armaceutical Induced Hepatitis/Jaundice
Subject: Re: Need Advice onTreating Pharmaceutical Induced Hepatitis/Jaundice Topic Area:Posted by HFHSM.D.-D.M. on April 16, 1999 at 14:25:09
Dear Peter: Well I am certainly impressed by your sequence of events. It sounds like after taking some combination of augmentin, zantac, prevacid and prilosed you developed severe itching and elevated liver enzymes. While, I cant comment on your specific case without considerably more information, let me make some general comments. It is possible to develop elevated liver enzymes, itching and even jaundice from medications. augmentin is a potential culprit. We typically dont think of prilosec, prevacid and zantac as causing these problems but certainly almost any medication in the wrong individual can do that. By the way zantac at 600 mg a day is not an overdose. We actually presribe that much to some patients. What we typically do when we feel we have drug-induced hepatitis is to remove all potential offending medications including over-the-counter medications, tylenol and alcohol. We also want to make sure there is no other process going on and it sounds as if your physicians are doing that. Finally, most patients with drug induced hepatitis recover on their own provided the offending drug is removed. We use to use steroids to help with the recovery, but were not convinced they work. They have potential side-effects and we now tend to avoid them. I tend to feel rest is helpful but I do not have data to support that personal belief. I hope this information is helpful to you. If you have additional information or questions, I would invite you to post the material to MEDHELP or to contact us directly at Henry Ford (313) 916-8865. We have an active group of liver specialists. This response is being provided for general informational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice or consultation. Always check with your personal physician when you have a question pertaining to your health.
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