Painkillers overdose turning silent killers
Srinagar, Sep 16: A youth in Srinagar walked into a local drug store complaining of back pain. Within minutes, he was given a Voveran injection. No prescription asked, no questions raised.
For him, it was routine relief. For doctors, it is a familiar story with dangerous consequences.
In Kashmir, painkillers are swallowed, injected, and trusted like everyday remedies until they begin to silently attack the very organ that sustains life - the kidneys.
A growing body of evidence now links the rampant use and misuse of Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) from diclofenac to ibuprofen to a worrying surge in chronic kidney disease (CKD) across Kashmir.
What alarms nephrologists and urologists most is not only the rising dialysis burden but also the age of the patients - young men and women in their productive years turning up with kidney damage.
Behind this unfolding crisis is Kashmir’s culture of self-medication and easy access to over-the-counter painkillers.
Doctors warn that unless awareness and regulation improve, Kashmir may be staring at a preventable epidemic of renal failure.
Ibuprofen, naproxen, diclofenac, and other Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) used and abused for pain relief are being increasingly linked to severe kidney damage.
An alarming rise in CKD cases across Jammu and Kashmir has prompted doctors to warn the population.
Calling it a “hidden pandemic” of painkiller misuse, doctors believe lakhs of people are at risk.
A 2024 study by the Department of Nephrology at Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Soura, revealed that CKD prevalence was 2.2 percent among screened individuals.
Of these, 8 percent showed a glomerular filtration rate (GFR) below 60 ml/min, indicating impaired kidney function.
What was more alarming was that renal failure cases were on the rise among young and middle-aged adults.
While there are many factors responsible for damage to the kidneys, the unregulated use of painkillers is a common thread running through many of these cases.
The trend is more prevalent in Kashmir due to over-the-counter drug abuse and self-medication.
Without better awareness and stricter, regulated use of painkillers, doctors believe there could be a further spike in dialysis needs and extreme cases necessitating kidney transplants.
Speaking to Greater Kashmir, Head Department of Urology, GMC Srinagar, Prof Syed Sajjad said, NSAIDs inhibit enzymes that produce prostaglandins, chemicals in the body that help in regulating inflammation and pain.
“However, these also maintain blood flow to the kidneys,” he said. “When these drugs are used without a doctor’s prescription and abused by people, they could also reduce blood flow to the kidneys, depriving them of oxygen and nutrients. It could lead to acute kidney injury (AKI) or progressive CKD.”
Former Head of Department of Urology, GMC Srinagar, Prof Mufti Mehmood, said even short-term overuse in high-risk individuals can cause AKI.
“Long-term habits silently erode kidney function, often without early symptoms,” he said.
Prof Mehmood said self-medication was a major culprit.
“People must stop treating drugs like harmless remedies,” he said.
Prof Mehmood said NSAID abuse could lead to nephrotoxicity, a serious condition, and lead to end-stage renal disease (ESRD).
Prof Sajjad said not everyone faces the same danger, but certain populations, including the elderly, people with diabetes or hypertension, manual labourers, athletes who frequently suffer from pain due to exertion, their condition worsened by dehydration, women, and autoimmune patients, are particularly susceptible.
Doctors said it is a norm in Kashmir to get a Voveran injection for a backache at the nearby pharmacy, and then again and again.
“Sometimes, a headache is also treated with diclofenac. It is like a candy that people pop in their mouth without a thought,” they said.
The doctors urged people to start exploring other pain management options like hot and cold compresses, and in severe pain, seek consultation from a qualified doctor.
