So many symptoms, worried about my liver [Archive]

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Careful1

11-07-17, 05:52

Hi there, I am new here and I have so much going on that I don't even know where to begin :weep:... I suppose I will start off by saying I had terrible health anxiety after my heart arrythmias were mis diagnosed as anxiety when I was 20 years old. I suffered for years but finally over came it and have been free of it for several years now. I wouldn't say my health anxiety has come back but my symptoms are starting to cause me great anxiety.

A few weeks before Easter while in the shower I found a lump on my left side in the rib area under my breast. It caused me no pain but was concerning. I waited a bit to see if it would go away and when it didn't I made an appt with my Dr. He ordered a ct scan w/o contrast of my chest and it came back normal. Shortly after I developed numbness on the left side of my back in the rib area so I went back. He thought perhaps he needed the lump was slightly under the cut off so he ordered a ct scan w/o contrast of my abdomen. It came back mostly normal. It showed a small kidney stone in my right kidney, a tiny umbilical hernia and said my liver was enlarged but appeared to be something called Riedel's lobe verses true hepatomegaly. He ordered basic labs which all came out normal except high triglycerides and low good cholesterol which has been the case since my early teens so he gave me medication for it and sent me on my way. The lump persisted as has the numbness for going on 4 months now with no answer for it.

About a two months ago I started to become extremely fatigued and started getting periods of lightheadness. I was admitted to hospital on May 31st and released on June 3rd. They did a brain MRI without contrast a bunch of blood work and an EEG. They say everything came back normal. I started getting quick tingles through out my body. In only one spot at a time but in random places and pains in my legs, feet, arms and hands. My arms and hands also fall asleep a lot and it's uncomfortable. Sometimes during sleep my hand will fall asleep and when I wake it's so dead that it stays painfully asleep for the remainder of the day.
I noticed tiny veins showing up all over my face which I later found out were called telangestic. I also had these weird angionomas popping up all over which I later found out were spider nevi. I found these things out after I made an appointment with the dermatologist cause 12 days ago my palms turned red which he confirmed is Palmer erythema. My legs get terribly itchy at times and my normal veins are starting to show through my skin where they normally weren't able to be seen. I have liver spots and also these small white round spots on my arms. My dermatologist told me to my primary care Dr and request blood work. I did and he said it all came back normal. I had to fight for an ultrasound of my liver which will be done on Wednesday.
On June 14th I realized I had swelling on my left side of my face and neck. I showed it to the Dr while there for the blood work and he said I had enlarged lymph nodes behind my left ear and going down the side of my neck so gave me a referral to see ent as I haven't been sick or had any infections. I haven't had a cold or anything of the sort for over 2 years now. I am suffering from terrible dry mouth and pains in the right side in the rib area that extends into my chest sometimes straight through to my back. I have had these pains off and on since 2010 when I had my gallbladder removed. They feel like gallbladder pains just milder though getting worse which is strange since I have no gallbladder.. this has always confused me.

So here I am very worried about my well being. To say I'm afraid is an under statement. I was a heavy drinker in my 20s but I'm 35 now and haven't drank in several years. I do however take narcotic pain meds daily and have for many years now for a herniated disc in my lower back. I also for 6 months took Tylenol and wasn't aware it was harmful to take it daily like I was, I was also taking Advil daily and a lot of times taken them both at the same time. I have stopped the tylenol but I can't just stop the pain meds or it will cause me to go into withdrawal.
I drank tons of soda. I have a mountain dew addiction and drank it all day long but I have also stopped that as well. I haven't had any soda in about 2 weeks now... I also get really bad headaches since last month like never before. It actually hurts worse while laying down or sitting but lighten up or stop hurting when I stand up.

I read it's possible to have liver problems but normal blood work. I don't know if this is true or not as I read it online. I try my best not to google symptoms as Google it tends to scare me.

I'm sorry this has been such a long post.. with so many symptoms most people think I'm crazy or a hypercondriac but I'm not. Before Easter I hadn't been to the Dr in years. I have 3 kids one of which is only 3 years old. I worry something is seriously wrong and will take me out of this world leaving them alone.

Has anyone been through something similar? I feel so alone, afraid and hopeless.

Careful1

13-07-17, 00:12

Anyone :(

Careful1

23-07-17, 06:30

I just wanted to update my post. No one responded to it but I had an ultrasound and it confirmed liver trouble... "diffuse increased echogenicity of the liver suggesting hepatocelluar disease likely caused by fatty liver". I will see the gastro on August 16th. This sucks, really sucks but all these symptoms had my anxiety through the roof. Least I know what's wrong and now on to figuring out what can be done about it ♡♡

Cakelady

23-07-17, 23:28

Just read your post & although don't really know anything about your condition (& can't Google ) just didn't want to pass you by. It sounder like a very worrying time for you & wanted to send you love & hope you get on OK on the 16th:hugs:

Careful1

24-07-17, 06:47

Thank you ♡

jdheart

24-07-17, 13:29

Like all things in life things can happen to anybody's body in their lifetime. But from what you are saying there are many things that you are excessively worried about and rightfully so.

But at the same time you can tell you are stressed out about this and possibly more which as you know causes anxiety. The anxiety itself will cause the symptoms you have bring on other symptoms.

You may not be able to change some of the physical things that happen in your body. It happens but you can even thou hard work on the anxiety part. They are two different things.

You see children who have cancer that are by no means happy about thier condition but are not anxious about it either.

You will find your way. Cause you can tell you will to live is strong. Your fear may be that of death which is fueling your anxiety. Slow down and really observe your mind and body. Take care .

---------- Post added at 05:29 ---------- Previous post was at 05:18 ----------

Like all things in life things can happen to anybody's body in their lifetime. But from what you are saying there are many things that you are excessively worried about and rightfully so.

But at the same time you can tell you are stressed out about this and possibly more which as you know causes anxiety. The anxiety itself will cause the symptoms you have bring on other symptoms.

You may not be able to change some of the physical things that happen in your body. It happens but you can even thou hard work on the anxiety part. They are two different things.

You see children who have cancer that are by no means happy about thier condition but are not anxious about it either.

You will find your way. Cause you can tell you will to live is strong. Your fear may be that of death which is fueling your anxiety. Slow down and really observe your mind and body. Take care .

Careful1

25-07-17, 06:39

Thank you for your kind response. I am already working on my anxiety. Still it's hard when you have confirmed medical problems. Scary one at that.

Careful1

28-07-17, 04:29

Just had my first panic attack in 5 years. 5 whole years without one... I hate this.

worryingmum

28-07-17, 10:23

Hi
Just wanted to say that I was diagnosed with a fatty liver yesterday.. it's actually v common but most people don't know they have it as its quite harmless. It CAN develop further but it's a reversible condition that can be reversed by altering your diet. My GP wasn't concerned at all.

Careful1

28-07-17, 17:18

Thank you for sharing with me unfortunately I don't have just fatty liver. I have hepatocelluar disease... It's a liver disease that can be caused by different things just in my case they think mine could have been caused by fatty liver. My primary Dr wasn't concerned at first either until he spoke with a specialist and found out that indeed all my skin symptoms.. spider angionomas, Telangiectasia and Palmer erythema (red palms) are all symptoms of advanced liver disease. I am in the mean time on diet and excersise every night.

paranoid-viking

30-07-17, 23:43

I am sad to hear about your problems but I hope it will turn out for the better. After all; the liver is the organ that heals itself best if treated properly. However; what do you mean by red palms? My palms are quite red at the moment. You mean very red or reddish?

Careful1

31-07-17, 00:04

rabjr

31-07-17, 00:19

I am sorry to hear of your health troubles. All I can do is wish you the best and strength in your life. Hopefully you find all the support that you need in this trial. Be well! -Rick

Careful1

31-07-17, 00:55

Thank you ♡

paranoid-viking

31-07-17, 09:53

It's called Palmer erythema.. that's the proper name for it as given to me by my dermatologist.. you can look it up to see what it looks like. Basically mine are all red and blotchy except for the middle... the middle is normal color. I'm worrying I have liver cancer.

Well, when I look it up I see hans that are really really red while others seem very normal. I mean many have red finger thumbs. I think that by looking it up it will feed the anxiety more. For one year now I have been in a spiral where I am very scared if there is something wrong with my liver and/or pancreas.

Careful1

31-07-17, 20:52

paranoid-viking

01-08-17, 10:32

Then it's probably best you don't look it up. I don't Google things until I have a diagnosis from a Dr. I only googled my skin issues when my dermatologist told me what they were and what they most likely meant since I had pretty much all of them. I wouldn't worry about your liver just because you have red palms. I am worried because I have all of the symptoms and have been told I have some form of liver disease already. I worry cancer because I have had swollen lymph nodes going down the left side of my neck going on well over a month now and swelling in my Paratiod gland where I know since 2011 that I have a tumor there. I am a nervous wreck literally.

Yes, I should not. However, abdominal utlrasound I had....last October if I remember correctly showed that I had SOME fat in the liver, not a lot they say; too little to diagnose it as "fatty liver" according to my GP. But being a hypocondriac that alone freaks me out. Thinking that my liver has increased and went eveyn beyond that for the last 10 months.
Anyway; I should not pity myself to hard here. I wish you the best of luck here. I am not really sure what your ultrasound results meant. Have they really confimred that diesease that you mentioned or do you still have a CT coming up to give a more definite answer? Just to mention, a close relative of mine found something on the pancreas during av ultrasound; and everyone thought "OMG it is pancreatic cancer"; but a CT scanning proved it to be nothing but a harmless cyst, not cancer, not pancreatitis;and it later fell out by itself.

Careful1

02-08-17, 05:06

If they didn't diagnose you as having fatty liver don't worry about it. I don't think you would go from fatty liver to something horrible in 10 months but fatty liver is a disease process so if you ever do get told you have fatty liver do whatever you can to reverse it. No one told me back in 2010 that I had it and now according to my skin symptoms it's likely to late for reversal in my case. I will see the liver specialist later this month and gastro 2marro and will see what's the next step.

hypochon1

12-10-17, 16:47

Hi Careful1, I happened on your post and sincerely wanted you to know that my heart and prayers go out to you. I'm hoping that things are looking up for you and yours. I have faith that it will turn out positive. In my own way, I'm dealing with a similar type of issue with a dear friend. It's very heart consuming to say the least. I noticed that you had said you noticed tiny veins showing up all over your face which you later found out were called telangiectasia. What did these exactly look like? Were they tiny small short in length single blood vessels? Or were they connected vessels to each other. Were they only on the face? Or were they on the nose, body? Were they clusters on the neck? The same questions for the angiomas that were popping up all over which you later found out were spider nevi. What were the characteristics of those. All over the body, generalized or one or two in a specific body location? What parts of the body did they show up? The feeling you had in the right abdomin, did it come and go or was it constantall the time. Was it an extreme sharp pain or just an ache. You said you had it for 7 years had your gall bladder out and then still had the same type of pain? Anyway, please know that your story may help others and my heart goes out to you and to a successful complete recovery. Let us know what your current status is and how things are going. With Love.