What is Hepatitis?
At its most basic, hepatitis is a liver inflammation. There are a number of ways hepatitis can progress. In some cases, hepatitis limits itself to simple inflammation. However, in other cases, the condition may grow more serious and cause fibrosis (scarring), cirrhosis (severe scarring that can even impair liver function), or liver cancer.
There are five major types of hepatitis viruses, categorized from A to E. Hepatitis A is always acute and short-term. Hepatitis E is acute, but can also be dangerous, especially in pregnant women. Hepatitis B, C, and D are often ongoing, chronic illnesses.
Hepatitis is relatively common. Indeed, approximately 4.4 million Americans are currently living with chronic hepatitis B and C, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). However, many of these people may not even know that they have this infection.
Symptoms of Hepatitis
In some cases, hepatitis symptoms may be limited or not even appear at all. In other cases, hepatitis can lead to symptoms like the following:
- Fatigue
- Flu-like symptoms
- Dark urine
- Jaundice (when the skin and eyes turn yellow)
- Pale stool
- Abdominal pain
- Loss of appetite
- Unexplained weight loss
- Nausea and/or vomiting
Hepatitis Treatment
Different types of hepatitis generally require different treatment. Hepatitis A is short term, and may require bed rest and hydration. Both chronic hepatitis B and C are treated with antiviral medications, though chronic hepatitis C may also require a combination of medications, further testing for treatment, or liver transplant due to scarring of the liver. Hepatitis D has no antiviral medication, and there are currently no medical treatments for hepatitis E, which usually resolves on its own.
What Causes Hepatitis?
Hepatitis has a number of possible causes. Hepatitis is most often caused by hepatitis viruses. However, other possible causes have been linked with hepatitis, including other infections, toxic substances like alcohol, autoimmune diseases, and even certain medications, including the anti-arrhythmia medication amiodarone.
Hepatitis Litigation
Amiodarone is a medication used to treat arrhythmia, or irregular heartbeats, and is sold under the brand names Cordarone, Pacerone, and Nexterone. Although amiodarone has been approved by the FDA, the agency also notes that amiodarone should be reserved for patients with life-threatening arrhythmia, since the medication itself has been linked with serious and even life-threatening complications.
Indeed, the FDA warns, amiodarone usage has been linked with lung disease/pulmonary toxicity, liver failure, blindness, and even death.
Even though the FDA has cautioned that amiodarone should only be used as a last resort, for those who suffer from life-threatening arrhythmias, some drugmakers are allegedly promoting the drug as a first line drug, prescribing it for conditions it has not been approved to treat, and even failing to provide medication guides about the drugs (and its risks) to patients. The FDA sent a letter to the Cordarone manufacturer Wyeth, warning the company to stop promoting the drug beyond the uses for which it had been approved.
Some patients claim that they were not adequately warned about the serious complications associated with amiodarone usage.
