I'd love to hear from anyone who had managed a pregnancy with history of portal hypertension (esophageal varices).
I've had a lot of negativity from my obstetrician, but my gastroenterologist is quite positive. I'm finding it hard to find anyone who has experienced similar?
For context, my portal hypertension is caused by high dose chemo I had as a child. It has also cause an enlarged spleen with consistent low platelet count.
Hi, this is my exact story. Chemo aged 10 caused portal hypertension, had my spleen removed aged 14. Had two successful pregnancies- needed banding in both and c-sections- but both babies healthy (now 9 and 6 ) 
I am on beta blockers.
Hi Gemmaswann, thank you for sharing with me! It's so good to hear of someone with such similar experiences. Congratulations for both children! Did you need beta blockers during pregnancy?
Likewise, there aren’t too many of us around I’m told! Thank you no beta blockers during pregnancy but after second pregnancy things did worsen (the extra pressure during pregnancy didn’t help the varicose) so I take every day now and have regular endoscopes. I have had a few bleeds after pregnancy but meds and scopes seem to keep things stable.
Thank you so much for sharing. Yes, there aren't too many of us around, so it's really good to hear of others experiences! Do you mind me asking why you had your spleen removed? Mine is very large (think last ultrasound measured 22cm) and I've wondered if itll need to be removed at some point in the future!
What!? Please explain what you know!
I had high dose chemo as a young teen, and was diagnosed with an enlarged spleen, and had a consistently low platelet count for years. What's the connection?
Unfortunately, I acquired Hep C from a blood transfusion during my treatment.
Hi, oh geez, you are in uk ? I was in treatment a few years after the blood incident.
Ok, I am not medical so do not treat this as anything exact science!!!! Chemo causes hepatic damage to small vessels and portal vein. My liver looks scarred all over but it’s low level scarring, just a lot of it. My portal vein is narrowed. This causes a back flow of blood into spleen- blood that sits in spleen is stripped of blood- mine took all my red blood cells. They removed my spleen to stop this problem- which it did, but portal vein is still narrow. This can then cause varices to appear which pop into stomach wall and can bleed.
Yes, that's my understanding too. My liver has scarring due to the high dose chemo!!! So sorry to hear about acquiring Hep C from the blood transfusion. Are you under care of a gastroenterologist?
Hi there, Thanks so much for the answers! I really appreciate it. I am in America. I finally had treatment for Hep C and am now under the care of a liver specialist. I have cirrhosis, as well as splenomegaly. I was already taking a beta blocker for my pounding heart, have since been diagnosed with portal hypertension, portal hypertensive gastropathy and a fatty liver. This last makes no sense to me, since they said it was already cirrhosis?
I had been so inflamed, was already on a diuretic. Swelling has subsided and I can move now without huffing and puffing, finally making progress with weight loss. Of course it makes me feel like a fool for not knowing that the chemo caused some of this, I had always suspected something, had stomach pains for years. My mother died when I was 17, and I was only two years past my treatment, so I never had anyone to ask. I have mild varices (no bleeds) and ascites only visible on ultrasound. I have been blessed with two healthy children, truly blessed.
I have started to re-grow my spleen, I have no idea why, plenty of other things my body could use the energy on!!!!
Wow! That is awesome. 😀
Portal hypertension and life expectancy!?
Traveling on a plane with liver cirrhosis and portal hypertension 
Portal hypertension
Portal Hypertension
Portal hypertensive gastropathy 
