When taking medications does drinking lots of water help prevent possible kidney problems?
Certain medications need to be taken with plenty of water. Depending on the medication, there are different reasons for this:
- The medication could damage the kidneys or lead to kidney stones if too much of it reached the kidney at the same time (e.g. Cotrimoxazole, indinavir);
- The medication could cause you to become dehydrated (e.g.. Lithium);
- The medication could irritate the throat or esophagus (e.g. fosamax).
In general, all medications should be taken with a full glass of water, unless your doctor or pharmacist recommends otherwise. If your medication needs to be taken with “plenty of water,” you may need to drink more than a full glass of water with your medication.
Kelley Stout, Pharm. D.
University of Kentucky College of Law
