What are the symptoms of liver damage caused by taking medicine

The liver is the largest detoxification organ in the human body, so the food we eat and some medicines will have some impact on the liver. Especially when taking some medicines, we must pay attention to the instructions and not cause harm to the liver. Drugs can cause enormous damage to the liver, and once the liver is damaged, it is irreversible. Before taking any medicine that is harmful to the liver, it is best to consult a doctor and take it under the doctor's guidance.

Symptoms of liver damage caused by taking medicine

Common symptoms in patients with liver damage include fatigue, nausea, vomiting, anorexia, hepatomegaly, pain in the liver area, jaundice, fever, chills, and elevated transaminase levels.

Drugs that harm the liver

1. Antipyretic and analgesic drugs

Such drugs as aspirin, acetaminophen, ibuprofen, indomethacin, etc. can cause toxic liver damage. If you use more than 5 grams of aspirin per day or more than 2 grams of acetaminophen per day, it can easily cause acute liver damage.

2. Antibiotics

Such drugs as macrolides, tetracyclines, sulfonamides, chloramphenicol, oxacillin, nystatin, clindamycin, ketoconazole, etc. can all cause significant liver damage. If the dosage of oxacillin is too large, toxic hepatitis may occur within 5 days of use.

3. Drugs for treating digestive system diseases

Such drugs as cimetidine, ranitidine and asparaginase can cause toxic liver damage. For example, cimetidine can cause a mild increase in serum aminotransferase, and occasionally severe hepatitis, liver damage, and hepatic fatty degeneration. There have been reports of acute pancreatitis caused by the use of this product in both animal experiments and clinical practice. Sudden discontinuation of the drug may result in perforation of chronic peptic ulcers.

4. Drugs for the treatment of cardiovascular disease

Such drugs as methyldopa, quinidine, amiodarone, fenofibrate, statins, etc. can cause liver damage. Among them, methyldopa can damage the user's liver cells and bile ducts. A small number of patients may develop jaundice and elevated transaminase levels 1 to 3 weeks after using methyldopa, and may even develop granulomatous hyperplasia of the liver, cirrhosis, and liver necrosis.

5. Antidiabetic drugs

Such drugs as gliclazide, glibenclamide, and gliquidone can damage the liver. In addition, hepatic insufficiency will change the distribution of gliclazide in the body, and hepatic insufficiency will also reduce the ability to generate new glucose; both effects will increase the risk of severe hypoglycemic reactions.

6. Sex hormones and contraceptives

Such drugs, such as male hormones such as methyltestosterone and oral contraceptives such as megestrol, ethinyl estradiol, and norethindrone, can cause symptoms of liver damage such as jaundice.

7. Anti-tumor drugs

Such drugs as azathioprine, methotrexate, 5-fluorouracil, 6-mercaptopurine, mitomycin, cyclophosphamide, etc. can damage the liver. Among them, the probability of jaundice in patients taking azathioprine can reach 20% to 40%; patients taking methotrexate can develop cirrhosis; and patients taking mitomycin can develop moderate to severe liver damage.

8. Antipsychotics

Such drugs as chlorpromazine and trifluoperazine can damage the liver. Among patients using chlorpromazine, 1% to 4% will develop intrahepatic cholestasis within 1 to 4 weeks, and some may even suffer liver failure and die.

9. Anti-epileptic drugs

Such drugs, such as phenytoin and valproate, can damage the liver. For example, liver function tests should be performed before treatment with sodium valproate and should also be performed regularly during the first 6 months of treatment, especially for high-risk patients.

10. Anti-tuberculosis drugs

These drugs, such as isoniazid and rifampicin, can damage the liver. People who are allergic to isoniazid will develop severe hepatitis or even liver necrosis after using the drug for 1 to 2 months. If isoniazid and rifampicin are used together, the hepatotoxicity of these drugs will be greatly increased.

11. Chinese patent medicine

Some Chinese medicines can also cause liver damage, such as bitter almonds, cassava, broad bean root, northern bean root, hairy holly, Xanthium sibiricum, big maple seed, yellow ochre, Toosendan fruit, fish gall, Radix Trichosanthis, Ophiopogon japonicus, Coptis chinensis, and Senecio chinensis.