## What is the risk? Symptoms of liver damage occur much later than the first lesson — a person learns about the problem only when serious damage has already been done. ## What medications are dangerous for the liver? - Antibiotics - Drugs for the treatment of tuberculosis - Medications for the treatment of hypertension - Tranquilizers and antipsychotics - Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (especially ibuprofen And paracetamol taken with alcohol) - Any hormonal drugs - Antifungal agents - Immunomodulators If you frequently take any of the above,=== you should be especially careful about your liver health and get tested more than once per year. ## Are natural treatments harmful? Some seemingly harmless herbs can also be toxic to the liver, especially when taken in conjunction with medications. These include: - Natural herbs (used as an antibacterial agent) - Coltsfoot (often used in the treatment of cough) - Dubrovnik herb (diuretic) - Senna (has a laxative effect) - Ginseng (taken to invigorate and tone up) ## What can make the problem worse? Even if you follow your medication schedule and dosage carefully, mixing them incorrectly with drinks, food, and other medications can decrease or completely eliminate the effectiveness of therapy, further damaging the liver. Here are a few common factors. Doctors recommend __taking medication tablets with water__ — at least half of a glass. This makes it easier for the liver to remove toxic components. If you are taking multiple medications, __mixing them can create toxic compounds.__ To avoid this, take breaks of 20 minutes between taking each medication. __Cheese, eggs, liver, and herring__ increase blood pressure and increase the toxic effect of drugs on the body when taking antidepressants. __It is dangerous to combine grapefruit juice__ with almost any heart medications, antidepressants, antibiotics, medicines for allergies, fungi or viruses, or medicines that lower blood pressure. Special substances contained in grapefruits and other citrus fruits greatly increase the risk of liver intoxication. __Do not combine__ sleeping pills, antidepressants, analgesics, antibiotics, antipyretic or antiallergic drugs with alcohol. __Do not take any medicine with milk,__ fruit juices, soda, tea, and coffee. For the safety of the liver, it is recommended to give up fatty foods, fried and rare meat, sorrel, spinach, and wild garlic during treatment. These contain a lot of oxalic acids, which interfere with the normal outflow of bile. Mayonnaise is completely forbidden, even if homemade. The most important thing to keep in mind is that __in no scenario should you independently prescribe hepatoprotectors and any drugs__ that you read about on the Internet or heard about from your relatives. No one can predict how they will interact, and this can lead to fatal consequences. Ornament recommends taking basic tests at least once a year, which will help assess the condition of the liver. These include the enzymes ALT and AST, alkaline phosphatase, and bilirubin.