Highlights
- While liver disease has a wide number of causes, the most common are non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), viral hepatitis, and alcohol-related cirrhosis.
- Treatment of liver disease often requires a multi-pronged approach, including lifestyle changes and medication.
- Getting the lowest price on liver disease medication can help manage the stress related to these problems.
In America alone, 1.8 percent of adults have some form of liver disease. While liver disease has many different possible causes, treatment most often focuses on the three most common. Learning what those causes are, what treatments and medications can help, and how to get the lowest price on liver disease medications can help manage these common problems.
About Liver Disease
Liver disease is an umbrella term for anything that affects the liver, from cancer to parasitic infections. In some cases, these causes can intersect. For example, viral hepatitis is a risk factor for later diagnosis of liver cancer.
Because the causes of liver disease are so broad, the classification of liver disease medications depends on those causes, their symptoms, and your overall health. The liver’s enzymes are often a key tool to break down medication, so care must be taken when prescribing drugs. Often, lifestyle changes should be tried first. In the case of severe liver disease, many medications may be contraindicated.
However, there are three causes that are most common, and they’re often treated with the same set of medications.
Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD)
In NAFLD, an excessive build-up of fat in the liver leads to inflammation and scarring. The progression of the disease is similar to liver damage due to alcohol overuse. NAFLD is most often associated with metabolic diseases, such as obesity, and related symptoms, like high blood pressure.
There are no drugs that address NAFLD directly. Instead, lifestyle changes such as a healthier diet and weight loss are the primary treatment courses. In some cases, doctors may prescribe weight-loss medication such as Ozempic as part of a broader weight-loss plan.
In other cases, doctors may prescribe corticosteroids.
Corticosteroids
Corticosteroids are widely used in treating liver inflammation. Due to their long-term effects, corticosteroids are generally an emergency line of treatment and are most often used by liver transplant recipients. The most commonly used corticosteroid for liver disease is prednisone, which may be combined with azathioprine for patients who have had a liver transplant.
Warnings and Contraindications — Corticosteroids
There is a risk of dependence with prednisone, especially if you take it for more than seven days. Prednisone is a prodrug that must be converted in the liver to be effective, so if you’re experiencing signs of liver failure, call your doctor before taking prednisone.
Corticosteroids suppress the immune system, so they may not be appropriate for people who have had infections.
Side Effects — Corticosteroids
The most common effects of corticosteroids are:
- Sleep problems
- Increased appetite
- Skin changes, including acne, dry skin, thinning skin
- Easier bruising and slower wound healing
- Headache
- Vertigo
- Nausea
- Changes in body fat locations
Drug Interactions — Corticosteroids
If you regularly take any of the following, check with your doctor before using corticosteroids:
- Non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs
- Antibiotics, antifungals, or antivirals
- Hormone medication
- Diabetes medication taken orally
- Blood thinners or anticoagulants
Viral Hepatitis
While any inflammation of the liver is technically hepatitis, the term is most often used as shorthand for viral hepatitis. Viral hepatitis has five common versions: A, B, C, D, and E. A and B have effective vaccines that are the most common first-line treatment. Other viruses can also cause viral hepatitis, although it’s relatively rare.
Hepatitis infections can be acute, occuring once and resolving over a period of days or weeks, or chronic, where these infections recur and damage the liver over time. The most effective treatment for hepatitis is antiviral medication.
Antivirals
Antivirals prevent viruses from dividing and limit the spread of the infection, giving the immune system time to fight it off. In the case of hepatitis C in particular, several antivirals can be combined. Usually, only certain antivirals are used for a specific hepatitis virus.
Common antivirals include:
- Interferon
- Protease inhibitors
- Reverse transcriptase inhibitors
Warnings and Contraindications — Antivirals
Due to their interaction with the cell division cycle, people with autoimmune disorders or bone marrow concerns should only take antivirals on the advice of their doctor. Some antivirals may have more specific concerns, so read the accompanying literature carefully.
Side Effects — Antivirals
While many antivirals can have different side effects, the most common are generally:
- Changes in stool, particularly black color and tar-like consistency
- Flu-like symptoms, such as fever and sore throat
- Breathing problems, including coughing and labored breathing
- A feeling of tightness in the chest
- Pain in the side or lower back
- Pallor
- Unusual bleeding
- Fatigue
- Sores in the mouth
Drug Interactions — Antivirals
Some medications may interact poorly with antivirals, including:
- Blood thinners or drugs with blood thinning as a side effect
- Antidepressants and anti-anxiety medication
- Antibiotics
- Diabetes medication
- Anti-seizure medication
Be sure your prescriber knows if you are taking any of these medications.
Hepatic Cirrhosis
Cirrhosis is any scarring of the liver that limits its function. Cirrhosis is most strongly associated with alcohol-related liver disease in popular culture; however, it’s a common result of chronic liver inflammation and can happen even to people who don’t drink. Extreme cases of cirrhosis can only be treated with a liver transplant.
Cirrhosis is generally treated by preventative measures to limit the damage. Outside of the medications already discussed, changes in lifestyle, particularly reducing or ending alcohol consumption, can help slow the progression of cirrhosis.
Anti-Alcohol Medications
In the case of alcohol-related liver disease, treating alcohol use disorder (AUD) is part of the process. Living with AUD is difficult, and often quitting “cold turkey” isn’t feasible. In some cases, to prevent further damage, anti-alcohol drugs will be used.
- Disulfiram. Disulfiram prevents alcohol from being processed by the body, making the user ill if they drink.
- Naltrexone. Naltrexone is an opioid antagonist that prevents intoxication and causes certain changes in the body to limit alcohol consumption.
- Acamprosate. Acamprosate is believed to redress neurotransmitter imbalances that cause alcohol cravings.
Warnings and Contraindications — Anti-Alcohol Medications
Never drink alcohol with any of these medications; at high doses, it can be potentially fatal. If you have any of the following conditions, let your doctor know before taking these drugs.
- Heart disease
- Hypertension
- Hypothyroidism
- Diabetes
- Seizures
- Mood disorders
- Brain damage or head injury
Side Effects — Anti-Alcohol Medications
Because of their different mechanisms of action, side effects of anti-alcohol medication will vary widely. Sit down with your doctor and go over those in detail as well as any situations where you should call a healthcare professional right away.
Drug Interactions — Anti-Alcohol Medications
Anti-alcohol medications should not be taken with antidepressants or opioid painkillers. Before starting a course of these medications, review your prescriptions with your doctor.
Get the Lowest Price on Liver Disease Medications
Managing liver disease shouldn’t be a financial challenge. BidRx helps reduce the costs of medication with a platform that lets pharmacists across the country bid on your prescription. Just choose your bid, and your medications will be shipped to your door or available for you to pick up locally, depending on the offer you choose.
Learn how BidRx can get you the best prices by visiting our medication page to get started.
