Don't want to make this post too long so I'll try to be as short as I can. I drank very heavily in my 20s, cut down to binge drinking in my early 30s. Only drank around once a month by my mid thirties but I did have an accidental paracetamol over dose when all my symptoms started 2 years ago. The liver pain kicked in 3 days after the over dose under my ribs and in my back. I also had 4 paracetamol over doses in my twenties, one was massive where I got treatment for on the anti dote. The others I didn't get treatment for but were smaller (around 10 tablets each time). My symptoms started with my once regular periods became irregular (I had my hormones checked and they are normal and I'm not peri menopausal) , sweating especially after drinking alcohol or taking any paracetamol for pain relief, I know have the sweating daily and almost like a heat coming off my liver area and upper right leg, steatorrhea which I've had for 2 years, it did clear up for a bit but it's been back this last 3 months, clay coloured stools, bloating and gas and sulphur burps especially after a fatty meal, liver pain under my ribs, my right side and right shoulder and back, my liver area feels sensitive all the time. If I eat a fatty meal the liver pain is worse, even If I eat one chip it kicks in. Its not intense pain a dull ache, itching under the skin, an itch like no other affecting everywhere but the back of my legs and buttocks are the worst, night sweats too. I've had all these symptoms for 2 years but they are now daily rather than every so often or after alcohol or certain meds. I haven't had alcohol since the summer as even after one glass of wine the heat and pain kicks in. It's like someone has rubbed deep heat on the area so it's not like a burning pain, it's not painful, just not like it's inflamed.
I've had 3 sets of LFTs over the past 2 years, the last one was in april and were normal. An ultrasound which was just done by ultrasound direct which was normal but at the time I was 2 stone heavier so they did say my weight made it hard for them to get a clear picture. I also had a fibroscan done by the BLT Road show, not by the hepatoligist by an assistant (I don't know if this makes a difference) which was 5.4 kpa. As I said these symroms started just days after my accidental over dose and have gradually worsen over the last 2 years. I'm scared, I know my body and regardless of the tests it's very clear to me that something is wrong. My GP won't test further than LFTs. Has anyone else been in this situation where their tests have been normal but they know something isn't right. I do feel I've damaged my liver with too much alcohol and certainly by all the paracetamol overdoses. I was young and stupid and really didn't understand what paracetamol can do to your body and the one in my 30s was accidental, I wasn't trying to harm myself. Thanks for any replies x
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Liberty82
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I’m so sorry to hear you’re going through this, Liberty82,
I’m a pretty new member here, and couldn’t begin to answer all the questions you’ve asked in your post, but I know that people have been here for me when I’ve needed them, and have given me lots of help, and I hope you’ll soon have plenty of replies yourself to help to sort you out.
I’m sure someone will be along soon to answer a few questions for you, but I just wanted to say ‘hello’ to break the silence and to let you know I hope you can get some help. Please don’t feel obliged to reply to me, just concentrate on reading the advice given when it comes in.
I wish you all the very best, and a gradual but sure return to healthier days.
Regards
Graham
Hi
Welcome to this wonderful forum. You will get lots of help. Could you ask your Gp to refer you to a heptologist because I'm sure your Gp doesn't know all the answers. Even show him this site. Love and hugs to you lynne xxxx
Hi there, I can only really answer one question, regarding the fibroscan. It does not require a hepatologist to do it, since the fibroscan is just a series of readings (usually 10 taken on average) and the machine calculates an average figure based on the readings taken. This then gives a number which corresponds to a scale. It cannot be used to diagnose anything, it is used to confirm a level of damage to the liver (in terms of stiffness), but I have been told (by a hepatologist) it is most reliable for people who have damage to their liver through alcohol. For people with my condition (AIH), there is no scale, which is why I am saying it cannot diagnose. Also, the scale is different for each liver condition.
It is rare for the fibroscan figure to be low if liver damage is present, but possible. More people seem to experience very high numbers that indicate damage such as cirrhosis, when in fact their liver is suffering inflammation and has elevated the fibroscan number abnormally. A number of things can cause the readings to be inaccurate, but usually high rather than low.
Technically consuming more than 4g of paracetamol in 24hours is an overdose, but it does depend on weight. However I do know that initially it may appear that the liver has not been damaged, but within a matter of days, the liver will show the damage and no tests will be necessary to show that damage has occurred, as it will be very obvious. Once you have taken the overdose, the liver will process the paracetamol, breaking it down and then it will be expelled from your system. Once your LFT's have been checked as normal, then you should not experience any long term damage from the overdose. This is my understanding of it (I know someone who did die as a result of an overdose), but as always if you are concerned about it, then ask for a full and frank discussion with your GP.
I read your post and thought your symptoms sounded like liver disease. I'm not a medic but it sounded like cirrhosis. But when I read that you've had LFTs and ultrasounds that look normal it just doesn't seem to add up.
Thank you everyone for your replies. It's been really helpful. Rodeo I've also had a normal fibroscan too. Do you think it's because the type of damage I have could be missed on all these tests? Ive often thought it was cirrohis too which bloody terrifies me. Something I'd absolutely not right with my liver, I suppose its the extent of the damage that has been done. I've taken mirtizipine and amitripline for sleep in the past and my liver literally screams at me after taking them. I've read on livertox that these drugs are heavily metabolised by the liver, they affect me even worse than alcohol. I can't really talk to anyone about it because theyve had it for 2 years now and since all my tests are normal they think I should just leave it and move on with my life but these thingd affect me daily.
Even at the BLT roadshow the girl doing the fibroscan told me if nothing to worry about and taking alcohol was ok as long as I kept under the safe amount of units so during the summer I tried to let it go but I drank 3 times during the summer and my condition definitely worsend so theres something wrong. My GP is useless and I've already moved once this year. Even with all my symptoms because I'm young I'm treated like a hypochondriac. I made some silly mistakes when I was younger but I'm happily married now and meant to be planning a family but if I'm ill I doubt it'll ever happen for me.
Just to say that most drugs are metabolised by the liver, that is one of the liver's 500 jobs, so you should not be alarmed by the way that amitryptiline etc is processed. It is one of the reasons why so many leaflets say in the side effects, that you should check before taking if you have liver damage. However, I have it on good authority from a hepatologist who conducts plenty of research, that this is just an unnecessary caveat. It's a bit like all clothes saying "must be dry cleaned", when we all know that that is not necessary and they will be perfectly fine in a normal wash.
Hope you feel better soon, with me, my liver damage was picked up by a fibroscan scan high results stiff liver, this resulted having a liver biopsy.
My LFTs were always out prior to finding out about the liver damage, but I have a very rare disease whereas i do not make B3 vitamin, so its a combination of all sorts which contributed.
If you want to have peace of mind, get your GP to refer you for a fibroscan.
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