pain management

[thewayforward]

My boyfriend (with advanced cirrhosis) has these episodes of severe pain few times a month.It lasts about a day,starts suddenly,and it affects all the tummy area,not localised in any particular place.Then it stops and leaves him weak,and next day he is fine again.There was nothing on the CT scan,which he did about 8 months ago.It's impossible to tell what provokes this pain.He doesn't consume any fatty foods or alcohol.

Maybe someone here is familiar with this kind of pain.And also,paracetamol doesn't help.Are there any other pain killers that could be prescribed to somebody with advanced cirrhosis (no ascites,no HE).

thanks!

[Phil_7]

I would introduce garlic ginger and onions into his diet. They are all very good for the stomach digestion and cleans the blood. Also tonic water with just a splash of fruit squash. I hope it works for him. My ex has chlorosis she is prescribed co codamol which really you don't want to be taking them. You can chew ginger raw, it does soothe the stomach. G,luck.

[thewayforward in reply to Phil_7]

thanks!

[Hidden]

Hi,

Welcome to the forum. The British Liver Trust have a download publication on Cirrhosis of the liver you may find useful, here is the link;

britishlivertrust.org.uk/wp...

If your boyfriend is experiencing new pain then it may be appropriate for him to see his liver specialist for a examination and more tests to investigate the cause.

With regards to pain medication,

Even common pain killers such as aspirin and ibuprofen can be dangerous for people with liver disease. These can sometimes be found in creams for muscle aches, cold remedies and cough syrups.

It would be a good idea for your boyfriend to ask his doctor what medications he can take for pain relief and check the content of any medicines that he buys with the pharmacist.

With advanced liver disease such as Cirrhosis, it would be highly advisable for your boyfriend to discuss pain medication with his liver specialist or GP who knows him best and has full access to his medical history and current liver function.

In addition, The British Liver Trust does not recommend the use of homeopathic or herbal remedies for those with any liver problems as these have to be processed by the liver and can actually damage the liver and lead to severe illness.

More research needs to be done on the use and safety of such remedies and therapies.

If you have concerns about any prescribed medication or are considering using complementary or alternative remedies &/or therapies always discuss this with your doctor.

We do hope that is helpful,

Warm Wishes

Rebecca

[thewayforward in reply to Hidden]

Hi Rebecca,thanks for the answer,but unfortunately it's not easy to discuss something with liver specialist when you only able to see him twice a year.There is even no possibility to arrange a private consultation in our area.GP will not prescribe anything besides paracetamol.

[Hidden in reply to thewayforward]

Hi,

If your boyfriend is in pain and has advanced cirrhosis then the liver consultant has a duty of care to review him. The GP can organise a referral.

Best wishes

Rebecca

[thewayforward in reply to Hidden]

Thanks Rebecca,unfortunately the best they can do is an appointment at the end of February.But we will manage.Thanks for your advice and best wishes to you as well

[Mushroom-71]

Hi there I had this pain it was unbearable. I was taken into hospital and they couldn't find anything wrong with me I felt like a hypochondriac, the way the Drs looked at me anyway I had a ct scan nothing showed up but I was getting worse so they moved the ct scan over the liver and they found a blood clot in my superior mesentric vein, in my liver which caused a back up in the bowel so I would get this checked out as I had the same symptoms hope this helps.

[thewayforward in reply to Mushroom-71]

thanks very much.Were you in pain all the time or was it coming and going?

[Mushroom-71 in reply to thewayforward]

I used to be ok one week then the following week in agony I even asked on this forum did anyone experience the pain, I even had A blood test and it showed signs of a blood clot but because it wasn't in the lung it wasn't investigated further the pain going around was a build up in the bowel, I used morphine but even that didn't help, it's worth them having a look. I hope this helps your partner

[thewayforward in reply to Mushroom-71]

thanks very much.It's very helpful

[Bob275]

Hi There, What you are describing could very well be associated with the gall bladder. I find that paracetamol does not have any affect on my stomache pain unless it is given intravenously when it really works. I had a scan when I gave in and called 111 who sent an ambulance. Same type of pain by the way. They saw the gall stone but did not inform me and it was only after a few more episodes when I saw a locum at the local walk in that I was diagnosed. It seems a lot of people have gall stones but they cause no problems. It also seems that a lot of gp's seem reluctant to call it. Keep pushing your gp or go to A&E and ask for an intravenous pain killer also find out if the scan showed a gall stone or obstruction in the gall duct. Hope this is of some help.

[thewayforward in reply to Bob275]

yes,that's what I think as well.Thanks for your advice,very helpful