Can medicine cause cirrhosis of the liver?

Let’s face it, we all love our medicine. The little pill that cures headaches, the cough syrup that gives us relief from a persistent cough – they are all nothing short of miracles. But what if I told you that this same medication could be causing cirrhosis of the liver? Crazy right? Keep reading to find out more.

What Is Cirrhosis Of The Liver?

Cirrhosis is a chronic and progressive disease where healthy liver tissue is replaced with scar tissue which hinders normal liver function. This can lead to further complications like jaundice (yellowing skin), ascites (build-up of fluid in the abdomen), varices (enlarged veins) or even Hepatic Encephalopathy-a condition in which there’s an accumulation of toxins in one’s body leading to confusion.

How Do You Get Cirrhosis From Medication?

It’s funny how we take medications expecting our lives to get better without knowing how they affect different organs especially when taken for long-term use (who knows?).

Surprise surprise! A number of medicines pose a risk to inducing this terrible condition due to their toxic nature- some examples include excessive and prolonged use, acetaminophen-containing pain relievers, azathioprine used for immunosuppression after transplants, methotrexate often prescribed for psoriasis treatment, amiodarone commonly used as heart rhythm stabilisers and so many others!

It’s important you speak with your doctor before taking any medication (it really is).

Symptoms Of Drug-induced Cirrhosis

Drug-induced cirrhosis can sneak up on you like a thief in the night- sometimes there may be no obvious symptoms until it has progressed significantly. However, following symptoms combined with drug history should raise suspicions:
1. Loss of appetite/nausea
2. Fatigue and weakness
3. Dark urine
4. Jaundice (yellowing of eyes and skin)
5. Itching/swelling on the legs

It’s a classic case of taking away one problem while causing another.

Medications To Be Wary Of

With so many medications posing risks to drug-induced cirrhosis here are some noteworthy drugs known to play this role:

1. Azathioprine And Mercaptopurine (Imuran, Purinethol)

You hate to see it folks!Here we have Azathioprine – an immunosuppressant often used after organ transplantation being found as a culprit in inducing liver damage that could lead to eventual cirrhosis especially with prolonged use^(2).) Also included is its similar counterpart mercaptopurine which has fewer incidences of developing Cirrhosis than other similarly functioning immune suppressants (less terrible news but still bad).

2.Amiodarone(Hydrochloride Or Pacerone)

Amiodarone is prescribed for arrhythmias, cardiac arrest prevention or cardiovascular conditions however can be downright disastrous when taken for extended periods leading to fibrosis-like changes within the liver culminating in mortal complications should underlying disease persist(amiga take precautions).

3.Methotrexate For Psoriasis Therapy(-_- why?)

Methotrexate might work wonders for treating psoriasis by reducing cell multiplication and limiting inflammation but long-term treatment could lead to hepatic stellate cell activation coupled with fibrosis formation ultimately ending up like Kanye West at TMZ offices (“Slavery was a choice” – remember that?).

Did Someone Say Paracetamol?

Paracetamol also known as acetaminophen or Tylenol-our go-to painkiller on lazy furniture days that just somehow magically works getting us back into shape… Well guess what! Excessive paracetamol use could play a key role in causing cirrhosis-can you believe it(no really can you?).
Ingestion of 4g or more daily could lead to irreversible liver damage down the line. What was once our happy drug might end up being a fatal headache…

Long Term Antidepressants

This is getting depressing…pun intended! The longer we take antidepressants like sertraline (remember Zoloft?) and some psychotherapy, the higher their possibility of developing symptoms associated with impending or established liver disease.

Just remember to always read labels on medication packages (oh now they add reading skills) (if possible have your eggs all in one basket i.e choose a preferred doctor/pharmacy that come what may persists throughout prescriptions so he/she will know which medicines cause havoc/doesn’t for YOUR precious Liver!.

How Can Drug-induced Cirrhosis Be Avoided?

You don’t have to entirely live in fear avoiding life-saving medications altogether- shall we cheers to that? Thankfully there’s something we can do before spiralling into Cirrhosishood:
1. Keep track of recommended doses on prescribed medication packs
2. Periodically screening blood tests every three months or at least doing frequent check-ups with your dopi]ctor if consuming prolonged therapy conferring drugs.
3.Regularly monitor weight as unexpected increase indicate fluid retention aka ascites which indicative sonogram/ultrasound would be asked for immediately.(ensure overweight is well managed)
4.Sharing with doctor suggested over-the-counter meds alongside exact dosages taken especially when trying out new medical regimes such as complementary therapies

It’s time to nip any adverse reaction caused by seemingly harmless substances right at the bud.

Final Thoughts

The consumption of certain medications albeit beneficial poses significant risks causing harmful effects potentially rendering irrepressible harm upon vital organs including our dear livers. It’s important through reading awareness are raised and safer alternatives being looked into to avoid drug-induced liver cirrhosis.

So here’s a warning – when you’re popping that pill or downing that syrup, remember your liver might just be screaming for help (help me Rhonda!)

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