Prescription Drug abuse or even the prolonged or simultaneous ingestion of some Over the Counter remedies, may cause liver cirrhosis. In normal persons large doses of acetaminophen are needed to damage liver cells while patients with chronic alcoholism may suffer massive liver damage when exposed to small therapeutic doses of this drug. For this reason acetaminophen should be avoided in chronic alcoholic patients. People with cirrhosis often have few symptoms at first. At the beginning The person may experience fatigue, weakness, and exhaustion.
Loss of appetite is usual, often with nausea and weight loss.
As liver function declines, less protein is made by the organ. A decrease in proteins needed for blood clotting makes it easy for the person to bruise or to bleed. In the later stages this entity may present with uncharacteristic clinical features over a long period of time and go undiagnosed over many years. Due to this diversity of manifestations, special classifications exist that classify a patient according to his or hers clinical features, which range from an asymptomatic state to an advanced life threatening condition. The definite diagnosis of liver cirrhosis can only be obtained through liver biopsy.