Fibroscan

[Winnie73]

Hi, just contacted the London clinic about a fibroscan and the cost has come back as 550 or 650 if you want blood tests included. I wondered if anyone knew of any other clinics that will do a fibroscan privately? Or if British liver trust are planning a roadshow in January? My GP won't give me a referral as bloods ok but I'm concerned about ongoing symptoms. Thanks for any advice. Winnie.

[Paulio]

i think yo are worrying unnecessarily. If your Doctor says your results are Ok, why do you mistrust their word re: blood test results?

Maybe the "ongoing symptoms' are due to some other cause? What does your Doctor say about this?

[Winnie73 in reply to Paulio]

Hi Paulio, I've spoken to various doctors (you can never get the same doc twice at our practice) who all said different things. One says it could be fatty liver and another said an allergy to alcohol and the other said anxiety. So really I'm none the wiser. A locum I saw was excellent and he has done all the blood tests and nothing has come up other than low vit b12 and vit d. I'm also hypothyroid. The locum has referred me because of my symptoms. (Itching all over since Feb this year, orangey stools and abdominal discomfort.) I'm seeing a gastro soon. I just wanted a fibroscan to put my mind at rest due to years of heavy drinking.

[bobbycat]

I know that Nottingham do them but only if necessary. If your doctor thinks your bloods are OK then I suspect your liver is not too bad but you can get a second opinion. A private blood test is far cheaper than a fibro scan.....take care.

[Winnie73 in reply to bobbycat]

Thanks Bobbycat. I've had all the bloods done. Everything looks ok. I've got an appt with a gastro soon but I wanted a fibroscan to be absolutely sure my liver is ok. In the meantime I'm staying sober and stuffing myself with fruit and veg. Just need to know what's causing the itching and discomfort. Hopefully get some answers soon.

[tim90125water]

Hi, my consultant was far more interested in the blood tests than the fibroscan. The bloods were diagnostic, the scan just a confirmation. So it they are happy they can diagnose without a fibroscan then trust their judgement.

Tim

[Winnie73 in reply to tim90125water]

Thanks Tim, that's good to hear. I guess after reading a fair few posts with people saying their bloods were ok but scan showed damage I was worried I'd fall into that category. Been a hefty drinker for many years. Sober for a couple of months now tho.

[tim90125water in reply to Winnie73]

Good luck, stay sober the liver is quite good at recovery if you give it a chance and treat it well.

Tim

[Lozzafis]

I had a fibroscan in july at the alexandra hospital in manchester the cost was £340 and i got my tesults within 20 mins

[Winnie73 in reply to Lozzafis]

Wow, that's loads cheaper. Did you have a referral from your doctor or did you contact them personally?

[Hidden]

I'm not sure what you are hoping to learn from the fibroscan. The scan only tells you the stiffness of the liver and there are reasons that the score may not reflect what is really happening, since other things can also affect the score. Also, in order for the number to be of any use they would need to know what is wrong with you since the score is not diagnostic. If you have one form of hepatitis (just suppose from alcohol) the score will point to fibrosis, but on the scale for fatty liver for example, this exact same number will mean something else. Without the diagnosis first, all you will get is a number that cannot really be interpreted correctly and reliably and you are a few hundred pounds worse off. When I originally got diagnosed, (I have an auto-immune condition) I did not get a fibroscan and in fact didn't have one till several years later.

It is also possible that blood results can come back in the normal range, but you are suffering damage. This is not because the hospital/ doctors have interpreted results incorrectly, but actually because damage/inflammation can lag blood results. I guess the simplest analogy is that you could bang your leg on a table, but not see the bruising till a few days later.

I know it is hard to relax if you are worried, but it is best to trust that the doctors usually know what they are doing and maybe the best thing you can do is continue to abstain from alcohol in order to give your liver a break, just in case it is that. All the very best and I hope the information helps