The safe use of analgesics in patients with cirrhosis: a narrative review

Pain is prevalent in patients with cirrhosis. Due to potential alterations in drug metabolism, risk for adverse effects, and complications from cirrhosis, physicians are often faced with difficult choices when choosing appropriate analgesics in these patients. Overall, acetaminophen remains the preferred analgesic. Despite its potential for intrinsic liver toxicity, acetaminophen is safe when used at 2g/day. In contrast, non-selective nonsteroidals should be avoided due to their multiple side effects including worsening renal function, blunting diuretic response, and increasing risk of portal hypertensive and peptic ulcer bleeding.
Source: The American Journal of Medicine - Category: General Medicine Authors: Tags: Review Source Type: research