I am concerned: lost 3 stone 2013 but... - British Liver Trust

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I am concerned

basten profile image
13 Replies

lost 3 stone 2013 but still tired. diagnosed fatty liver 2014 by chance with a scan. bloods all ok. really bad April suddenly down depressed off food. Had good and bad days but felt like my meds antidepressants were not working anymore. Craving carbs and sugar. For three months ate cream cakes everyday. Started to get real thirst. at packet crisps eyes went blurry and so tired and brain dead. Cup tea and two biscuits same thing happened. Ate cake and soooo so awful. Slept all day. Salmon a.m. slept two hours. Porridge. OK walked dog and suddenly sooo tired eyes gone funny sooo low cant concentrate think etc. Put on weight and told I had candida. Also told 2014 I had IBS. Anyway whatever I ate I went so low and soo tired. suddenly my drug at night which is a tranquilliser was making me sleep 11 hours. Never did this before. Felt as though it was not getting out of my system quick enough. No cakes since Xmas but still craving carbs. Eat carbs for dinner and sleep 11 hours still but not too bad mood wise a.m. I will do things and suddenly go all weak in arms and legs. Have also had low bloods where I have had to have glucose tablets. Now lost 3/4 stone since Xmas. Feeling fluey after eating and bouts and terrible shivering. oo hungry in night so ate 3 bowls cereal. Not too bad on waking but again soooo thirsty. Two huge glasses of water and a chew gum. Then suddenly eyes went, went low and weak in arms and legs. I have been told I am not diabetic just prediabetic. All blood work still comes back OK but I get pain in right side and middle chest. I have had a gall stone for years. It feels as tho I am not getting any nutrients. Have aged a lot in last year and hair is thin. sore mouth teeth hurt etc. I stopped drinking 20 years ago and fags a year ago. Have been on medication since 30s for depression. now 65. I don't know whats going on but I don't feel right. Even homemade soup all greens and bit of carrot and I feel fluey and tired. Salad and white fish and I dip. Have no interest in anything. cant concentrate. don't know why I get this pain a lot right side. Although bloods say all normal I am concerned I have got maybe cancer of the liver but its still functioning OK. Or cirrhosis. Has anyone experienced this type of thing. GP does not want to know. Even a cup of coffee makes me soo tired.

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basten
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13 Replies
AyrshireK profile image
AyrshireK

This doesn't sound very good at all Basten, I wouldn't have thought fatty liver would advance to cirrhosis within a year but I am no expert.

However, whatever is going on does need to be investigated. Your GP doesn't sound very helpful but you do need to have your condition assessed properly - fatty liver can be reversed if the cause is identified, a gall stone can be treated (and could indeed be the root cause of your issues), loss of weight, loss of appetite and the symptoms you describe with food need investigating and treated. I would revisit your GP and ask for a referral to a gastroenterologist in the first instance - they deal with the whole digestive system from mouth to 'other end' and although not specialists on the liver they have sufficient knowledge to see if something might be liver related or not. I wouldn't take no for an answer, push for a referral to gastro first and if need be onto a hepatologist afterwards. Fatty liver 'can' progress to cirrhosis and you've got a lot going on with other medications etc. which won't help a struggling liver. PUSH, PUSH, PUSH for that referral.

Wishing you all the best,

Katie :) x

basten profile image
basten in reply to AyrshireK

thankyou Katie have seen a gastro man last year. He just said its IBS (answer to everything). Had acid test done and all OK. He knew I had gallstone but didn't refer me to hepatologist. I have now asked my GP to do so cos of the thirst, pain, feeling fluey, affects of eating etc. I just wish it was my gallbladder causing the problem!! But digestion isn't right as I said and drugs not being processed quick enough out of my system. I have kept pushing since April 2014 and now he doesn't want to know. !! Thanks for your best wishes I need them - just had 2 sausage rolls and cup of coffee cos sooo hungry. Now gone real tired and sooo thirsty. Really cheesed off all these months. Its alright for the GPs to go by the book and lab blood tests but we are the ones that are suffering!! Poor Lynda Bellingham had normal blood tests for 18 months. She must have felt something not right and then wham poor girl diagnosed with bowel cancer. I can only let nature take its course but its not for the want of trying! Thankyou If anyone else had had similar expeience please please let me know.

in reply to basten

hi. yes these seems to alot just pinned on IBS. How are your stools? has anyone taken a look at your pancreas? perhaps you should get a colonscopy?

blaenguy profile image
blaenguy

Have you had your fasting blood sugars and Hb A1c blood tests done. I agree that a fatty liver can progress to cirrhosis but loss of weight, thirst and craving for carbs sounds like you may have diabetes too.

Have you told your GP about all of these symptoms (write them down to remember them), get an appointment and tell him or her what your symptoms are. You should not delay medical help.

Bolly profile image
Bolly in reply to blaenguy

Sounds like you need to be checked out for diabetes and given proper nutrition advice. Lots of carbs will give you sugar highs and lows and increase fatty liver. You need proper advice on how to increase protein while reducing carbs and sugar.

ballie52 profile image
ballie52

Maybe get your thyroid checked that can cause loads of problems!

art4949 profile image
art4949

Hi Basten, I just read you post today.. It sounds like you have had a terrible time and your quality of life is certainly suffering due to having a fatty liver. Your GP should refer you to a liver specialist to determine why you have a fatty liver. Also, perhaps a fasting glucose tolerance test would help rule out other conditions such as diabetes.

In the meantime, it is so important for you to have a dietitian advise you regarding what kind of foods would best suit you since you have a fatty liver. There is plenty of foods you can eat, but it may take a little while to adjust to the changes...it will be worth it if you begin to improve your symptoms. It seems to me you just have to ask with GP's for such care. Hopefully, the liver specialist will look at all the possible reason for your symptoms.

Stress is also important to look at. With liver disease, when under stress, the release of cortisol can do damage to the liver and make you feel worn out all the time. I can see it is a vicious circle for you as you are floating in a gray area of uncertainly with the GP's diagnosis, you cannot even enjoy eating without penalty, and the fear of your fatty liver progressing to something far worse. It is hard to separate what is causing what after a while.

I hope you see a liver specialist very soon to at least get some answers to your questions (write them down before you go). I suffer from HCV ...when I first found out, I was sure I was going to die young...and my GP didn't know much about my condition...he did give good advice about stop drinking. I insisted on seeing a liver specialist...GP was fine with that...but I was definitely stressed which made me comfort eat which was not good for my poor liver. I went to NHS talk therapy which helped me tremendously to deal with my stress levels. Do not underestimate stress...I did...here is a link I found useful..it is just a start...I think with the right help you will improve the quality of your life a lot. That is only my opinion.

Link...

psychologytoday.com/blog/th...

basten profile image
basten in reply to art4949

Thank you sooo much for your message and in sorry you are poorly.i saw hepatologist today.he will remove my gallbladder and i so hope it helps.told him how awful i felt on eating sleeping blurry eyes brain fog etc.told him i had fatty liver.all last months i just craved cream cakes.off food .i am prediabetic.i got worse so thirsty slept hours.i knew i was making liver worse .he said it is an epidemic caused by too many carbs.bread.fruit juice.pots. i cant eat any carbs.no sugar.no crisps.no milk carrots.my go keeps saying not diabetic.i stupidly had cereal crisps yesterday and slept 2 hours.then so hungry and ate 2 cream cakes and slept 4 hours.i hope its not too late 4 me.i hope i will get better.funnily i lost 3 stone in 2013 and had fatty liver 2014.abused liver for years since 14.drink fags chemicals cakes etc. God bless you and thankyou

basten profile image
basten in reply to basten

Blurry eyes and all this is on the way to diabetes too

Bolly profile image
Bolly

Wow you really need some help with your nutrition basten. Lots of carbs will give you a sugar high and then make you feel tired - hence eating cream cakes and then sleeping. Also that's not a good diet for someone pre-diabetic. You can stop yourself becoming fully diabetic at this stage, but once you have tipped over into Type 2, well I dont think there is any going back.

Getting better isnt going to happen by just hoping and then carrying on eating carbs. Dont buy them, educate yourself on what makes a balanced diet. If you cant do it by yourself right now, then get some help and get a grip on your nutrition now. good luck.

basten profile image
basten in reply to Bolly

thankyou I hope I will get better. Stopped the cakes. but still going so low on eating anything. having a gallbladder removed so that may help . I keep hoping all will turn out OK

Zelda5 profile image
Zelda5

Im so sorry that you feel so bad. I wish I had some answers for you. I know it's easy to assume the worst (i.e. cancer), but please don't do that to yourself. I do hope you go and get a second opinion if for nothing else peace of mind. Prayers to you and wishing you the best. Hope you get some answers!

basten profile image
basten in reply to Zelda5

God bless you and your time to reply

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