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What Medications Cause Liver Damage?

Liver damage occurs when the liver, the largest organ inside the body, can no longer generate new cells when old ones don't function properly. Scar tissue builds up, making it difficult for the liver to perform its cleansing and detoxifying duties. Various medications cause liver damage that is sometimes as severe as that caused by excessive drinking.

  1. Acetaminophen

    • Acetaminophen found in Tylenol causes toxicity buildup in the liver, which leads to liver disease. The Hepatitis C Support Project states that liver damage caused by taking large amounts of acetaminophen increases when a person drinks.

    Allopurinol

    • Allopurinol, tablets taken by mouth, are used to treat people with gout, seizures, pain caused by pancreas disease and infections. The U.S. National Library of Medicine says that these drugs are used on people after bypass surgery and kidney transplants. These medications cause liver damage in people who have histories of liver problems.

    Antibiotics

    • Although many antibiotics treat liver conditions like hepatitis, other antibiotic medications cause liver damage. Bio-Medicine states that antibiotics used to treat children suffering from bacterial infections like E. coli increases their risks of getting life-threatening liver damage.

    Anabolic Steroids

    • The University of California, San Francisco Children's Hospital cites a study stating that anabolic steroid cause liver damage by decreasing good cholesterol and increasing the bad. People using anabolic steroids begin experiencing liver toxicity in as little as 12 weeks of taking these medications.

    Oral Contraceptives

    • Many oral contraceptives cause liver damage on rare occasions. The specific type of liver damage caused is called endocrine agent-induced liver damage. This form of liver damage can be minor or can result in severe liver failure.

    Nitrofurantoin

    • The U.S. National Library of Medicine states that nitrofurantoin used to fight urinary tract infections and other bacterial infections. This medication causes liver damage, which is determined by elevated liver enzymes. This liver damage results in jaundice and a fatal form of hepatitis.

    Sulfonamides and Erythromycins

    • Sulfonamides--antibacterial drugs--treat conditions like ear infections, urinary tract infections, bronchitis, bacterial meningitis and traveler's diarrhea. The liver damage sustained by sulfonamides has been characterized as sulfonamide-related hepatitis. Doctors prescribe erythromycins for people suffering for strep throat, sinus infections, pneumonia, tonsillitis, gonorrhea and pelvic inflammatory disease. These drugs also fight infections from occurring after eye surgery and intestinal surgery.

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