A new article on pain relief appeared in Liver Health today magazine. Written by Dr. Jennifer Pate is condensed below .Safe pain relief for liver patients
article by Dr. Jennifer Pate Liver Health Today Tylenol : The preferred pain reliever. Is generally thought to be safe in patients with liver disease in doses up to 2000mg in a 24 hour period. Make certain that you check all medications for Tylenol, also called Acetaminophen and APAP. NASIDS : Are a problem for liver patients. And have been frequently associated with liver injury. Hep C patients have a increased risk for major liver damage from Motrin. nsaids may cause salt and water retention and may worsen edema and ascites. Varices may be worsen and life threatening bleeding may occur. Patients with severe liver disease may suffer from kidney damage from nsaids. Note; some heart patients may have to use aspirin therapy , make certain that your Liver Dr. is aware of all meds you are taking. Darvocet: At regular doses provides limited benefit.( Not much different than Tylenol alone. Higher doses are a major cause of drug related deaths. The FDA is considering pulling it from the market It interferes with heart function, causes confusion and seizures. Demerol: Has many neurological side effects including seizures. If used it should be limited to procedures only. Codeine: Many people have trouble metabolizing codeine resulting in nausea , vomiting or confusion.. Liver patients can not metabolize codeine to it's active form (Morphine) Morphine: is difficult for liver patients to process and may cause seizures, confusion and respiratory problems and decreased blood pressure. Vicodin , Lorcet , Lortab: Is safe in most liver patients. Tramadol: (Ultram)works well for liver patients but should not be used with some antidepressants . The combination can cause seizures. Dilaudid: Can be used short term for severe pain. Fentanyl patch: Is a strong medication but causes less nausea, confusion and constipation. Neurontin , Lyrica ; Are safe in liver patients Cymbalta: Is problematic for liver patients causing constipation, sedation , weight gain , and confusion. Methadone : Can be helpful but must be monitored closely in Liver patients. Lidoderm patches : work well for local pain Dr. Pate is a psychiatrist that specializes in patients with Liver disease. half of her patients have Hep C and the other half are waiting for a transplant. She has a private practice in Houston. | A new article on a research study by Duke University show a link between High Fructose Corn syrup and liver scarring.
Duke University recently studied over 400 adults and found that HFCS appeared to be correlated to increased liver fibrosis in patients with NAFLD. Below are excerpts from the article . You may read the entire article at the link provided below. We found that increased consumption of high fructose corn syrup was associated with scarring in the liver, or fibrosis, among patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD),” said Manal Abdelmalek, MD, MPH, associate professor of medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology/Hepatology at Duke University Medical Center. “We have identified an environmental risk factor that may contribute to the metabolic syndrome of insulin resistance and the complications of the metabolic syndrome, including liver injury,” Abdelmalek said. “Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is present in 30 percent of adults in the United States,” Abdelmalek said. “Although only a minority of patients progress to cirrhosis, such patients are at increased risk for liver failure, liver cancer, and the need for liver transplant,” she explained. “Unfortunately, there is no therapy for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease,” she said. “My hope is to see if we can find a factor, such as increased consumption of high fructose corn syrup, which, if modified, can decrease the risk of liver disease.” Here is the Link to the article http://www.dukehealth.org/health_library/news/high_fructose_corn_syrup_linked_to_liver_scarring |