Antibiotics Are the Single Largest Class of Drugs Causing Liver Injury

[Guest guest]

Antibiotics Are the Single Largest Class of Drugs Causing Liver

Injury, Says Study

BETHESDA, Md -- December 1, 2008 -- Antibiotics are the single

largest class of agents that cause idiosyncratic drug-induced liver

injury (DILI), according to a study in Gastroenterology.

" DILI is a serious health problem that impacts patients, physicians,

government regulators, and the pharmaceutical industry, " said lead

author Naga P. Chalasani, MD, Indiana University School of Medicine,

Indianapolis, Indiana.

" Further efforts are needed in defining its pathogenesis and

developing means for the early detection, accurate diagnosis,

prevention, and treatment of DILI. "

In the prospective, ongoing, multicentre observational study patients

with suspected DILI were enrolled based upon predefined criteria and

followed for at least 6 months. Those with acetaminophen liver injury

were excluded.

Researchers found that DILI was caused by a single prescription

medication in 73% of the cases, by dietary supplements in 9%, and by

multiple agents in 18%.

More than 100 different agents were associated with DILI;

antimicrobials (45.5%) and central nervous system agents (15%) were

the most common.

Of the dietary supplements causing DILI, compounds that claim to

promote weight loss and muscle building accounted for nearly 60% of

the cases. The study found that at least 20% of patients with DILI

ingest more than one potentially hepatotoxic agent.

Researchers found no relationship between gender and severity of

DILI, but individuals with diabetes experienced more severe DILI.

DILI remains a diagnosis of exclusion and thus detailed testing

should be performed to exclude competing causes of liver disease,

importantly, acute hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection.

SOURCE: American Gastroenterological Association

Best Wishes,

Scarlet

[Guest guest]

Thanks for this info Scarlet. I'm leary of taking ANY kind of drug and

after having a sever reaction to an antibiotic I'm even more careful.

Only one physician ever agreed with me that antibiotics are hard on the

liver.~~~Debbie

>

> Antibiotics Are the Single Largest Class of Drugs Causing Liver

> Injury, Says Study

> BETHESDA, Md -- December 1, 2008 -- Antibiotics are the single

> largest class of agents that cause idiosyncratic drug-induced liver

> injury (DILI), according to a study in Gastroenterology.

>

> " DILI is a serious health problem that impacts patients, physicians,

> government regulators, and the pharmaceutical industry, " said lead

> author Naga P. Chalasani, MD, Indiana University School of Medicine,

> Indianapolis, Indiana.

>

>

>