Nollywood actress Ufuoma McDermott has shared details of her enduring battle with kidney disease, attributing the condition to her extended use of painkillers over time.
During a recent interview with media personality Chude Jideonwo, she encouraged the public to prioritize their health, offering valuable insights from her own personal journey.
Ufuoma McDermott, who has been dealing with kidney disease for more than a decade, revealed that her condition resulted from regularly using strong painkillers to manage frequent migraines and headaches. She shared:
“I grew up with migraines, headaches and eyeaches, and I never wore my glasses because they made me look like a geek. I’d take painkillers for my migraine. I took strong painkillers and not the ordinary painkillers because I wanted the pain to go away.”
The actress disclosed that her family’s struggles deepened when her brother was diagnosed with late-stage kidney disease, urgently needing dialysis. This prompted her to explore possible genetic connections. However, doctors attributed both siblings’ kidney issues to their mutual history of prolonged painkiller use, rather than hereditary factors.
“I really wish everyone would understand the importance of health,” she advised, underscoring the need for public awareness on responsible medication use and regular health check-ups.
In Ufuoma McDermott’s words: “My brother was diagnosed late on stage 4 of kidney disease and he goes straight into dialysis and has complications.
“I was diagnosed earlier, so I have lived on medication for almost 12 years now. When my brother died, I ran to my cardiologist. My parents were scared, thinking if this is genetic? We had to trace the kidney disease and we learned it was from drug abuse.”
