Can a Glass of Wine Increase Your Risk of Nizoral Liver Damage?

Can a Glass of Wine Increase Your Risk of Nizoral Liver Damage?

By Jessica Tyner

The FDA recently released an urgent warning about the potential side effects of Nizoral, a popular antifungal oral drug. The main Nizoral side effects are liver damage, adrenal issues and complications with other medications.

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the odds of a person suffering liver damage from a drug are even higher if alcohol is combined with usage. While there’s no research that indicates how much alcohol will lead to an even higher risk of liver damage, it might be possible that a glass of alcohol per day can increase risks.

Considering that a glass of red wine is called healthy by many studies, there’s a good chance that Nizoral patients don’t think twice about their nightly cocktail while taking this drug. As an antifungal medication, many people don’t consider drug and alcohol interaction as carefully as they do with, for example, antibiotics.

Signs of liver damage caused by Nizoral include nausea, vomiting, dark urine, yellow eyes, abdominal pain and fatigue. Some doctors who are really on top of FDA warnings may monitor a patient’s liver while prescribing Nizoral. However, this isn’t necessarily the M.O. of every physician. Nizoral can also negatively react with amiodarone, certain antibiotics, and pimozide.

When someone has a fungal infection, it’s embarrassing and might seem like more of a nuisance than anything else. They want it taken care of quickly, and don’t want it to interfere with their life. Unfortunately, Nizoral can do just that when liver damage becomes a serious risk.

When liver cells are damaged, whether by alcohol alone or Nizoral, the immune system within the body responds by causing inflammation inside the liver. This, in turn, makes the liver get larger and become spongy. Liver cells can begin to die, leading to scar tissue that becomes a wall inside the liver. When this happens, blood can be blocked to the existing healthy liver cells, and the blood eventually struggles when returning to the heart.

Full liver failure is a progressive disease, even when it’s caused by Nizoral. When liver cells are damaged or die, the liver simply can’t function at top capacity. While liver transplants are a possibility, they’re also expensive and dangerous. Not everyone with liver damage needs a liver transplant — that’s often reserved for the most extreme and advanced cases.

The liver is capable of healing itself to some extent, but taking medications such as Nizoral which can cause liver damage makes this process difficult at best. It’s also possible that liver damage can lead to fluid leaking out of the liver and into the body. A procedure called a paracentesis may be required to remove this fluid. However, each patient is different and every Nizoral case is different. It’s nearly impossible to pinpoint survival rates or just how damaging Nizoral can be to the liver. It’s wise for Nizoral patients to do their research, work with a doctor and be completely open about their other drug and alcohol use.

Watching for Liver Failure Symptoms

Unfortunately, liver failure symptoms may not appear. Cirrhosis gives no symptoms at all. However, later stage liver damage can be complemented with weight loss and what may appear to be anorexia. Some patients report different body odors that linger on bed sheets and clothes. Irregular red areas on the body and a dull ache in the ribs (as opposed to a sharp pain) have also been reported. However, many of these liver failure symptoms can also be flukes and nothing at all. Liver disease is one that can sneak up on people.

It’s also possible that a person has taken Nizoral before and never experienced complications. Just because a person has had success with the drug before doesn’t mean they’re immune to Nizoral side effects. Those taking Nizoral should be on the lookout for feeling too full even when they ate a moderate amount, which is what can eventually lead to a wrong diagnosis of anorexia and cause drastic weight loss.

Have You Taken Nizoral?

Some patients have liver damage and don’t even know it. If you’ve taken Nizoral, it’s a good idea to check for liver damage and adrenal insufficiency. If Nizoral caused these complications, you might qualify for a Nizoral legal claim. Visit the Nizoral (Ketoconazole) Drug Injury Class Action Lawsuit Investigation to discover more. You’ll get to submit your side effects, and an attorney will contact you if you qualify for a free Nizoral claim review.

Updated August 12th, 2013

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