Reversible acute decrease in renal function by NSAIDs in cirrhosis.

The effects of sulindac were compared with those of ibuprofen or naproxen on creatinine clearance and urinary prostanoids in patients with severe alcoholic cirrhosis. Sulindac caused acute declines in all renal parameters in four of five patients. The effect occurred with serum concentrations of the active sulfide metabolite comparable to those in patients with no hepatic impairment. The patient who was not affected had less effects on urinary PGE2 and TxB2 and no effect on 6-keto PGF1 alpha. In this patient, dosing with ibuprofen caused pronounced declines in all urinary prostanoids and a decrease in creatinine clearance. Two other patients treated with ibuprofen and one treated with naproxen also suffered decrements in all parameters. In conclusion, sulindac had suppressant effects on renal prostanoids associated with declines in creatinine clearance in these patients with cirrhosis, indicating a need for similar cautions with its use as with other NSAIDs.