. The most common type of kidney inflammation is pyelonephritis. Two thirds of all urological patients suffer from this disease. There are other diseases: glomerulonephritis, renal colic, kidney stones. Most of these dangerous pathologies require a long and complex treatment, and their appearance is not always possible to prevent (for example, glomerulonephritis is largely an inherited disease and can lead to complete failure of one or both organs).
Pyelonephritis can appear against any functional or organic causes that prevent urine outflow. If the patient often has inflammatory processes in the kidneys or immunity is reduced, pyelonephritis is almost guaranteed. Frequent hypothermia, history of cystitis or diabetes mellitus can be considered additional factors stimulating the development of this disease.
Pyelonephritis can develop both in the form of acute inflammation, and in the form of chronic. The chronic form of the disease has a recurrent nature, while the acute one occurs once and after treatment does not appear anymore. Also, the disease can affect both one and both kidneys at once. You should not think that the inflammatory process of one organ will proceed more easily than inflammation of both. As a rule, if one of the kidneys is infected, then the second will soon be infected.
Often, pyelonephritis begins completely asymptomatic, and the question of what to drink with kidney inflammation, the patient finds himself in the midst of the pathological process. In other cases, the symptomatology begins with pain in the lower back, sometimes the body temperature rises to 38-39 degrees. In this case, the symptoms will depend on the form of the disease. Acute is characterized by a sharp increase in temperature, dull pain, in some cases nausea or vomiting. The patient's urine acquires a red tint.
Chronic pyelonephritis in most cases is the result of poorly cured acute pyelonephritis. In 30% of cases, a disease that does not receive proper treatment flows into a chronic form, periodically recurring, causing pain to the patient and requiring the use of antibiotics during each exacerbation. It is extremely difficult to cure chronic inflammation of the kidneys, it takes time, effort and money. Often the patient dwells on the fact that during exacerbations he undergoes a course of treatment, translates the disease into remission and continues to live on.
In some cases, chronic pyelonephritis is detected by chance when examining urine, as the patient prefers to survive the symptoms that occur during exacerbations without going to the doctor. Symptoms of chronic pyelonephritis can be confused with other diseases, as it is characterized by weakness, decreased appetite, headaches and low-grade fever. In some cases, a person has an increase in urination. All these symptoms can be taken as the onset of colds, and for cystitis or exacerbation of renal colic. Therefore, when such symptoms appear, you should immediately consult a doctor and undergo diagnostic procedures.
The diagnosis and treatment of pyelonephritis is carried out by a nephrologist. Self-medication for kidney inflammation can lead to very dire consequences, including abscesses, sepsis, or renal failure. You also need to remember that antibiotics are dispensed strictly according to a prescription, and therefore, before starting treatment, you must definitely visit a doctor.
Disease treatment
Since pyelonephritis is a bacterial disease, antibiotics are the drugs of choice. A specific group of drugs will be determined based on the sensitivity of the infection in the kidney. However, in addition to antibiotics, other drugs are also used in the treatment. The choice of tablets for kidney inflammation is great and you should carefully consider all the options offered by the pharmaceutical market.
In some cases, the patient may try to treat the inflammatory process without the use of pharmaceuticals. In this case, various traditional medicine methods are used, including herbal infusions and compresses. The effectiveness of such treatments is in question, but some of them can be used as maintenance therapy.
Consider more closely the most popular drugs used in the treatment of kidney inflammation. Two groups of drugs that are always present in treatment regimens are antimicrobials and painkillers.
Antibiotics
The main group of drugs chosen for the treatment of pyelonephritis. To select a specific drug, it is necessary to study the sensitivity of a particular pathogen. But often this does not happen, since the process of determining sensitivity takes a long time. The doctor is trying to choose the right drug, using the already defined treatment regimens. The most commonly used drugs for kidney inflammation are the antibiotics Ciprofloxacin, Levofloxacin and Cephalexin.
If there are clinical indications, the doctor may prescribe other antimicrobial drugs. In particular, with a pronounced inflammatory process, it is more preferable to choose antibiotics in the injections: Ceftriaxone or Cefotaxime. But the introduction of these drugs requires a thorough study of the health status of each patient individually. The treatment regimen using intramuscular or intravenous injection may vary significantly from patient to patient.
"Ciprofloxacin"
An antibacterial drug from the group of fluoroquinolones, has a pronounced activity in the treatment of kidney disease. Dosages of "Ciprofloxacin" are released at 500 mg and 750 mg. In the treatment of pyelonephritis, a dosage of 500 mg is used, which is taken twice a day for a week.
But in the case of complicated pyelonephritis, "Ciprofloxacin" 500 mg is replaced with a higher dosage of 750 mg, which is taken according to the same scheme: twice a day a week.
The drug has a very good antimicrobial effect, but for some categories of patients, the cons can outweigh the pros. The fluoroquinolone group has a fairly extensive list of side effects, many of which seriously affect health.
It is not recommended to use the drug for pregnant and lactating women, children (including children with cystic fibrosis), patients with pseudomembranous colitis, epilepsy, and a history of renal failure. Also, "Ciprofloxacin" is incompatible with tizanidine. Therefore, those who take this drug should refuse treatment with "Ciprofloxacin".
But, despite all its shortcomings, "Ciprofloxacin" remains the most effective remedy for kidney inflammation. In addition, it is quite inexpensive and is launched on the market under many trade names: Tsiprolet, Tsiproks, Sifloks and others.
"Levofloxacin"
This substance belongs to the same group as Ciprofloxacin, and therefore has the same negative effects. Available in both tablet and injection form. The standard regimen for treatment with Levofloxacin is 200-700 mg twice a day. But if necessary, the doctor can adjust the scheme in accordance with the dynamics in treatment.
The drug has a bactericidal effect. This means that when it enters the body, it kills the bacterial cell, and not just inhibits its reproduction. The spectrum of action of Levofloxacin is very wide, it has an effect on both gram-positive and gram-negative microorganisms.
But along with a wide spectrum of action, Levofloxacin has a large list of side effects recorded by patients when taken. This is an allergic reaction, manifested primarily by skin rashes, and problems of the nervous system. From the gastrointestinal tract, patients note frequent urge for vomiting and diarrhea. The hematopoietic system can also negatively respond to treatment with Levofloxacin.
“Levofloxacin” is produced under the trade names “Leflox”, “Levofloxacin” and others.
Despite its cons, fluoroquinolones are the most commonly used antibiotics for kidney inflammation. But this group can also be prescribed for other types of infections, including gastrointestinal tract infections and upper respiratory tract infections. This is a universal group of drugs, which, with care, can help a person in healing.
Cephalexin
"Cephalexin" is the oldest medicine for kidney inflammation. It belongs to the group of first generation cephalosporins. But his age does not mean that the drug has lost its position as one of the leaders in the treatment of kidney inflammation. Reception of "Cephalexin" successfully inhibits the deterioration of the kidney and prevents the transition of the disease to a more severe stage for a person.
"Cephalexin" is produced under the following names: "Sporidex", "Cephalexin-AKOS", "Cefaclen", "Ospexin".
The drug is taken standardly according to the scheme three times or twice a day. When taken in a dosage of 1 gram of cephalexin, the ratio is three times a day, while 3 grams require two times.
But in the cephalosporin group, you can find other antibiotics that can be used in the treatment of kidney inflammation. This is a later generation of drugs of the group, in pharmacies they can be found under the names "Zinnat", "Clarofan", "Cephalotin". All these drugs have the same indications and contraindications as Cephalexin. But you should know that with each new generation these drugs became more and more specific and the last of the developed drugs act on a significantly smaller number of microorganisms.
Painkillers
Despite the fact that painkillers for inflammation of the kidneys perform the function solely of symptom correction, without affecting the development of the disease itself, they are an important part of the treatment process. With inflammatory diseases of the kidneys, the pain syndrome can be so pronounced that a person cannot live normally and be treated.
In these cases, with pain in the kidneys, an antispasmodic is the simplest solution. It allows a person to return to his normal life and treat the disease without stress. Also, when taking medicines from the group of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, the anesthetic helps to reduce inflammation and thus accelerate recovery.
But it should be remembered that painkillers for inflammation of the kidneys are only supportive therapy, and treatment of the very cause of the disease should be carried out with other drugs.
Doctors prefer to prescribe specific drugs that are considered the safest and most effective for patients with kidney inflammation. These drugs have a significant period of use in medical practice. Let us consider each of them in more detail.
Ketorolac
Ketorolac tablets are known for the fact that their analgesic effect significantly exceeds the strength of most other drugs from the group of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. But this quality also has a negative effect: in addition to severe anesthesia, the drug does not have other group-specific effects: anti-inflammatory and antipyretic. That is why Ketorolac tablets can be used only as an anesthetic, in other cases there is no sense in taking this remedy.
It is not recommended to take a medicine course because of the extremely negative effect of drugs from the NSAID group on the body in the long term. It is recommended to take a Ketorolac tablet for pain, but not more than three tablets per day. Continuous use of NSAIDs can harm the stomach, intestines, and liver.
In the case of significant pain, this prohibition can be removed for a short while. If the doctor allowed to take the drug in a course, the dosage and frequency of administration should be observed. The NSAID course should not last longer than ten days, since with a longer period of time, the harm caused by the drug to the body begins to outweigh the benefits of taking it.
Papaverine hydrochloride
One of the oldest, but still effective antispasmodics. It is also used for renal colic, successfully relieving spasm of smooth muscles in the body. Papaverine is produced in the form of a solution that must be injected.
The introduction is carried out from two to four times a day. Either 1 ml of solution or 2 ml is administered, depending on the strength of the spasm. In some cases, it is possible to administer the drug intravenously, in which case it must be dissolved in 20 ml of saline and administered in dissolved form.
Since the drug is highly safe, it can be used both in patients older than 70 years old and in children from 1 year of age. In the latter case, injections of papaverine hydrochloride need to be dosed by the weight of the child.
But the drug has some negative effects. They are mainly associated with dyspeptic disorders: nausea, diarrhea, but not too pronounced. In extremely rare cases, papaverine can have a negative effect on the circulatory and cardiovascular system.
Drotaverine hydrochloride
Also known as No-shpa. A well-known drug with antispasmodic properties, it can be used to relieve spasm in pyelonephritis or renal colic. The generics of this drug are cheap, because it can be used by patients with different levels of ability to purchase drugs.
"No-shpa" is also taken for pain, but it is also allowed to take a pill three times a day in case of severe pain.
The drug is also one of the safest means, it can be used in children from one year old. It is not recommended to take "No-shpa" only to people with heart failure, sensitive to the components of the drug and those who have a history of renal failure.
In addition to the listed tablets for kidney inflammation, there are other drugs used to treat such problems. But it is these antibiotics and painkillers that are the most famous and popular among doctors and patients.