Liver Failure // Disease

[MightyPC]

Hi all, been a year since I posted last, quite ironic really, and what should have been reassurance has casused me immense panic.

carrying on from my symptons last year, and my step daughter, who is a paramedic, saying to her mum that I looked ill, puffy and ready for a heart attack, I decided to pay privately and go for an abdominal ultrasound as I gain so much weight quickly around my stomach, clothes not fitting etc and I look pregnant even though im a guy. I have been getting bloating and pain in the upper right side.

The examiner said my gallbladder was fine but asked me whether or not my chloresterol was high. When I said yes, she said thought so your liver has alot of density which is fat. I asked if all okay and she said yes, but I needed to control my chloresterol to avoid a heart attack and stroke.

She said that she would complete a report and send it to me. I am worried now as been on google and alot of my symptons are showing cirrohsis. I have not received my report, it was completed on Monday, and wondering if she had found something more sinister and not told me and will write it in the report. I am now getting confusion and unable to think straight, getting a lot of headaches too, not sure if this is worry or a sign of end stage cirrohis... My mouth keeps going very dry too. Had LFT tests last year and all okay, my GGT was 23 which I believe is good. I would say that I am probably classed as a binge drinker, only drinking on saturdays and having 6 - 7 pints of stongbow.
I do eat well. Have been eating lots of veg, soup for last 2 weeks and lost 3kgs. My step daughter saw me on ? Tuesday and noticed the weight loss and said I was looking like my old self again.

Could I have end stage cirrohsis and still be walking around etc. Have had some bouts of light coloured stools in the past and dark urine too, all seem okay at moment. Had liver function tests twice last year and all okay.

Now panicking like mad.

[nomorepanic]

You sound fine to me to be honest.

Someone I know has cirrohsis and he ended up in hospital so I don't think you have that at all

[MightyPC]

Thanks Nicola

[countrygirl]

Knowing someone with severe liver damage due to alcohol - you don't sound as if you have any liver damage due to alcohol at all but you do sound as i fyou have a fatty liver. This can cause problems but nothing like the damage you get with alcohol - your LFT bloods would not have been normal if you had any liver disease that was worrying.

I know how hard it is but wait for the report- if it had anything really sinsiter in it your GP would have been told straight away so no news is good news!

[MightyPC]

Thanks countrygirl. I went privately and asked that my GP not be notified as I had HA last year and whenever I go to the GP now its always IBS. I think my card is marked. The LFT was last year too, though I had similar symptons then too. Its strange, as I got over my HA though still not felt 100% but just carried on. Had the scan Monday and felt quite pleased. My partner said great, we can just concentrate on you loosing weight. Done the classic thing and got home and googled fatty liver, said it can move on to cirrohis. have read those symptons and I have a few. Noticed for the last 2 days too that I am getting pain on the right side, foggy headiness seems worst and tummy pain that I have not had for nearly 9 months. Seems the HA is coming back....

Im worrying now what the report will say, ie liver enlarged though she never said this at the time though I dont know if she would have been able to tell just by scanning. She may have to do some calculation after or something?

[K3vin]

Hope everything is OK and report is fine. !

[wiskersonkittens]

You are fine -- if she had found anything more sinister, you would know it by now and not have to wait on the report. You did the right thing by having things checked out and I believe you can continue to lead a normal life .. just get that cholesterol lowered! Right now you are ruminating -- trying to find solutions. The good news is the answer has already been given to you, but like all HA sufferers, me included, you always worry that there is something that is missed. It is our thoughts causing this, that's all. I am trying to understand why we keep going to doctors if we aren't going to trust their diagnosis .. hmm ... (I am going to thinking about that today). Anyway, I want you to relax now. The report will be in soon and you will see. And, if you ever have any questions, I am sure she would be willing to talk to you about it some more. Please let us know how things go -- and remember to believe in yourself, not your thoughts. Hugs Wiskers ~

[MightyPC]

Thanks for your messages. I received the report it said all was unremarkable but the liver is very coarse and echogenic which would be consistent with fatty infiltration. I went to my dr to show the report and she was lived that I had the scan done though she sent me for a full blood count, liver function tests, kidney function, a kc test whatever that is lipids, chloresyeral, thyroid function and glucose. I received a letter today saying my bloods have been received and I need to make a routine appointment to discuss results. From this I think it is probably my chloresteral come back high or I hope it is. Im guessing if it was something serious they would have said I need an urgent appointment with the dr and not the nurse, well I hope anyway!

[stacy1912]

Hi there

I was diagnosed with a fatty liver in december and I immediately went to google for answers and got in a state about cirhosis etc, my GP assured me that I do not have that......yet..........so I know alot about it now!! My symptoms are:

Sore right ribcage, abdominal pain, very tired and feel run down! My ALT levels are raised with this condition and an ultrasound showed fatty liver, but GP is just monitoring for now. GP explained that the liver repairs itself very well when looked after and a good diet and exercise regime really help.

I have joined a gym and started a good exercise program and losing weight slowly (unfortunately a fatty liver makes it harder!!) I worry that this condition will progress and i will suffer from severe liver damage BUT I try to act positively to regain some control over the problem. I used to drink quite alot but it is being overweight that has caused it for me. I have not eaten a takeaway since diagnosis!! I am on mirtazapine which is toxic to the liver, so GP is keeping this under review too. At the moment it is better that my anxiety is better and liver is stable :-)

The doctors have explained to me that this is a very common condition and that of all the organs to bugger up it is the only one that will repair itself!

I have read and try to use the principles of a great book called "you can reverse fatty liver disease" Dr Sandra Cabot...........get it!!

Take care and if you need any advice feel free to message me.

I feel fortunate that I know what is wrong with me and that it is something that i can influence and hopefully reverse!! The next step, if i had not acted would have been diabetes...........and I do not want that.

Stacy :-)

[MightyPC]

Thanks Stacey. The annoying thing for me is that I have felt really rough for just over a year now, if you read my previous posts you will see my story. I get a lot of pain in the liver / gallbladder region, have done for a long time, but the dr has always said I have ibs. My symptoms started just before Christmas 09 after I would say alot of drinking, mainly taking clients out. I stopped drinking for 2 months last year and felt better. I then started going out again and having some drinks on a Saturday night and my stomach has really bloated around the abdominal region. The dr had said that there was nothing wrong with my liver as all function tests have always been in the normal range. Since having the ultrasound I have not had a drink and don't plan to either. I am eating healthy and have lost about a stone in 3 weeks. What concerns me is I done the Lighterlife diet a few years back which restricts you to 500 calories a day and you loose weight quick I lost about 3 stone in 3 months. I think this has caused my liver to now store fat and caused the problem. Since I put the weight back on my chloresteral has shot up and so has the trygicides. I suppose the good thing is is my liver function tests are still okay so that has to be a good sign and Im not showing any signs of jaundice. I get alot of back and shoulder pain too and my stomach makes terrible noises when I eat. I'm getting alot of flatulence and bloating. I also get tired too, though a year ago I was having to go to bed at 7.30 everynight as the fatigue was so severe. Apologies if this is all over the place as I'm typing this on my I phone.