What to do

[bhikkubodhi]

History intermittent binge drinking one day on one day off over the years with intervals of non drinking. Generally 40 units pw but spiked before in the autumn, often in short time on no food.

Suspicion acute alcoholic hepatitis. Weight loss combined with odd tummy bulge but could have been fat although I'm skinny ..Fever. Possibly very slight jaundice. Bruised easily and cuts that bled lasted a time. Liver swelled. Didn't attend anywhere . Denial and fog,

Ceased drinking week or two later. No detox just stopped no PAWS.

Month later huge liver pain front and rear.HUGE. 3 days later kidney pain which has persisted. Episodic ammonia breath and brain fog. Rectal piles in 2 weeks. Fatty floating stools. By now Ive googled everything bad.

Still daily kidney pain. Ammonia reduced but fluctuates.

I admit to being highly highly anxious i go to GP. Blood tests 6-7 weeks later and ultrasound show zero. Repeats bloods week later zero. GP feels anxiety and Rex anti anxiety meds.

Feels if bloods ok no damage. Requested ref to private hepatologist who is good but says same labs ok = no damage.

Says you can't feel your liver swell or pain from it. Phantom pain.

Ive read numerous class where labs ok but cirrhosis or damage or an I seeing what I might want to see.

No answer to symptoms I'm getting or those in the he autumn i.e. Belly, fever . Admittedly some were vague. Feels I didn't drink enough for Acute alcoholic hep. Says will have no damage. Agreed my anxiety. Refuses me private fibroscan (paying myself) as feels not warrented.

Feel might be decompensated i.e. Swelling and ammonia breath/HE? Portal pressure issue i.e. Piles.

Bile blockage i.e. Stools

What to do?

[bhikkubodhi]

Blood test might have been 8 weeks post Acute??? Vague

[bhikkubodhi in reply to bhikkubodhi]

Blood test had no ggt or ast on it.

Everything else good values. Kidney values good with no AKI indicators. (Other than self reported month long kidney pain radiating into centre spine.)

Oh had kidney microhaematuria confirmed on two tests but scope and scans clear of pathology.

I'm concerned kidney involvement With other syptoms.

Specialist felt not anything in particular. Whilst I admit to extreme anxiety and toll he offers meds Ive no record of psychosomatic pains. I did google a lot and suggested things which I don't think did me any favours.

[bhikkubodhi in reply to bhikkubodhi]

I'm not asking for any specific advice just pondering what to do. What would people do?

Accept? Wait and see? Get fibroscan? Fibrosure? Second opinion? He's a good guy very well regarded. I'm just concerned he wa swayed by my anxiety diagnosis. I seriously think my GP feels I have a medical based anxiety issue or munchausens.

I dont. Just google mad and an insight into reading research/medical papers for better or worse.

[Paulio]

Stay away from Google and talk to your GP is my advice.

[bhikkubodhi]

Its been said. Back in with them this morning. Problem is all symptoms/suggestive signs being dismissed as anxiety.

[bhikkubodhi in reply to bhikkubodhi]

Its hard as well when they make statements like 'normal blood results mean no liver disease' which even on casual reading you can see is sometimes not the case.

Perhaps its underlying lack of confidence with GP. Might consider other person.

[Geffy22]

Ask at Docs if you can Self refer - it may be nothing and anxiety can cause all sorts of symptoms so be safe see someone else, good luck and stay off the juice!!! Xoxo

[bhikkubodhi in reply to Geffy22]

GP feels good idea to get it done to reassure me. Will investigate. Fear of opening pandoras box of course. Terrible severe abdominal and kidney symptoms even after not drank 8 weeks. He considered me at lighter end drinking scale so worried by symptoms. Ive quit but despite reassurances feel ive left it too late.

[Geffy22]

My daughter spent 5months being investigated before CFS diagnosis which came after I said to she should check symptoms vs cfs. Her fatigue is now (12m later)manageable, but her anxiety remains horrendous, counselling helped a little, but she needs more help and there really isn't any.

If yours is anxiety, which it quite possibly is, pls make sure you access relate for counselling, it will really help, though it seems to be a long journey.

Ref Pandora box - take heart that once you know, your on the road to recovery, after all the doc is saying you are low risk for liver probes due to alcohol....

Take care, check out you tube for relaxation techniques if need help to relax.

Sending hugs