99 Prescription and OTC Drugs That Can Damage Your Liver

It performs over 500 known essential-to-life functions, but it’s largely ignored.

Yes, it’s easy to forget about your liver. You can’t feel it working—and, unlike your heart, you can’t hear it, either. Your liver just works silently to produce and secrete bile into your intestines (so you can digest the fats you eat)… create important substances (such as proteins) that you need for optimal health… remove potentially harmful chemicals from your blood (such as medications)… and so much more!

It’s one of your body’s key filtering mecha-nisms—and most drugs must be metabolized by this hard-working organ.

That means…

Your Liver is Vulnerable to Drug-Induced Injuries

Not only can the drugs themselves harm your liver, but they also interact with the other drugs your liver may be processing at the same time.

That’s why your doctor does not want you to take certain drugs together. One drug may speed up or slow down the rate your liver metabolizes another drug—and that can intensify or hinder the clinical effects of the drugs and damage your liver (and your health).

When your liver sustains drug-induced injuries, its normal function is disrupted—and you will start to see signs and symptoms of liver problems. These include…

n Elevated levels of liver enzymes in your blood—There are four different enzymes present in your liver cells: AST, ALT, AP, and GGT. When your liver is damaged, they leak out into your bloodstream and give an elevated reading on a liver function blood test.

n Hepatitis—Inflammation of your liver cells. Severe hepatitis can lead to necrosis, or death of your liver cells.

n Cholestasis—Decreased secretion and/ or flow of the bile you need to digest your foods.

n Fatty liver—Also called steatosis, this condition is the accumulation of fat in your liver that can cause inflammation and even a build-up of scar tissue.

n Cirrhosis—This advanced scarring of your liver is a result of chronic hepatitis, cholestasis, and fatty liver. If left untreated, it can lead to liver cancer or liver failure.

n Liver failure—In this case, your liver has ceased functioning, and you could die.

Yes, drugs can do that much damage! In fact, one over-the-counter (OTC) drug causes 37 percent of all liver failures! You’ll discover which drug that is as soon as we take a look at…

The WORST Drugs to Take if You Want a Healthy Liver

You don’t always get a lot of say when your

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99 Prescription and OTC Drugs That Can Damage Your Liver

doctor prescribes medication for you. However, pay special attention to side effects when given a drug in these classes:

ANTIBIOTICSAccording to a study in the journal Gastro-

enterology, antibiotics are the most likely of all prescription drugs to cause liver damage. This includes the often-prescribed amoxicillin, which has been known to raise ALT and AST, indicating some liver damage.

Plus, when amoxicillin joins with clavulanate potassium in the drug Augmentin®, the potential for harm escalates. Augmentin can cause cholestasis within just a short time of taking it, and other antibiotics are just as bad…

n Ampicillin (Omnipen®, Polycillin®, and Principen®) is reported to cause cholestatis.

n Clindamycin (Cleocin HCl® and other brand names) has been known to cause jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes), which is a sign of liver problems.

n Erythromycin (Ery-Tab®, PCE®, E-Mycin®, and Ilosone®) has been linked to cholestatis, jaundice, and elevated liver enzymes.

n Isoniazid (Hyzyd®, INH®, Laniazid®, Nydrazid®, Rimifon®, and Stanozide®) can cause acute liver injury—which is sometimes fatal.

n Minocycline (Dynacin®, Minocin®, and Solodyn®) and Nitrofurantoin (Macrobid®, Macrodantin®, and Furadantin®) can cause chronic hepatitis.

n Pyrazinamide has been linked to clinically- apparent liver disease symptoms and jaundice.

n Rifampin (Rifadin®, Rimactane®) can cause cholestasis and more serious liver disease.

n Sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim (Bactrim®, Sulfatrim®, and other brands) has been linked to jaundice, elevated ALTs, cholestasis, and acute liver failure.

n Tetracycline (Solodyn®, Diabecline®, Dyabetex®, Achromycin®, and other brands) is reported to cause jaundice, fever, and fatty liver when used in larger doses.

n Trimethoprim (Primsol®, Trimpex®, and Proloprim®) can cause serum enzyme elevations… cholestasis… and acute liver injury after two to 12 weeks of treatment.

ANTICONVULSANTSThese medications are mostly used to treat

or prevent seizures. However, many of these drugs do so at the expense of your liver health. For example, a widely-used anti-seizure drug called lamotrigine (Lamictal®) can cause severe or even fatal liver injury that may not show up for weeks—or even months! And other anticon-vulsants are just as harmful…

n Valproate (Depacon®) has caused liver failure—and even death from liver failure— in patients within the first six months of treatment.

n Carbamazepine (Tegretol®, Equetro®, Carbatrol®, Epitol®, and Teril®) has been

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linked to jaundice, hepatitis, and other serious liver abnormalities.

n Phenobarbital (Solfoton® and Luminal®) has caused marked elevations in serum enzyme levels, jaundice, hepatitis, and even liver failure.

n Phenytoin (Dilantin®) can inflict damage upon your liver shortly after you start taking it.

ANTIDEPRESSANTS

All antidepressant drugs are capable of causing some liver injury, even at recommended doses. And, if you’re elderly or taking more than one drug, your liver is even more susceptible to harm.

Take a look at amitriptyline (Vanatrip®, Elavil®, and Endep®), which is commonly used to treat symptoms of depression. Liver test abnormalities have been found in 10 to 12 percent of patients taking this popular drug. Plus, hepatitis and acute liver failure have been reported, as well as cholestatic hepatitis and prolonged jaundice.

Other antidepressants that give you a higher risk of liver failure include: Bupropion (Aplenzin®, Buproban®, Wellbutrin®, and Zyban®)… Nefazo-done… trazodone (Oleptro® and Desyrel®)… and agomelatine (Valdoxan®, Melitor®, and Thymanax®).

Plus, some medications in this class have been found to elevate liver enzymes and (more rarely) trigger the development of jaundice, cholestasis, and hepatitis. These include: Paroxe-tine (Brisdelle®, Paxil®, and Pexeva®)… sertraline (Zoloft®)… fluoxetine (PROzac®, Sarafem®, Rapiflux®, and Selfemra®)… and mirtazapine (Remeron®).

ANTIFUNGALSAntifungal medications are prescribed by

your doctor to prevent and treat conditions such as athlete’s foot, ringworm, and thrush. But, a couple of these fungus fighters hammer your liver…

n Terbinafine (Lamisil®)—This treatment for fingernail and toenail fungal infections can cause severe liver damage in some people that can lead to liver transplant or death.

n Ketoconazole (Nizoral®)—Devastating, sometimes deadly liver problems have occurred with the use of this drug—resulting in the need for a liver transplant.

ANTIHYPERTENSIVESAbout 75 million Americans—that’s 1 in every

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3 adults—have high blood pressure. If you’re one of them, your hypertension puts you at greater risk for heart disease and stroke—which are leading causes of death in the U.S. That’s why your doctor will likely put you on some kind of blood pressure medicine.

The problem is… some antihypertension drugs can do a real number on your liver. One such medication is an ACE (angiotensin converting enzyme) inhibitor called captopril (Capoten®)—which has been responsible for severe, sometimes deadly liver injuries.

Here are some other liver-harming ACE inhibitors…

n Benazepril (Lotensin HTC®) can cause jaundice and liver dysfunction.

n Enalapril (Vasotec®, Epaned®) and Moexipril (Univasc®) have been linked to severe—even fatal—liver problems.

n Fosinopril sodium (Monopril®) and Quinapril (Accupril®) can cause liver failure.

n Lisinopril (Zestril®, Prinivil®) has elevated liver enzymes and caused acute liver injury.

n Trandolapril (Mavik®) can elevate liver enzymes.

But, that’s not all. Angiotensin II receptor blockers irbesartan (Avapro®) and losartan (Cozaar®)—and calcium channel blocker verapamil (Verelan®, Calan®, Covera-HS®, and Isoptin®) can raise liver enzymes, which is an indicator of liver damage.

HEART DRUGSAntihypertensives aren’t the only medications

for your cardiovascular system that can do your liver harm. The following heart drugs have been shown to do their fair share of liver damage…

n Amiodarone (Cordarone® and Pacerone®)—This heartbeat-stabilizing drug has been

linked to several distinct forms of liver disease. And, the higher your dose—and the longer you take it—the greater your risk of injury to your liver.

n Clopidogrel (Plavix®)—This popular blood thinner increases your liver enzymes and has even caused liver failure or the need for a liver transplant in rare cases.

n Fenofibrate (Lipofen®, Tricor®, Triglide®, and others)—This non-statin cholesterol-lowering drug can deliver abnormal liver tests and cause chronic hepatitis.

STATINS

Cholesterol-lowering drugs are known for their side effects—especially muscle pain and damage. However, most doctors fail to mention

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that statins also increase your liver enzymes, which is a signal that there has been some kind of damage or inflammation in your liver cells. Statins that have been found guilty of this kind of liver injury include…

n Atorvastatin (Lipitor®)

n Fluvastatin (Lescol®, Lescol XL®)

n Lovastatin (Mevacor® and Altoprev®)

n Pravastatin (Pravachol®)

n Rosuvastatin (Crestor®)

n Simvastatin (Zocor®)

n Pitavastatin (Livalo®)

ANTIPSYCHOTICSThis class of drugs treats symptoms of

psychosis, schizophrenia, and severe depression and anxiety mostly by lowering levels of dopa-mine—a neurotransmitter. While they’ve been used successfully to help people with mental and mood disorders, the benefits come with a long list of harmful side effects—including liver damage.

Risperidone (Risperdal®)… quetiapine (Seroquel®)… and chlorpromazine (Thorazine®) all have been shown to elevate liver enzymes—which is a sign of injured liver cells—and cause cholestasis. More rarely, hepatitis and liver failure have been reported.

HORMONESEstrogens and oral contraceptives have

been linked to several liver conditions, including cholestasis, elevated liver enzymes, hepatitis, jaundice, and clotting in the veins of the liver. Plus, long-term use increases your risk of developing both benign and malignant tumors in your liver.

The worst liver-offenders in this class include…

n Estradiol (Alora®, Climara®, Delestrogen®, and other brands)

n Ethinylestradiol (Alesse®, Tri-Cyclen®, Triphasil®, and other brands)

n Drospirenone and ethinyl estradiol (Loryna®, Zarah®, and other brands)

n Levonorgestrel and ethinyl estradiol (Altavera®, Lessina®, and other brands)

n Ethinyl estradiol and norgestimate (Previfem®, TriNessa®, and other brands)

n Norethindrone and ethinyl estradiol (Aranelle®, Lo Loestrin Fe®, and others)

n Ethinyl estradiol and desogestrel (Apri®, Desogen®, Mircette®, and other brands)

n Norethisterone acetate (Primolut-Nor® and other brands)

n Dienogest and estradiol (Natazia®)

Plus, anabolic steroids (Andriol®, Proviron®, Halotestin®, and other brands) can increase liver enzymes and cause jaundice… cholestasis… hepatitis… and liver toxicity and cancer.

PAIN RELIEVERSAny NSAID (non steroidal anti-inflammatory

drug) can cause liver injury—including aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil® and Motrin®), naproxen (Aleve®), diclofenac (Voltaren® and Cambia®), and acetaminophen (Tylenol®, Theraflu®, Nyquil®, Dayquil®, and other brands). Of these, aceta minophen is the most dangerous.

This popular OTC drug is responsible for 37 percent of liver failure cases in America for one completely avoidable reason: People accidentally take too much.

Acetaminophen is found in many drug products. So, if you’re treating yourself for a cold, cough, and headache with different drugs that all contain this ingredient, you could easily exceed the top recom-mended dose of 4 grams—and inflict serious, life- threatening damage on your liver.

The best defense is to read your labels to be aware of the amount of acetaminophen you’re taking—and try to keep your daily dosage under 2 grams to protect your liver.

“ART” DRUGSHIV and AIDS medications—also known as

Antiretrovirals or ART drugs—help the patient lower viral load and fight infections—and come with a boatload of liver-harming side effects…

n Nucleoside/Nucleotide Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors (NRTIs) such as abacavir (Ziagen®)… didanosine (Videx®)… emtricitabine (Emtriva®)… lamivudine (Epivir®)… stavudine (Zerit®)… tenofovir (Viread®)… and zidovudine (Retrovir®) can all cause fatty liver disease.

n Non-nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors (NNRTIs) such as delavirdine (Rescriptor®)… efavirenz (Sustiva® and Atripla®)… etravirine (Intelence®)… nevirapine (Viramune®)… and rilpivirine (Edurant®) can elevate liver enzymes. Plus, delavirdine and nevirapine have also been linked to hepatitis and liver failure.

n Protease Inhibitors (PIs) such as atazanavir (Reyataz®)… darunavir (Prezista®)… fosam-prenavir (Lexiva®)… indinavir (Crixivan®)… nelfinavir (Viracept®)… ritonavir (Norvir®)… saquinavir (Invirase®)… and tipranavir (Aptivus®) can increase your liver enzymes and even cause jaundice.

n Integrase Inhibitors such as dolutegravir (Tivicay®)… elvitegravir (Vitekta®)… and raltegravir (Isentress®) can negatively affect liver enzymes—and even cause fatty liver, in rare cases.

OTHER LIVER-DAMAGING DRUGSNo list of medications that do harm to your

liver would be complete unless the following were included:

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©2021. This report is published by Easy Health Options®, LLC, P.O. Box 1105 Cullman, AL 35056

Material found in this special report is protected by the copyright laws of the United States of America. References taken from other sources are properly credited. Any improper infringements or plagiarism of the material found in this document will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. The information and statements made in this publication have not been evaluated by the FDA. The ingredients discussed and recommended are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Individual results may vary. Seek the advice of your healthcare professional for questions or concerns regarding your specific health conditions and/or needs.

n Acarbose (Precose®)—This blood sugar-lower-ing drug can cause severe—and even deadly—liver problems.

n Allopurinol (Aloprim® and Zyloprim®)— Taken to prevent gout attacks, this medication can injure your liver within just days or weeks of taking it.

n Baclofen (Equipto-Baclofen®, Gablofen®, Lioresal®, and others)—A muscle relaxer, baclofen can elevate your liver enzymes.

n Cyproheptadine hydrochloride (Cyprohepta-dine®, Periactin®, and Peritol®)—This allergy relief

medicine can cause jaundice, hepatitis, and liver failure.

n Azathioprine (Azasan® and Imuran®)— This medication is used to control the immune system. Liver damage can occur after weeks to months of taking it—including raised liver enzymes… jaundice… and cholestasis.

n Methotrexate (Otrexup®, Rasuvo®, Rheumatrex®, Trexall®)—Used to treat many conditions— including rheumatoid arthritis, cancer, and psoriasis, methotrexate has been shown to cause elevated liver enzymes… fatty liver disease… fibrosis… and cirrhosis.

n Omeprazole (PriLOSEC®, PriLOSEC OTC®)— This stomach-acid reducer can cause hepatitis (inflammation) and jaundice. And, long-term use can lead to liver failure.

n Propylthiouracil (PTU)—This anti-thyroid drug is reported to have caused severe liver injury and acute liver failure, which are sometimes fatal or require a liver transplant.

ConclusionIf you regularly take any of the medications

listed above, ask your doctor for a liver function blood test to assess your liver health. If you ever notice symptoms such as upper right hand-side abdominal pain… fatigue… dark urine… yellowing of the skin or eyes… pale or clay colored stools… fever… nausea and vomiting… and weight loss—contact your doctor immediately.

Those are signs that your liver is crying for help.