LymeNet Flash: which ABX affect the liver

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Posted by marciap (Member # 7268) on :

Are there certain ABX that are not adversive to the liver or are they all dangerous? is there any way to tell if the liver is in danger other than a blood test? should I worry after only 50 days of ABX or does damage become more likely after a longer period of time?
getting very paranoid about my liver! thanks.

Posted by zipzip (Member # 6226) on :

all medications, antibiotics or otherwise, are secreted through the liver.

antibiotics are safer to the liver than antipyschotic drugs which people take for years on end.

as far as being perilous you would have to look at the empiric test trials. you can find this info at rxlist.com.

you can and should have a regular hepatic panel run to see if the liver levels are high. the levels often spike at herxes because of the higher amount of metabolization.

Posted by James H (Member # 6380) on :

Natural penicillins are excreted unchanged by the kidneys without being broken down by the liver. I believe this is also the case with the older synthetic penicillins, like amoxicillin.

Just about anything else goes through the liver at least to some extent.

Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :

The danger of untreated Lyme is far worse than the danger of liver damage. I've been on abx for nearly 5 yrs, [except for the past few months off and on]....no liver damage.

I would advise you to take milk thistle. [I am not a dr!]

Also....I think if there is a problem with the liver...when you go off the abx, the liver enzymes will go back to normal. Your chances of permanent damage are minimal.

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oops!
Lymetutu

[This message has been edited by Lymetoo (edited 15 June 2005).]

Posted by vandeb (Member # 6345) on :

Just wanted to say the only liver problems I have is not with the antibiotics but with the pain meds.

I have had my liver enzymes go high twice in a year and a half. I was on ultram for almost a year before the liver enzymes shot up.

My LLMD changed me to darvocet and now after almost another year my enzymes are high again. He sent me for a liver scan just to be sure it wasn't the lyme doing damage.

The liver was fine so we are having to get a plan together to change pain meds periodically to keep the enzymes within the normal range.

Lyme seems to always be a mysterious journey going thru a maze of sorts. Just about the time you think you found the end, you're just getting started.

I'm so blessed to have all of you here to love and support and inform each other with all the info we can. God bless you all. We're in this thing together.

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Debbie V.

Posted by Monica (Member # 224) on :

I'm sure your liver is very happy you're thinking of it!

Almost all medications have the potential to do liver harm as I understand it. Your doctor should be running periodic blood tests to see how your body (in particular the liver) is handling the abx.

Try not to worry too much about it. I have probably ingested tons of medication at this point and my liver is just fine. Lost the gallbladder, but didn't need that anyway.

Posted by lymeHerx001 (Member # 6215) on :

My LLMD requires that I get my liver checked every month.

Who else on this board is like that.

It is such a hastle since ive been seing him for close to 2 years.

Thats over 25 blood draws!!!!

Sometimes I worry that they are taking too much blood from me and that my body isint making enough to keep up.

Posted by lymeHerx001 (Member # 6215) on :

So how much is too much?

Posted by liz28 on :

Minocycline, omnicef, mepron and flagyl were all a bit tough on the liver. The only ones I absolutely need anymore, though, are mepron and omnicef--the flagyl gradually went from being a miracle worker to having no effect. I keep a little around on a shelf, just in case.

I took an expensive but helpful product called Dr. Zhang's Hepa Formula 2 for over a year, and it did keep my liver enzymes normal. After I started exercising again, the overtaxed liver symptoms seemed to go away, or at least reduce.