Heart Failure causing Liver Failure

[Curryandchips]

I have read that Heart Failure can cause Liver Failure. I am currently have blood tests done for fatigue and fluid retention.

Anyone experienced this

[RufusScamp]

Been diagnosed with HF 3 years ago. Not heard about liver problems, but I have 6 monthly tests.

[Laurap18]

Yes, that's true. I have liver cirrhosis and my doctors told me that I got it because my liver is not getting enough blood because of my heart (I have cardiomyopathy and heart failure). I have to admit that I didn't have a really healthy lifestyle when I was younger, I used alcohol and drugs every weekend, so that's definitely didn't help, but my doctors believe that the main reason of my cirrhosis is the heart. They call it cardiac cirrhosis.

[Curryandchips in reply to Laurap18]

I am sorry to hear that. Certainly from the google description I may also be on that road. Can I ask what medication you are given and how effective it is?

[Laurap18 in reply to Curryandchips]

I am on furosemide, spironolactone and pantoprazole. The liver is actually stable, the blood tests in these last years have been fine, not perfect but not very higher than normale range. My main symptom is fluid retention, in part caused by the heart failure and in part by the liver, but with the diuretics I am able to keep it under control. It's just something that you akways have to keep under control.

[Zbignieva]

Initially, if your heart fails, for example cardiac arrest and MI, the decreased blood pressure often causes renal failure. The kidneys like a certain amount of blood pressure and are really not happy when they don’t get this.

In the longer term, when people have ‘heart failure’ (the heart doesn’t work as well as it should), hypotension and reduced cardiac output lead to fluid buildup that puts a stressor on the liver.

Acute liver failure from heart failure is known, but rare.