Lopid and Liver Problems: An Overview
As with any medication, there are a number of possible side effects that can occur while taking
Lopid® (
gemfibrozil), including possible problems with the liver. For people taking Lopid, liver problems that can occur occasionally include an increase in liver enzymes. One rare condition that can occur in people taking Lopid is a non-cancerous growth in the liver (hepatoma).
Lopid and Liver Problems: High Liver Enzymes
Liver enzymes are usually measured to see if a person has liver damage.
They do not measure how well the liver is working. A number of things can increase liver enzymes, including certain medicines (such as antibiotics or certain anti-inflammatory drugs), alcohol, infections (such as
mononucleosis or
viral hepatitis), obesity, and
diabetes.
Like other
cholesterol medicines, Lopid is known to occasionally increase liver enzyme levels. Except in very rare cases, this increase in liver enzyme levels does not cause any symptoms. However, your doctor will measure your liver enzyme levels before prescribing you Lopid and several months after you start taking the drug. He or she will also measure your liver enzyme levels if your
Lopid dosage is increased.
If your liver enzymes are high, your doctor may continue to test them on a more frequent basis. If they remain high, your doctor may recommend lowering the dose of Lopid or switching to another
cholesterol medication. When Lopid is stopped, in most cases the liver enzymes return to the pre-Lopid levels.
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