Clonazepam! So this is the CKD culprit?

[Trill]

Well, searching for a cause gradually refined it to a suggestion and now a statement, gleaned from medical journals:

'Ckd is found among people who take Clonazepam, especially for people who are female, 60+ old , have been taking the drug for 10+ years, also take medication Nexium, and have Gastroesophageal reflux disease. This study is created by eHealthMe based on reports of 76,216 people who have side effects when taking Clonazepam from FDA, and is updated regularly.' (drugs.com/mednotes/#/profil...

Anyone else on this?

I am CKD3a. I am beyond anger that my GP has not picked up on this contraindication, but have just written to ask to see a nephrologist. So very many times in my life I have had to find answers myself. I know GPs are incredibly under-resourced at the moment, but basically it means you are just left, instead of properly investigated.

Anyone else on Clonazepam?

[Cathy12156dsrjad]

Yes today and a few more weeks left of weaning off. It has been the worst experience of my life. Never again. I know some people need it though and I understand. We have to weigh the benefits. And been on acid reflux medication for almost 25 years. Stage 3b

Love going out to all needing prayers🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

[Bet117 NKF Ambassador in reply to Cathy12156dsrjad]

Prayers are with you!🙏

[vintagecurl in reply to Cathy12156dsrjad]

Are you also trying to get off the Nexium? How is that going? I’m on a similar medication and have tried several times to get off, but the stomach problems were too severe w/o it. Kudos for getting thru the ordeal of withdrawal from that other med, tho. I may need to come off Cymbalta, too. Wishing you increasing betterment and hope.

[lowraind]

Many of us share your experiences and feeling toward the medical community. Just seeing a nephrologist may not relieve those feelings. I and others have found that sometimes we are the ones who can help ourselves the best, after much research. You can help yourself, and have shown that by what you have discovered. Do a search here for Mr. Kidney's comments. He is very wise and has overcome much. His advice should be helpful to you.

lowraind

[KidneyCoach NKF Ambassador]

I am on clonazepam but not on a regular basis. I only take it for RLS which I only have every few months so a bottle of 30 will last me years. I imagine it is difficult for GP's to keep up with all the contraindications of some medications and diseases. It is up to us to become informed, educated and "self-manage" our illnesses well so when we do see physicians we can ask the right questions and offer the right information. Wishing you well and good for you for figuring this out. ADVOCATE ON!! Blessings

[Trill in reply to KidneyCoach]

Many thanks KidneyCoach.

I agree about doctor's knowledge limitations and think it applies to those higher up the chain too; research is so detailed and voluminous. BUT, it's awkward referring your doctor to information you have dug out, albeit it might be from a reliable medical sourse. It can't help but run the risk of annoying them, regarding you as a Googleista, feeling undermined and lacking authority, and so on. My last GP was quite ok with this - and knew me and my peculiar disorders for many years and accepted that I research my afflictions and the findings; he retired and the new doctor knows nothing about me, would have to look up my complex medical history which she won't have time for, and is seeing me just as this year has dumped on me a crescendo of new ailments! I am sure she regards me as a hypochondriac.

[Jonquiljo]

I think the real issue of clonazepam is that the metabolites are removed by the kidneys. If you have CKD and lower renal funtion - after a point you could build up too much of the drug in your system. Thats probably true of many drugs. What I have never seen is anything that talks about clonazepam or benzodiazepines hurting your kidneys - at least in Stage 1, 2, 3 - and possibly even 4.

EHealthme tends to simply report FDA complaints which anyone can make. These are associations that people think they observe with drugs and specific side effects and interactions. They are not significant numbers for CKD at all. eHealthme tries to draw correlations to other indications, but it is streching reality when it tries.

[Bassetmommer NKF Ambassador]

When ever you have a new drug, or are taking drugs for a while, your doctor should be checking for contraindications. Most major electronic medical record (EMR) systems have built in notifies that come up when a new prescription is added to your record. It also happens at the pharmacy. The issue is not always with the doctor. If the prescription has not been tagged or reported because so few instances have happened, it may not be flagged.

You can take your med list to the pharmacy to have them review it if you feel your doctor has not.

Also.... and I don't agree with this, sometimes the doctor knows of the issues and prescribes it anyways because the medical symptom they are dealing with warrants it.

That is when you need to do your own homework and then have a frank discussion.

[bootsboots]

Yes--I was, but not now. I was taking Clonazepam for about 5 years, along with another anit-depressant I can't thnk of right now. My shrink said he would monitor my kidneys, but he never did, and of course I had no idea how necessary it was. So I was surprised when I was diagnosed at Stage 3 five years ago. I did not know clonazepam was the bad guy. Thanks for the info.

[Sparty1]

Thank you all for this.i have just found out I have stage 2 and the only culprit I can think of is my chronic clonazepam and other pill usage for 16 years. I fought my way off I believed to be healthy but as soon as I am off now this shows up when I don’t have any other risk factors. I have taken nsaids as times but only chronically for short times when I was much younger. So upset.

[Trill in reply to Sparty1]

I no longer think it is clonazepam so sorry to mislead. I found that chronic insomnia causes kidney damage, and I have had severe issues with that for 40 years.

[Sparty1]

Seriously?! Yes me too. This is bizarre though they need to update all of these sites, I don’t have any of the other risk factors and not just that I have tried to live extremely healthy in recently years so this is feeling quite unfair. I do have other autoimmune inflammatory issues that I try to take ibuprofen for spairingly. Are you restricting your diet yet as well? I don’t even eat meat, dairy or much salt but if I have to restrict tomatoes then I am truly going to be depressed! Thank you for your quick response, I guess feels a little better it’s not the clonezepam.

[Trill]

chronobiology.com/chronic-i...

I totally agree about the dietary depression! I never took much ibuprofen etc. I just stopped table salt, try to avoid meat or only eat a very little, but eat fish . . . but life's too short to avoid tomatoes (and potatoes). Yes I know it might get even shorter, but . . . If you google clonazepam you do get some results, but not very prominent. No point getting depressed about diet. I have entered that wonderful world of old age and it changes your perspective. Life has to have quality, in my view.

[Cathy12156dsrjad]

I have CKD and just got off Clonipin. Terrible coming off that stuff but glad I did. Didn’t know it caused CKD but had CKD before taking it. Have anxiety/depression all my life. Nothing to take for it except antidepressants and those don’t seem to help. Tried so many but not giving uo❤️🙏🏻🌈

[VE7590TH]

I am but I do not think my Dr knows! I just ran out so I will not refill

[Trill in reply to VE7590TH]

Take care you shouldn't just stop taking it but get your GP to organise a gradual reduction, and afterwards monitor yourself carefully.

[renegade70]

I am in stage 3a. I took clonazepam for a short time and never had any kidney issues but I did have dizziness. I was switched to lorazepam and in my case, this has really helped.No side effects.

[Blackknight1989]

PPI’s have been all over the news in the last couple years though I guess the fentanyl crisis has dowrined out some of the news but if you just Google Search Protein Pump Inhibitors you see all the ambulance chasers and NO medical stuff.

But as in all things life is a trade off is your goal to live a long quantity of life of a good quality of life…to me my reflux has been an issue since I was 14 and it sucks…not as bad as the gout but just made me miserable so for me as long as stable I continued with the PPi. Got me and MY disease diet has not ever been the issue it’s been BP. For me if I’m at about 200/210 and been exercising at all BP is in the 128/87…last two years just out of control and I’m spilling protein everywhere but that’s due to a nephrologist who took me off the Bzp meds that had been perfect for 15 years. So I’m trying to fix his f-up. Which is not easy when they are booked like the UK system out here in folly-over land. But why do you have to show me how smart you are six, why do you have to be King Narcism and remind me how you went to college twice as long as I did. His actual words to me were “we don’t believe diet plays a role in CKD”. As such No Dietitian here and I’ll not treat you if you don’t get double jabbed…my reply is I’ll not be back but I just differ to him I can’t keep getting fired by doctors the VA sends me to as they may stop referring. In my opinion the vaccines proved more dangerous than the actual pandemic but I’ll not go there. Last eGFR was 16…so yea to me it matters greatly!