Hepatic Encephalopathy and the British Liver Trust

[LAJ123]

For anyone experiencing hepatic encephalopathy (HE) or who is worried they may have an episode in the future, this is a link to a joint publication by The British Liver Trust and Norgine UK (Pharmaceuticals) of a guide and 'alert card'

britishlivertrust.org.uk/wp...

Thankfully, I no longer have that problem, as it disappeared following my transplant. I wish during those difficult times it was something that I could have been able to carry with me.

Jim

[Millie09]

Thank you jim ! .. could do with this . So far my coffee and tropical fish food has found its way in to.my fridge 🤔lol. And i have either lost ( so.i thought ) my visa card 4 times in 6 months 🙄..

Hope you are well

Linda

[freddie76]

I was interested to read your direction to the "passport". Wish it had been round before mu hubbys transplant it may have helped a lot

[LAJ123 in reply to freddie76]

Freddie76,

I completely agree.

Many of the ambulance crew / paramedics only knew of the condition because they had been called out when I was particularly ill with HE.

I recently gave a talk to a group of A and E nurses and I asked them to consider that if somebody comes to their department, to not immediately jump to the conclusion that they had been drinking and to consider hepatic encephalopathy.

The passport in those cases could make all the difference as to how they were treated, both from the medical point of view and any possible negative attitude.

Having said that, I seemed to have been treated quite well at the hospital where I was mostly admitted to.

Jim

[Hidden]

Thank you for sharing Jim

[Fishwick]

I think the effects of HE on people that have liver damage isn't covered enough. This is a great initiative.

HE can effect you in so many ways from co-ordination, decision making, fogginess, extreme forgetfulness well before you might have more recognisable symptoms of liver disease or cirrhosis. It can effect everything you do, before you realise.

It was the worst part of my illness before I was fortunate to have a transplant. I was excellently treated at Kings, but was hospitalised more locally to me in Surrey due to HE episodes. Both episodes were managed poorly by the Hospital as their knowledge and treatment was poor. Ideally go to a liver centre, if you have an HE episode.

HE changes your behaviour and you do things unexpected. Even at Kings, the analysis of the potential effects of HE on me could have been better.

It is so dehabilitating, and I made sure I was vigilant in taking Lactulose and Rifaxamin when prescribed them.

[Adelou]

Thank you for sharing this will be useful for my husband to carry with him. He went for a scan on Thursday & doesn't remember how he got home.

If I've had gotten lost & they had found him them they would have my contact details as he buggered his phone up as well