Drug-induced liver injury

(DILI)

If a medicine causes damage to the liver, this is called Drug-Induced Liver Injury or DILI.

Also called: DILI, drug and herbal & dietary supplement-induced liver injury, DHILI, drug-induced liver failure, DILF, drug-induced hepatitis, or drug-induced hepatotoxicity

The information on this page is for:

Adults and children with DILI or suspected DILI.
Family, friends, carers, and healthcare professionals.

The liver has an amazing ability to repair itself when damage occurs. So, most people will fully recover from drug-induced liver injury. But recovery can take time. In some rare cases, people can become very unwell and need medical treatment.

All medicines sometimes have side effects. But they are hard to predict and different for different people. It is important to keep a record of all the medicines you or your child take in case there is a problem.

Doctors treat sudden (acute) liver failure after an overdose of paracetamol differently. You can find more information on this page. Acute liver failure caused by paracetamol overdose.

Quick Summary

Drug-induced liver injury:

Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is a rare side effect of some medicines.
Drug-induced liver injury symptoms range from nothing (asymptomatic) to very severe.
Drug-induced liver injury is usually diagnosed by ruling out other liver conditions.
Most people get better from drug-induced liver injury. But, recovery can take time and might mean changing or stopping medication.
Always read the information about side effects that comes with a medicine. And tell the doctor about anything that causes problems.
Always talk to the doctor before stopping or changing prescription medicines.

Find out more about drug-induced liver injury using the links below.

Find out more

Causes

Symptoms

What should I do if I am worried about DILI?

Tests and diagnosis

Treatment

Recovery

Download the DILI factsheet

Support

How Liver UK can help

A diagnosis of liver disease can be worrying, and you may have a lot of questions.

We're here for you and for your family and friends. Whether you have questions or just need someone to listen, we can help.

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This content was last reviewed: February 2026

Our expert reviewers:

We would like to thank everyone who helped with creating and reviewing this page. Including Catherine Wood, virtual hepatology nurse specialist. Dr Hyder Hussaini, consultant hepatologist. And all our patient reviewers.

Find out how we make our patient information.

Everyone’s experience of liver disease will be different. Always talk to your specialist medical team for personal advice.