Actos and Liver Disease
Actos should not be prescribed to patients suffering from liver disease or in case of an increase in alanine aminotransferase (ALT) enzyme 2.5 times above the limit. ALT is found mainly in the liver, but increases in ALT can also be reflective of heart problems, kidney dysfunction and problems with pancreas. However, most increases in alanine aminotransferase are connected with liver damage. Taking into account the possible influence of Actos on the ALT activity in the body, it is highly recommended to measure the levels of ALT before starting Actos therapy and during the first months of taking the drug. Liver function tests are designed specifically for arming your doctor with the information about your liver and its properties. Actos therapy should not be initiated if the preliminary blood test reveals increased liver enzymes. If you know that you have active liver disease or you have experienced jaundice during troglitazone therapy, you should tell your health provider about it right away because Actos therapy can deteriorate your state.
If you begin to take Actos, even moderate increases in the liver enzymes' activity should be paid attention to and Actos therapy should be continued with great caution. A more frequent control and periodic tests of liver enzymes' activity are necessary.
If liver enzymes increase and continue to stay high (2.5 times the upper limit of normal), it is usually an obvious sign of liver damage. If the ALT test shows that the enzyme level is 3 times higher than the norm, the reanalysis should be undergone as quickly as possible. In case the second test reveals the same high level of enzymes, Actos should be immediately discontinued.
If you take Actos and there arise any suspicions of liver damage the symptoms of which are nausea, vomiting, stomach aches, tiredness, a loss of appetite, dark urine and yellowing of the skin, tests of functional properties of the liver should be done. Usually if the liver is damaged or diseased, it responds by releasing alanine aminotransferase enzymes into the blood. That is why the level of ALT in your blood is one of the most reliable indicators of your liver function.
In extreme cases, if your liver is seriously impaired, the use of Actos can lead to the necessity of the liver transplant, or, worse, to the fatal effect. Taking into account the serious nature of possible complications, patients treated with Actos should be carefully and regularly monitored for any changes in the liver enzymes levels.
At the same time there is medical evidence showing that Actos can produce beneficial effects in treating fatty liver disease which can cause severe damage to the liver and eventually can turn into cirrhosis. Actos has proved to reduce the amount of fats in the liver by half within 6 months.
To avoid possible life-threatening complications, it is necessary to let your healthcare professional know if you suffer from any liver disease and ask your doctor to carry out all the necessary tests which can help a professional prognosticate the potential effects of the clinical treatment with Actos avoiding bringing harm to your liver.