Diet

[Catmeow]

Hi again, I just want to check with people. As I have mentioned before, my hubby has decompensated liver cirrhosis. He's not on the transplant list yet. I wanted to check about red meat because he loves it and he gets bored with chicken and fish that I cook for him, it usually ends up in the bin. It's been 8 months since diagnosis and I'm running out of recipe ideas.

[AyrshireK]

My hubby eats red meat fairly regularly without issue, he's compensated just now but even early at diagnosis he ate it fine. The only potential issue is red meat can lead to slightly higher levels of ammonia build up. But if he's using the loo regularly and being treated with lactulose and/or rifaximin that should help with that side of things.

We have never been instructed to avoid red meat & hubby was seeing a liver specialist dietician for a couple of years. I have just had a quick look at the diet planner/advice we were provided and it includes meat and suggested meal ideas like lasagne, bolognaise with meat.

Katie

[Catmeow in reply to AyrshireK]

Hi Katie, yes he's using the loo regular or his 'office' as he calls it. He's been on rifixamin since diagnosis too. That's puts my mind at rest and he will be over the moon. Thanks again for your great advice x

[AyrshireK in reply to Catmeow]

Just experiment, have a meal with red meat and see if there any ill effects. You cut everything out of his life ........ he's still got to live and enjoy life.

My hubby knows what he likes to eat & what he definitely avoids (due to previous ill effects - largely citrus, spicy and acidic). He's not very experimental with food - when at dietician she would ask what he'd eaten the day before going through each food item which has often included steak pie, steak, sausage and mash etc.

Katie

[Catmeow in reply to AyrshireK]

Yes I feel a bit more confident after your advice. he's requested lamb for today and he's really looking forward to lunch now. I will get him some lamb chops, as I personally hate lamb, and see how he goes. I was just under the impression that he had to avoid red meat. My hubby says a massive thankyou to you as I do too. x

[AyrshireK in reply to Catmeow]

Hubby has lamb a lot, with minted mash, mixed veg and low salt Bisto Gravy. I don't eat lamb but he loves it.

Hope your hubby enjoys it, just watch out for any changes mentally afterwards to see if it potentially has affected his ammonia levels.

Katie

[Hidden in reply to AyrshireK]

Hi Katie

I am a Type 2 Diabetic and have just been on a Hospital sponsored 6 week (2 and half hours/week) course for Diabetics. The whole of the advice we have bedn given for years and years about what we shouldn’t eat is now, apparently, wrong! (I also saw this being discussed in the papers on Friday just gone). Not going into all the details but the advice re not having salt is now deemed wrong! You should “salt to taste” - their words.

Of course as per forum “rules” this is not my advice - it’s just what we were told. They also admit that this very new advice is still being rolled out in the healthcare world and you will still find doctors abd other medical people giving the “old” advice.

All change they said!

Miles

[Hidden in reply to AyrshireK]

Agreed Katie. I was never told not to eat red meat either before or after TP

Miles

[LAJ123]

Good morning,

My experience of being referred to a transplant team for consideration for a transplant included, seeing the consultant followed by the Alcohol / Substance Abuse Nurse Specialist and finally the team dietician.

I'm hoping that it was or will be the same for your husband. If it isn't, you should ask for a referral to a dietician.

For me the regular appointments prior to my highly successful transplant included seeing all three. They all played an absolutely pivotal part in the process but the dietician was the one who with advice, monitoring my nutritional status and prescriptions for additives, actually got me well enough for the surgery. At one point, when my muscle mass fell dramatically she discussed having a tube feed at home. Fortunately that was avoided by my wife hiding the prescribed food supplement in all of my meals.

The British Liver Trust have, among their many others, a publication 'Diet and liver disease.' You can read the advice on the website or download / order the publication.

britishlivertrust.org.uk/pu...

In the meantime, keep going, don't forget to also keep active and try to be positive.

Take care,

Jim

[Catmeow in reply to LAJ123]

Thanks Jim, yes my hubby sees his consultant every 6 months which I feel should be more regular and he sees an alcohol nurse every 2 months. We don't seem to be any where near to him getting a transplant they just say to continue with the medication. He has lost alot of muscle mass and weight (3 stone) he gets very breathless developed inflammed blood vessels and lupus too. We seem to take 2 steps forward and 3 back.

[LAJ123 in reply to Catmeow]

Excellent advice from Katie.

Perhaps you could either, ask your GP to write to the team and ask for an appointment to discuss his appetite and weight loss or you could contact the consultants secretary and request an appointment yourself. The quicker option is to call yourself.

Six months does seem to be quite long to wait if he's decompensated but everyone is different.

By the way, this 'myth' about avoiding red meat due to high protein has long been changed to actually encouraging an increased protein intake based on advice from a dietician. This is why you should be seeing a dietician from the transplant team. There shouldn't be a problem with red meat especially if as Katie pointed out he is on both lactulose and Rimaximin.

Jim

[Hello116]

I have seen a nutritionist many times due to the previous amount of muscle loss. I was told high proteins, and to always cook meat to temperature. Never eat raw foods like sushi. If kidneys are real bad the amount of daily protein will be lower. Check out Renal diets if thats the case

[Hidden]

If you have a liver condition, there are some special considerations you may need to make in your diet to stay nutritionally well and to help to manage your condition. Some of these are specific to certain liver diseases, others relate to how advanced your liver disease is. We therefore always suggest that people should discuss their specific dietary needs with their own doctors in the first instance. The speicalist then may choose to refer on to a hospital registered dietitian for a more detailed diet plan.

Best wishes

Trust1

[Catmeow]

Thankyou. My hubby received an appointment today to see a hospital dietitian in 2 weeks time. Lol