Liver drug toxicity enhancement

Concomitant administration of paracetamol with other hepatotoxic drugs or drugs acting on liver microsomal enzymes enhances paracetamol toxicity. Other drugs that interact with paracetamol are metoclopramide, probenecid, and cholestyramine.81... 

Liver disease can also cause hypoalbuminemia due to decreased liver synthesis of albumin. For drugs that are extensively bound to albumin, such as phenytoin, an enhanced risk of drug toxicity could occur because of the increase in free drug concentration. 

Propoxyphene interacts with several drugs. The use of sedatives in combination with propoxyphene can be fatal. In addition, the metabolism of the drug is increased in smokers due to induction of liver enzymes. Thus, smokers may require a higher dose of the drug for pain relief. Propoxyphene enhances the effects of both warfarin and carbamazepine and may increase the toxicity associated with both drugs, such as bleeding and sedation, respectively. 

An excellent brief article on buprenorphine treatment has been provided by Taikato et al. (2005), which notes the common possible side-effects (headaches, nausea and vomiting, sweating, constipation, etc.) and drug interactions. The limited central depressant effect of buprenorphine may be compounded by alcohol and antidepressants, while the metabolism of buprenorphine can be enhanced by anticonvulsants, with therefore possibly reduced efficacy. There have been some case reports of liver toxicity from buprenorphine that is reversible if the medication is stopped (Herve et al. 2004), and often clinical guidelines will recommend that liver function tests are included in buprenorphine treatment, as they definitely should be with naltrexone. 

Patients with liver disease have an increased susceptibility to certain drugs due to decreased hepatic clearance for drugs metabolized by the liver or due to enhanced sensitivity. For example, impaired hepatic metabolism can precipitate central nervous system (CNS) toxicity in patients on theophylline, phenytoin, or lidocaine or ergot poisoning on ergotamine. ... 

In 40 patients (mean age 64 years, 22 men) who took tolcapone for 3-7 months and were given entacapone in dosages titrated to 800-2000 mg/day after a transition period of 3-6 months with co-beneldopa, the improvements in on and off times were less impressive than they had been with tolcapone and there were more adverse effects (3). One patient had diarrhea and orthostatic hypertension with both drugs, but another six patients had increased dyskinesias and hallucinations and one developed myoclonus. There was no evidence of liver toxicity with either drug. The authors pointed out that entacapone, unlike tolcapone, not only increases the half-life of levodopa but also its peak concentration, causing significantly enhanced levodopa-related adverse effects. There is therefore a paradox entacapone appears to be safer but overall causes more adverse effects. 

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