Hi everyone. I've got liver fibrosis with a 9.1 score and my consultant thinks my liver will repair if I lose weight and stop drinking until it does. I have lost some weight and stopped at times but had more than I should have on Friday evening. On Saturday my forearms and knees were very itchy from about 7.30 am til 9.30. I have never experienced this before. I know it's a later symptom of liver damage and im a bit anxious now. My consultant said that it would take several years for my liver to develop cirrhosis and i have no other symptoms such as jaundice or pale stools etc, other than pain on my right side. Should I be worried about this itching when i have no other obvious symptoms?
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Heisenberg
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I visited my gp this morning and had bloods taken. I guess I'll find out more when the results are in. However my doctor thinks it's unlikely that the fibrosis and the sudden onset of itching are related. I hope she's correct.
If you have a fatty liver there is a much higher significance of you jumping to cirrhosis at an expedited rate if you drink alcohol. Given your history, its probably a major cause for the fatty liver. Alcohol has lots of sugar in it, the sugar penetrates hepatocytes, then they become fatty. At a 9KPA, you have to make serious lifestyle changes. Good diet, exercise and trying to kick alcohol to the curve. Yes, it takes years to get to cirrhosis. However, there are some gos studies out there that have shown people going from no cirrhosis to cirrhosis in only a few years if they drank with a fatty liver. Also, 9 KPA is getting close to F3, once you hit F3, it's called bridgeing fibrosis where it becomes a domino effect. Fibrosis will continue to form throughout the liver even if the insult to the liver stops. I would definitely try to get it under control before hitting F3.
No problem, thats why we're here. If you pull up the fibroscan score-card for alcohol you're considered F2. You're still good if you turn things around. I'm not sure why many physicians don't go deeper into depth when it comes to explaining this to their patients. Pretty much, bridging fibrosis works like this, the fibrosis cuts off blood supply of the sinusoids that supply blood to the entire liver. When the sinusoid's are cut off by fibrotic chains of tissue, blood doesn't flow to the healthy liver cells the hepatocytes, they end up dying due to lack of blood supply, no oxygen, important vitamins and minerals, ect. This results in the cells dye off, more fibrosis sets in, the fibrosis cuts off blood supply to more healthy cells and you get the idea. It's a self replicating process until F4 or cirrhosis occurs. The good thing is you're aware now, you know where you stand and it can get better. Just keep up with your blood work every few months, get another scan in 6 months to see if your number is dropping with lifestyle changes. Good luck Heisenberg, you got this.
Again thanks for the in depth explanation. I just hope that I haven't pushed into F3 over the last 2 years. My consultant seems optimistic though. I had some concerns 4 months ago and she kindly emailed me to reassure me. So long as I abstain and keep losing weight. Due to see her in January with fibroscan etc in December.
I agree, keep losing weight, keep staying away from the poison and you'll get better. Although we cant take all tests for face value, the fibroscan is pretty accurate with alcohol damage, a 9 would be F2. Lifestyle changes now can get you back to a nice healthy liver instead of hitting F3 and it becoming a whole lot worse.
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