Before taking a pill, you should be aware of four severe side effects of molnupiravir COVID-19 treatment, reported recently.
Despite growing evidence from doctors around the world about a range of serious side effects in patients treated with molnupiravir, the mutagenic drug approved by the U.S. FDA to treat COVID-19 and, as usual, adopted by the health authorities of various countries, the drug is still being used by many national health authorities around the world.
A number of reports of the medicine being nephrotoxic have surfaced in recent months, with patients suffering from acute kidney injury and abrupt renal failure as a result of using it to treat COVID-19.
A medical researcher from Turkey’s Kirsehir Ahi Evran Universitesi made the daring initiative of publishing the first recorded case report revealing that molnupiravir caused acute renal failure in a patient who was treated with the medicine for COVID-19.
Molnupiravir was promoted as a potential RNA-Dependent RNA-Polymerase enzyme inhibitor for SARS-COV-2 treatment.
Dr. Hasan Esat Yücel of Kirsehir Ahi Evran Universitesi revealed the first incident of a patient infected with the Omicron strain who had acute renal failure after taking molnipiravir.
With the usage of the medications, the 67-year-old male patient with hypertension and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease experienced severe nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.
Extensive testing revealed that kidney functioning had deteriorated significantly.
The patient had experienced acute tubular necrosis and had to undergo two rounds of hemodialysis.
IV hydration, as well as supportive therapies, were given. Clinical and renal functioning improved with time.
According to the data, the adverse effects of molnupiravir should be considered before administering the drug in patients over 65 years old with comorbidities.
The findings of the study were published on the Research Square preprint server and are currently being peer reviewed.
“In this case report, it is possible that acute renal failure developed due to ischemic acute tubular necrosis,” said the study author, adding “It should be noted that the causes leading to prerenal azotomy (nausea, vomiting, bleeding, burns, dehydration, fluid sequestration into the third spaces) can also lead to ischemic acute tubular necrosis.”
The author also highlighted that “Both have the same spectrum. BUN/Cre: 89/8.9 = 10 at the time of first presentation of the case. This is a finding in favor of acute tubular necrosis. Because this rate is < 20, it shows that it is of renal origin.
“A small amount of residual urine after urinary catheterization indicated that there was no post-renal ARF. Nausea and vomiting during emergency admission are due to uremia. The patient was taken to hemodialysis only 2 times. With adequate hydration and hemodynamic stabilization, his clinic tended to improve. Normal urine output was achieved.”
He strongly suggests looking into molnupiravir’s nephrotoxic effects and re-evaluating the side effects in phase-3 research.
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