Sorry for long post and i am NOT looking for medical advice, just reassurance.
I am currently on holiday in turkey ( Alone, another very long story) got here on 6th and like you do i went a bit bonkers on first couple of nights drinking (i had not been told to stop drinking).
Well since then i am extremely tired all the time, no energy, 4 days ago i got really uncomfortable swollen abdomen, lost my appetite and! sorry for this! Strange poops. Could this be down to my liver? Or do you think i may have a bug, has anyone else experienced this, i have had no advice at all re my liver, consultant just said "you have NAFLD and cirrhosis " goodbye see you in 6 months 😲. So i am very naive about it all, everything i know now is down to this group and the British liver trust that i have learned in the last 24 hours. I am scared stiff that i have screwed myself without knowing it! Do i try to see a doctor here or rest up till i get home Friday morning? Will my travel insurance pay? I didn't know i had this when i took insurance out.
So sorry for bleating but i can't leave apartment for long, just to pop to local shop round corner, i feel like i am 6 months pregnant and am exhausted, no energy at al 😭.
Again just need to know if anyone else has been through this.
Many thanks in advance, if this post is against rules, so sorry as i am new.
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Daftcookie
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I agree with TT-2018 - you should not drink any more alcohol. I was recently given my diagnosis of "cirrhosis as a result of NAFLD" by a specialist Liver nurse, one of the first things she told me was do not drink any alcohol, ever!
Sorry to appear negative but I suspect that your Travel Insurance will not cover you for treatment in Turkey, in my experience insurance companies usually have a "get out clause" somewhere in the wording of the policy so you should definitely check the small print before incurring significant medical costs. The majority of travel insurers do not cover pre-existing medical conditions unless they have been disclosed to the insurer prior to travel and the additional risk accepted - you'll probably find in the small print that it's your responsibility to notify the insurer of any significant health issues prior to travel (even if those issues were diagnosed after taking out the policy)
As for the swollen abdomen and strange bowel movements - there's no way that any members of this forum could say if they're cirrhosis related or not. I also suffer from similar problems which my liver nurse thinks are not related to cirrhosis so I'm being investigated for bowel issues like IBS; ulcerative colitis; Crohn's etc
If your condition does get worse whilst you're in Turkey then I'd definitely recommend that you see a local doctor whether or not your insurance covers the cost - after all, your health is more important.
Alcohol needs to become a thing of the past, you really shouldn't have been putting your fatty liver under the additional stress of booze and now that you have cirrhosis then no you shouldn't be drinking.
I don't know what additional symptoms have led to your doctor giving you a diagnosis of cirrhosis but if you want to prolong the health of your liver you need to give it less hard work to do or you could tip over the edge and really, really make yourself poorly.
A cirrhotic liver can exist in two forms - compensated where it is managing to do most of it's important functions or decompensated when it really is struggling and this is where the big symptoms relating to portal hypertension come into play like serious fluid retention, possible varices in the oesophagus and other worrying stuff.
It's possible you've picked up a holiday bug but certainly with a diagnosis of cirrhosis then hammering the booze won't have helped. It might be that your liver has become inflamed or you may indeed be having more advanced symptoms.
No more booze for the duration of your trip and also watch the amount of salt you are eating - don't know what the food is like in turkey (high salt content?) this might also lead to bloating.
Definitely watch yourself for the rest of the trip and see your doctor when you get home, you need much more information on your diagnosis and what this means to you going forward.
Some people can live for years and years (I know of people with a cirrhosis diagnosis for 20+ years who are no where near transplant stage) with the diagnosis, however, you have to look after your liver.
Just for information - if transplant becomes a necessary treatment option then if alcohol is even remotely suspected of having contributed to your liver ill health you need to be careful as 6 months sobriety and a commitment to life long sobriety is a minimum commitment before you can even be considered for transplant assessment.
It's a great pity you haven't been properly advised by your doctors up to this stage but it's time to take your liver health (and general health) really seriously.
I really appreciate your advice. No more alcohol for me. I am also on various meds for other conditions so am going to ssk for a med review when i get home and demand more information, i have literally been told nothing at all. Thank you again
Hi, hope you feel better soon, I was diagnosed about a year ago, but havent drunk for over 15 years, and I dont miss it now.. try and eat healthily, and reduce your fat intake if you can, it will help, do a little moderate excercise, but not too strenuous, and rest... here is a useful link for you... nhs.uk/conditions/cirrhosis/ it will help give you a better idea about cirrhosis..
watch you eat! no SALT or hidden salt it will make the bloating worse and only eat what is easily digested yogurt and honey , and fruit maybe ? no meats and plenty of water.
Hi, how are you doing now. Are ou home safe and sound?
i did the same recently while on holiday in Orlando but i did it knowing full well that my Liver was broken. Sory to sound as if this is arsey but from experience do not mess about with booze any more. I did and i was admitted to hospital with severe Jandice and a consultant told me if i didn't change and they couldn't get things under control i was dead in 4 weeks.
I would be questioning any doctor or consultant that sat accross from you who told you that your Liver was irrepairible and DIDN'T mention advice on drinking or eating better. Each and every time i've been to the docs it has been the primary topic of discussion, Even when back at the start when my liver was beginning to show signs of NAFLD they told be drinking will only aggrevate it.
No not really, just waiting till Thursday for my flight home, can't eat anything at all and only drinking water or soda water. Feel really unwell in myself, dizzy, tired, weak anyhoo! I will be fine once i get home. Thank you for caring xx
Good morning. From all the symptoms you are describing it is absolutely essential that you see a doctor as soon as you are home and if you cannot get an urgent appointment with your GP ie same day, then you should go to A and E - you need bloods tested and physical assessment ASAP.
I'm not going to write much as I see my friends have already given you great advice and I see you've given up the alcohol which is excellent news to read.
May I ask what part of Turkey are you currently in and for how long
I did something similar myself once in Menorca. My advice is when you get yourself home go straight to A and E. I don't think you're in any immediate danger though!
I also had NAFLD and I think a combination of a few beers and large amount of salty food pushed my liver over the edge.
My stomach was incredibly bloated and I couldn't stop going to the loo.
Stop drinking immediately, and I personally wouldn't mention alcohol to the medics, it won't help you to do so. That might be controversial advice but it will count as a black mark against you. I was told when I was in my mid 20's that moderate drinking wouldn't be a problem. When in my mid 40's I went to kings they asked me about alcohol and I told the that up until a year before I had enjoyed a social drink. This added complications to the transplant procedure as I had to speak to a psychologist about said drinking, also a liver biopsy taken and tested for alcohol, not just the scarring but also they have a test that can tell if you've drunk within the last 6 months or so. Fortunately mine was clear!
I'm happy that you've made it home safely and hope that your GP can help with your immediate health issues and give you the advice that your consultant seems to have failed to give you.
Have finally got appointment to see doctor today, feel quite poorly still, getting forgetful, confused, tired weak etc! Hopefully doc will sort me out, at least i am home though lol!
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