Contrary to common perception, clinical data demonstrate that acetaminophen is an appropriate pain relief choice for patients with chronic liver disease. According to a systematic literature review of the data, which is published in the current issue of the American Journal of Therapeutics, there is no evidence that acetaminophen at therapeutic doses aggravates liver disease.
Studies showed that patients with liver disease are able to metabolize acetaminophen appropriately. The review article concludes that acetaminophen at recommended doses, when taken as directed, can be used safely in patients with liver disease and is a preferred analgesic because it lacks the gastrointestinal toxicity, renal toxicity and inhibitory actions on platelet aggregation associated with aspirin and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
"The results of this review refute the popular misconception that liver disease patients should avoid using acetaminophen to manage their pain," said lead author Dr. Gordon Benson, professor emeritus, Department of Medicine, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. "Liver toxicity with acetaminophen appears to occur only in those who consume an overdose of the drug."
The studies included in the systematic literature review demonstrated: