Advice on Fatty Liver!

[x_b_x]

So for a while now I just haven’t felt myself. I have gained 5 stone in the last year after been really slim my whole life and I have gone from been an active person to a tired sluggish person, it is really getting me down. Most of my problems came about after going on the Depo Provera contraceptive injection in which I have been off 9 months now and still had no changes in how I feel.

The GP referred me to someone at hospital to see if it was Cushings Disease that was causing my problems which has since been ruled out since all my tests came back clear. However she did some tests for my Cholesterol and other things. Here are my results.

Cholesterol – 7.4 mmol/L

Triglycerides – 3.00 mmol/L

Alanine Transferase – 48 u/l

25-OH Vit D – 30 nmol/L

Around 2 months ago I also had a scan on my liver, this came back that there were large amounts of fat on my liver. I get a lot of pain in the top of stomach just underneath my breasts on right side and it is solid to touch. I always have a dull aching pain there and feel so sluggish all the time.

The GP never said anymore about it though till after I seen the specialist which has since ruled out the problems in which the GP thought I had. This GP has now gone on maternity leave, I went back to the doctors before I had the results but the lady I seen said as she was new she did not know what to suggest now and that she would give me a call within 2 weeks which I haven’t heard from yet.

I got the above results in the post the other day and called the GP surgery asking someone to call me and explain the results as I did not understand what they are for.

Today I got this call, but as it was only a 5 minute phone call she spent most of the time on the phone trying to find the letter in which the specialist had sent with the results on, then when she came to talk about it she just said because I had the blood test done in a hospital that isn’t part of their group or something like that then I would have to have the blood test taken again at the GP surgery, which I found annoying.

I just wanted a bit of advice really on my results and if anyone knows if they are normal or not. Also the fat on my liver is a concern, is it something I should be concerned about and something I need to get sorted?

Any advice would be much appreciated.

[AyrshireK]

We can't advise on liver blood tests as non of us are medics and each lab has different ranges so what might appear high or low in one might be different to what might be high or low in another.

However for advice on fatty liver I would go to the British Liver Trust page on Non-Alcohol Related Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) at:- britishlivertrust.org.uk/li... they also do a diet and liver disease downloadable leaflet at:- britishlivertrust.org.uk/li...

Fatty liver should not be ignored, you do need to tackle it to prevent your liver from becoming fibrotic or over time even cirrhotic as it tries to protect its cells from the fatty build up. The good news is that many posters on here who have made a significant lifestyle change as regards diet and exercise and cutting out any alcohol have seen remarkable improvements in their liver health - fatty liver is seen as a reversible condition.

All the best to you, keep pushing for the tests you need and don't be fobbed off.

Katie

p.s. I take it your thyroid function has been tested along with the test for Cushings Disease, changes in thyroid functions can lead to rapid weight gain.

[LAJ123]

Dear x_b_x

Glad you've come to this forum.

One thing you will find here is excellent advice and support from people who collectively have a huge amount of first hand experience and knowledge. That combined with all the resources of the British Liver Trust make it the 'one stop shop' for anyone concerned with their liver health.

Katie has just given you great advice and mentioned that there are people who have posted about their experience of completely turning around the liver health issues.

Recently, Ann posted how, in one year she managed to show the amazing ability of the liver, given the right support, to repair itself.

Some of us were not so fortunate. I was too late in getting my diagnosis and went on to have a very successful liver transplant.

So, get all the advice you can from the forum, the Trust and your GP and make the best of your early warning.

Take care,

Jim

[LAJ123]

x_b_x

Hope this helps.

Its the thread from Ann that I mentioned.

healthunlocked.com/britishl...

Jim

[briccolone]

hi there's no doubt that a lot of fat in the liver can make you feel sluggish. That combined with carrying a few extra pounds and its not going to go away on its own. No easy solution other than diet and exercise. It will take a few months but it does work. You may want to try the 5:2 diet which certainly helped me. Weight loss will assist with the cholesterol as well.

good luck

[Geffy22]

I would change doctors, they sound pants! They should be taking directions from the consultant not retesting!

Call the hospital talk to the consultants secretary and they will help you understand what's happening.

Ask to see a dietician and ask them for suggestions to help detox your body that may take some pressure off your liver. You may find some motivational counselling could help with your lack of motivation - I'm the same at the moment all auto pilot - work, house kids - and them pj's the rest of the time. Mine's due to grief my hubby died due to recompensed liver, but the support we both need is similar xxx