Acetaminophen. Taking acetaminophen in excess is the leading cause of drug-induced liver injury.
Other medications that should be avoided include abacavir, COX-2 inhibitors, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, direct oral anticoagulant agents, sertraline, and tacrolimus. Herbal supplements have been shown to induce liver injury.
More than 1,000 different drugs and chemicals can cause liver damage. This occurs in a process called drug-induced liver injury (DILI), toxicity, or damage. The liver is a key site for metabolizing drugs. As a result, it is the area that the toxins within drugs most affect.
If a medicine causes damage to your liver, this is called Drug Induced Liver Injury or DILI. Your liver has an amazing ability to repair itself when it has been damaged. So, most people will fully recover from drug induced liver injury. But recovery can take time.
Usually, drug induced liver injury starts to resolve within a few days to a week of stopping therapy. In some instances, the resolution is quite rapid (acetaminophen, niacin), but in most cases, the injury does not fully resolve for several weeks or months.
Opiate overdose can lead to rhabdomyolysis, which can amplify the risks of kidney damage. Many opiate drugs also contain acetaminophen (e.g., Vicodin and Percocet). Taking large doses of acetaminophen or chronic use of acetaminophen can be associated with liver damage, which can affect kidney functioning.
Early Signs of Liver Damage from Medication
Fever. Diarrhea. Dark urine. Jaundice, a condition that occurs when a substance called bilirubin builds up in the blood and causes the skin and whites of the eyes to appear yellow.
"Alcohol is the worst drink for your liver as it makes it harder on the liver to break down and remove toxins from the body," says Minerva Valencia, RD. "Alcohol is known to cause damage to this vital organ, but a wide variety of alcoholic drinks can also pose health risks," says Janet Coleman, RD at TheConsumerMag.
Taking too much acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) is the most common cause of acute liver failure in the United States. Outside of the United States, acetaminophen is known as paracetamol.
Nonprescription pain relievers such as acetaminophen (Tylenol, others), aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) and naproxen (Aleve, others) can damage your liver, especially if taken frequently or combined with alcohol.
Paracetamol is a common painkiller that is normally safe. If you take more than the recommended amount (an overdose), it can harm the liver, and occasionally the kidneys.
Limit the amount of alcohol you drink. Eat a well-balanced diet every day. That's five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables, along with fiber from vegetables, nuts, seeds, and whole grains. Be sure to include protein for the enzymes that help your body detox naturally.
Renal abnormalities are part of the spectrum of acute and chronic cocaine toxicity. Chronic cocaine abuse may damage the kidney not only in utero, but also later in life.
Most street drugs, including heroin, cocaine and ecstasy can cause high blood pressure, stroke, heart failure and even death, in some cases from only one use. Cocaine, heroin and amphetamines also can cause kidney damage.
When your kidneys are failing, a high concentration and accumulation of substances lead to brown, red, or purple urine. Studies suggest the urine color is due to abnormal protein or sugar as well as high numbers of cellular casts and red and white blood cells.
CITRUS FRUITS – Lemons and limes contain citric acid, potassium, vitamin C, and bioflavonoids. These nutrients help improve energy levels, enhance liver detoxification, and reduce inflammation. Grapefruit has high levels of vitamin C, folic acid, phenolic acid, potassium, calcium, iron, and antioxidants.
As the liver becomes more severely damaged, more obvious and serious symptoms can develop, such as: yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes (jaundice) swelling in the legs, ankles and feet caused by a build-up of fluid (oedema) swelling in your abdomen caused by a build-up of fluid known as ascites.
Egg whites are good for your liver, but over-consumption can lead to digestion issues and the yellow yolk is a source of bad cholesterol. These are the foods that are bad for the kidneys and liver.
The liver has a unique capacity among organs to regenerate itself after damage. A liver can regrow to a normal size even after up to 90% of it has been removed. But the liver isn't invincible. Many diseases and exposures can harm it beyond the point of repair.
Pain in your liver itself can feel like a dull throbbing pain or a stabbing sensation in your right upper abdomen just under your ribs. General abdominal pain and discomfort can also be related to swelling from fluid retention and enlargement of your spleen and liver caused by cirrhosis.