Treatment
for drug-induced liver injury
The best way to treat most cases of drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is to stop taking the medicine causing the problem. But it is important to talk to a doctor first.
The information on this page is for:
- Adults and children with DILI or suspected DILI.
- Family, friends, carers, and healthcare professionals.
On this page:
Changing or stopping the medicine
Never cut down or stop any medicines without talking to the doctor first.
The best way to treat drug-induced liver injury is to stop taking the medicine that is causing it. But this isn’t always simple. If the medicine treats a serious condition or one with severe symptoms, you might not be able to stop it suddenly.
In some cases, other medicines might be available that can be tried instead. Or it might be possible to stop the medicine for a while. Then try starting it again while keeping a close eye on the liver.
The doctor will help you find the best treatments for your other health issues while keeping your liver safe. This might take some time and different options might have to be tried out to see which is best.
Other treatments
Most people will get better on their own after they stop taking the medicine that caused the problem.
Sometimes treatment is needed to help with symptoms while someone is recovering. For example, a medicine called ursodeoxycholic acid. This can help if someone has jaundice or other symptoms related to the bile ducts.
Steroid medicine may be used if drug-induced liver injury causes autoimmune hepatitis.
In some cases, drug-induced liver injury can cause more serious damage to the liver. If this happens, you should be sent to a hepatologist (a specialist liver doctor). Children should be referred to a specialist children’s liver disease centre.
Severe damage to the liver is called cirrhosis.
Find out more about cirrhosis.
In very severe cases, where the liver has been very badly damaged a liver transplant can be necessary. This is very rare. If the doctor thinks a transplant might be needed, they will refer you to a specialist centre.
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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.
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