What are some of the common medications that can cause liver damage?
Probably the best known medication that can damage the liver is acetaminophen, also known as Tylenol®. This medication is widely available without prescription and is present in many of the cold and flu remedies sold in drugstores as well as in prescription pain medications. Most pain medications that are labeled as “non-aspirin” have acetaminophen as its main ingredient. Acetaminophen, when used as directed, is extremely safe even for people with liver disease. However, taking too much acetaminophen at once, or taking a high dose of acetaminophen continuously over several days can cause damage to the liver. Healthy individuals should not take more than 1,000 mg of acetaminophen per dose, and should not take more than 4,000mg in one day (i.e. maximum of 1,000 mg every 6 hours). In addition, even healthy persons should avoid taking 4,000mg of acetaminophen daily for more than 3 to 5 days. Patients with liver disease should restrict the daily amount of acetaminophen to 2,000mg per day, o
