Fld, strange symptoms. Like info.

[Yokoohno]

To be honest, I quit drinking by God's grace in 2000. But I picked up a fairly hardcore Vicodin habit. Than after quitting that, gained weight. I'm an old punk rocker lady and regret these choices.

My symptoms started w vague stomachaches that I attributed to age. But I got an upper and lower, it was fine. Than if I took medicine, like tylenols, I had trouble w nausea and stomachache. I take psychiatric drugs for 20 years. And 2 years back, on depekote er, I experienced stomachaches and fatigue. A feeling of my body is not processing medication anymore. This happened again, when common penicillin gave me a severe flu for 5 weeks. Stomachache urq pain and nausea. They said finally, you have fatty liver, mild. Lose weight.

Well, I almost daily have severe fatigue, stomachaches, ruq pain. The Drs ARE NOT CONCERNED! Since it's JUST fatty liver. It was found in s Ultrasound. Also I have pain where our pancreas is, lower left side. I'm on ketogenic, because the Drs just said lose weight. But unsure if ketogenic is safe. I am on medication, but dropped estrogen and remeron.

I don't have insurance just yet, but do you guys think this could be worse or kidneys or what tests and Drs should I go to. I'm sick daily. My GPS, and gastric doc think this is s walk in the park....

It does lead to cirrhosis. Any comments welcome

[Hidden]

"I am on medication"

Doctors frequently put their patients with "tummy troubles" on PPI meds (proton pump inhibitors / acid blockers). While these meds can be a Godsend for those suffering from GERD or reflux, they are also notorious for intestinal and other (liver & kidney) side effects, particularly with long term use. If you are on a PPI, I would research side effects of long term use carefully and talk with my doc about this.

Since you seem to have developed a sensitivity to medication & perhaps toxins in general, I would go over everything I was currently being prescribed with my doc and ask if it is essential I remain on all of these for life. When it comes to the liver & prescription meds (and even over the counter pain pills etc), less is more! If any meds may have become redundant, you may be better off without them.

Keep digging, & keep pestering those doc's, & you're bound to find answers sooner or later.

[Yokoohno in reply to Hidden]

Lol...when I'm brave enough to look up prilosec, I will. Ty

[Hidden]

You need to give your liver a decent rest. The stomach aches may be due to constipation from the drugs you take. I had terrible constipation from taking painkillers that contained codeine & I wound up giving myself regular enemas to unblock my bowel otherwise I experienced symptoms similar to irritable bowel syndrome as my body tried to clear the blockage. Getting severe flu like symptoms after taking penicillin is a sign that your immune system is weak. I wore my liver down just like you & in the couple of years before I got hepatitis I was getting things like tonsillitis that lasted 6 weeks which was very unusual for me. In retrospect my immune system was worn down from the constant strain I had put my liver under for many years from taking painkillers. My blood tests were still normal despite this but eventually I felt so sick that I was forced to take stock & change my lifestyle.

The GP I saw after living clean of painkillers for 3 ½ months told me that my liver was fine based on one blood test result & that my symptoms were all imaginary or due to something other than my liver. The GP was wrong. When I saw a specialist and I showed him the pattern of multiple abnormal values in my blood tests over the last 6 or 7 years he said that I did the right thing by stopping alcohol, painkillers etc.. It's 3 years & 6 weeks since I last drank alcohol & 16 months since I took a painkiller & I'm only now beginning to feel healthy however I still feel that my liver needs more time to fully recover.

I’ve been a lifelong exerciser & I’ve never been overweight plus I don't have fatty liver so when I started to experience symptoms like yours regaining my health was easier than it's likely to be for you. Your doctors may not be concerned but I would be after reading your story. Your body is telling you that you need to change your lifestyle & give your liver a chance to heal.

[Yokoohno in reply to Hidden]

I agree! It appears as though my rock n roll lifestyle had done my liver in. And yes, I'm on prilosec for 20 years!

But they did a full organ scan. All they saw was fatty liver, mild and they act as if I'm a hypochondriac. I am not. I've gotten rid of all unnecessary drugs.

How do I begin to get my liver health back? Is ketogenic diet ok? It's lots of high fats, no carbs, no sugar. Got to lose weight. GPS really are not helpful, and the gastro Dr was just as unhelpful

[Hidden in reply to Yokoohno]

A web search for - proton pump inhibitors and liver disease - may prove enlightening.

[Yokoohno in reply to Hidden]

I must say, SCARY STUFF! I got brave and am in process of weaning off prilosec. Acv has helped ppl, w gerd. Ty very much. I'd never of known.

[Hidden in reply to Yokoohno]

This may not be the cause of your liver issues, but you've got to keep trying things until you find out what's going on and what will get you back in the pink. Some folks take antacids (tums, gaviscon, milk of magnesia etc) to help bridge the path off the PPI's.

Hope you don't run into too much trouble. and you see some positive results. It may take 30-90 days to get your liver back on an even keel. Let us know how well this works for you. There are many others in your situation wondering if quitting PPI's is doable or will help them.

Best Wishes for Better Health!

[Yokoohno in reply to Hidden]

Should I really drop Prilosec?

[Hidden in reply to Yokoohno]

I really can't advise you on what steps to take. I just wanted to make sure you were aware of the issues with PPI's and the liver as you seemed frustrated at not being able to get any reasons for your labs being out of whack.

You might wait until you see your doc and see what he/she has to say about this.

[Yokoohno in reply to Hidden]

Ty

[Hidden in reply to Yokoohno]

A ketogenic diet should be okay as long as you lose the weight gradually. There are numerous diets that you could try to lose weight. One example is the sort of diet that the doctor at the following website promotes which is pretty much the opposite of a ketogenic diet & if followed correctly should result in weight loss & improved general health including liver health ( drmcdougall.com/ ).

Regular exercise would be helpful. I walk as fast as I can on a treadmill daily for 40 or 60 minutes. I set the treadmill to a steep incline that simulates walking up a hill and by the end of the session I'm soaked in sweat. I used to jog outdoors but at age 66 I feel safer exercising on the treadmill. I also do some upper body strength training.

I've found that rest is very important. The liver really appreciates regular good quality sleep. I try not to worry too much as well. I practice meditation on waking & I listen to tapes that help me to relax.

The main thing for me was to stop stressing my liver by stopping taking painkillers, stimulants, alcohol, soft drinks, energy drinks etc. You are likely to have a tougher time than me getting healthy again. If you are experiencing the sort of problems that you've described then it's possible that you don't just have fatty liver but also inflammation (NASH) as well. NASH can eventually result in cirrhosis. A FibroScan might be helpful in determining if you have any liver scarring from NASH. The other way to determine if you have NASH would be a biopsy.

[Yokoohno in reply to Hidden]

But can't they see Nash in an ultrasound?

[Hidden]

Imaging studies like ultrasounds, CT scans & MRIs can detect fat in the liver but not whether the fatty liver has become NASH unless perhaps the outline & shape of your liver is abnormal & the damage from scarring is obvious. Also just like with cirrhosis you can have NASH & have normal blood test results because the liver is compensating.

If you don't have diabetes or pre-diabetes (insulin resistance or metabolic syndrome) then the chances are good that your fatty liver is benign however the symptoms you described that you were experiencing could be signs of NASH. I've seen posts on this forum by people who said that they were told by doctors that they had harmless fatty liver but they wound up with cirrhosis because they had undetected NASH.

It used to be that the only way to determine if you had NASH was a biopsy but new tests like FibroScans can check for liver scarring & stiffness which ongoing NASH would lead to. With your long history of drug taking & drinking a FibroScan may be worth doing to check liver stiffness.

Dr. Melissa Palmer's Guide To Hepatitis and Liver Disease:

"Blood test results are usually, but not always, abnormal in people with non alcoholic fatty liver disease ( NAFLD). In fact, referral to a hepatologist is usually prompted by abnormal liver enzymes found on routine evaluation or during evaluation for an unrelated problem. There are no specific blood tests that are diagnostic for non alcoholic fatty liver disease. And there are no specific blood tests that can reliably distinguish between a fatty liver and NASH or that can determine either the extent of fat deposits or the severity of disease. In fact, the entire spectrum of NAFLD, from a fatty liver to cirrhosis, may occur in people with normal blood tests."

[Yokoohno]

Shit. SMH. I don't even have insurance ATM, let alone proper diagnosis. But ty much. You two helped me understand. !!!

[Radnor]

I have tried every diet under the sun all my life. I have over the past 3 years however lost 2 stone. I too was diagnosed with faty liver. I decided to forget meal times, the clock and eat instead when I was hungry. Sometimes we think we have hunger pangs when in fact we are thirsty, our body produces grellin for hunger and thirst. On my first fibroscan I had a fatty liver. A year later my liver fat had reduced by 25% which was a direct correlation with losing 1.5 stone. I dont starve myself and I have now reduced my overall food intake. Methotrexate is what has damaged my liver, I was told I have severe fibrosis now. I have no symptoms at all. I have asked for a 2nd opinion and see a liver specialist in Early December. I was diagnosed by a gastro consultant, but he has done nothing apart from advising my dermatologist to stop the metho.

While exercise is good for cardio vascular and muscle tone, due to having fibromyalgia, severe arthritis and ME I cannot exercise. It is possible to tone muscle sitting or lying . Try and get rid of the weight, , slowly is best. Overcoming drinking is a fantastic thing. I admire everyone on here who beat this disease. I was a moderate drinker, stopped totally 14 plus years ago. I got EBV and I couldnt even stand the smell of any booze. In the past I have lost weight on a high protein diet, but it is expensive. Good luck on trying, if I can do it anyone can, Hazelx

[Radnor]

In the uk it is called omaprasole. I have a hiatus hernia which all my family also suffer from. I cant advise you on medication but a high fat diet is not good for heartburn. Ask your local pharmacist? Its free in the uk to ask, it may alleviate one of your concerns.

[Yokoohno in reply to Radnor]

Ty all very much. I must change my life a lot. I thought I was invincible. I'm not. Thanks