Common Signs And Symptoms Of Liver Damage

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Causes Of Liver Disease: Medications And Supplements

Manitoulin

Certain prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications, and herbal supplements may cause temporary liver inflammation or permanent damage to liver cells. Some medications require an overdose to cause liver injury while other drugs may cause damage even when taken following the prescribed dosage. Taking excess amounts of acetaminophen, such as Tylenol or Panadol, may cause liver failure, and this is why warning labels exist on many OTC drugs that contain acetaminophen. Statins are medications prescribed to control elevated levels of cholesterol in the blood but may cause liver inflammation even when taken in the appropriate dosage. Other drugs that may cause liver inflammation, which often resolves when the medication is stopped, include antibiotics, such as amoxicillin, clavulanic acid, isoniazid, nitrofurantoin, and tetracycline, as well as methotrexate, a drug used to treat autoimmune diseases and certain cancers. Disulfiram, a drug used to treat alcoholics, may also cause liver inflammation.

Some herbal remedies, such as comfrey, kava, and ma-huang, and excessive amounts of vitamins, namely Vitamin A and Vitamin B3 or niacin, may cause hepatitis, cirrhosis, and liver failure. Though there are medicinal mushrooms consumed for their anti-inflammatory and immune-enhancing properties, many mushrooms are toxic to the liver, and eating unknown mushrooms harvested from the wild may also cause liver failure.