Drug-Induced Liver Injury Secondary to Turmeric Supplement Containing Piperine: A Case Report
We present the case of a 35-year-old male with jaundice, fatigue, pruritus, and decreased appetite, ultimately diagnosed with drug-induced liver injury (DILI) secondary to a turmeric (curcumin) supplement containing piperine. DILI is defined as liver injury caused by a drug, herbal product, or dietary supplement that results in biochemical or clinical evidence of liver dysfunction after exclusion of other causes. A comprehensive evaluation of this patient ruled out viral, autoimmune, ischemic, obstructive, and metabolic etiologies. Liver tests normalized following discontinuation of the supplement, and the patient experienced full clinical recovery. This case emphasizes the need for clinicians to recognize the potential hepatotoxicity of turmeric-piperine supplements and to evaluate supplement use in cases of unexplained liver injury.
Authors
- Michael Herman (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2298-9767)
- Nathaniel Koo
- Harthik Kambhampati
Institutions
- Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (US)
- Borland Groover Clinic (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Cureus
- Published
- 2025-10-21
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.95076
- Primary Topic
- Drug-Induced Hepatotoxicity and Protection
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00