09/05/2026
Three rules I built into my practice over years of being married to an allopath who works in nephrology.
1️⃣ I ask every patient over 40 about NSAID and painkiller use, in detail. Diclofenac, ibuprofen, and other NSAIDs — Indians take these casually for headaches, period pain, joint pain, fevers. Years of regular use silently damages kidneys, and patients almost never bring it up unless asked specifically.
2️⃣ Before I start chronic case work in any patient over 40 with hypertension, diabetes, or a painkiller history — I order serum creatinine and eGFR. Kidney disease is silent. By the time symptoms appear, you’ve often lost 50%+ of function. Catching it early changes everything.
3️⃣ Every diabetic or hypertensive patient I treat gets a kidney function test every 6 months. No exceptions. This is a condition of being my patient, not optional.
Most kidney damage in India is preventable. Most of us aren’t trained to actively look for it. I am — because I’ve spent years sitting at a dinner table with someone who works with the late-stage version of this every day.
Marriage to an allopath in nephrology didn’t change my homeopathy. It sharpened my judgement about who’s safe to treat, who needs labs first, and who needs to be referred before remedies enter the picture.
If you take painkillers regularly, please get your kidney function checked. Doesn’t matter which doctor you see — just get it done.
Save this. Send it to a parent or grandparent who reaches for a painkiller every time something hurts. 🩺
