I hope you're doing well. Although I have not posted for two years, I'm an avid reader.
I've been having mostly upper right quadrant pain, which is referred to the shoulder and back at times. This has been going on and off for years.
I also get left upper pain but it's more rare.
I went to see my GP, who is actually a darling, despite being German (I love this country but God they don't mince their words) and told her about it.
I had a liver panel, results same day, one of the enzymes slightly elevated. I suggested a scan and she gave me the referral but she said that I need to drink less and most importantly lose weight. I'm obese. She said the scan was going to show fatty liver and that those would be her recommendations, so I ended up not having the scan. This was a year ago.
Fast-forward twelve months and I've had blood tests in between which were normal but the pain remains there. I have changed my drinking in the last two months. I used to binge once a week for 8 years or so (no alcohol before that) and now I mostly have 0.0 per cent beer (they have this here!) And I will have around 5-10 units at the weekend at most. More often five than ten.
I'm still a chubster and my eating habits are an embarrassment though I've started to improve them.
My two year work contract has ended and I'm unemployed (benefits are very generous here so that does not worry me) and I've decided to turn things around when it comes to food.
My plan is to eat well and exercise and go to free German lessons daily until I work again (I am in no hurry).
I also went to A and E a few months ago and it was hurting and the young doctor said my bloods were normal but he did a quick scan. He said he was no expert but that my liver showed fatty build up and that I had sludge in my gallbladder. He said to follow it up with my doctor. She said the same as last time: lose weight and drink little.
I plan to have a full check up soon but I want to see if I can get rid of the pain with diet and limiting my alcohol further or stopping for a while or altogether.
Has anyone reversed liver pain by losing weight and quitting the booze?
Do you have any tips on a liver friendly diet?
Is it better for diagnosis purposes to be scanned whole liver is inflammed and painful?
I can get a scan in two or three days but I'm scared and also I trust my doctor is right in that what I need to do is sort out the source of inflammation
Negative for viral hepatitis, etc..
I'm obviously worried, as usual.
Thanks for reading!
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Eurotrash
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There isn't anything you can actually take to cure a fatty liver, it's all about taking away the things which will have caused or contributed to it. So stop drinking alcohol completely, and take the high fat, high sugar, high salt, highly calorfic food from your diet.
Fresh fruit and veg, fish, lean meat such as chicken are essential. Also exercise. So stick to the regime, over time your fatty liver will recover.
Don't, in 6 months time go back to your old habits, next time your liver may not be so forgiving and you could be heading for a lifetime of much more serious health and liver problems.
Like you, I have all round pain inside my rib cage, which, in my case is the capsule around my liver and spleen (which are both enlarged) causing this pain which is constant. I have F4 cirrhosis. I haven't had alcohol for over 3 1/2 years now, and I am careful what I eat ( no salt etc). I could do with losing a some weight, but as an ex rugby player in my youth, my build is, and always has been stocky.......I'll never be a Slim Jim😊
I do all the cooking at home, so I mostly cook every meal from scratch, so I know what's in it. So many ready meals are full of sugar, salt and fat.
As I said, my pain is constant, and my hepatologist is reluctant to prescribe adequate pain relief, so I can get decent sleep.
If you just have a fatty liver, and no fibrosis, then it is reversible with a good diet, no alcohol and exercise to reduce your weight, and that, hopefully will help with your pain, and should stop it altogether.
Thank you, David. I have read your posts and know you got really ill and here you are two years later! Did you ever have pain before your diagnosis? I think that I'll have the scan because however scary, it's better to know.
I hope your pain subsides. I've read a lot about pain management for liver disease and there are some options but it seems complicated. Mine is pretty dull so it's not too bad but after a binge, I've had worse pain.
No, I had no pain pre-diagnosis, I was blissfully unaware of how ill I actually was, but strangely afterwards, it all kicked off, and my liver started to punish me for abusing it. But then I did deserve it😢😢😢
I would say, yes, have the scan if offered......it's always better to know, so that remedial action can be taken. I wish I had some warning signs before my liver was bu99ered, then I wouldn't be where I am today.
Hi Ricard, no need to worry, I'm pretty philosophical about it.
I am 72 years old, and I was a moderate, social drinker, but over 35 years or so, and that was enough to pickle my liver. My cirrhosis is compensated, so as long as I look after it , I hope it will do me for a bit😊😊😊
The frustrating thing is once I knew, I gave up immediately, with no problems at all. If only I had had a few signs sooner.
In my husband's case, his 1st diagnosis was a bout of pancreatitis and fatty liver at the age of 46, kept drinking. Another bout 2 years later. Diagnosed with cirrhosis at 50, died at 54. Every case is different.
Everyone needs to be aware of the dangers of this poison.
Awww that's sad Laura it definitely doesn't click for some people until it's too late that alcohol even in passive drinking can kill you!
Moderate drinkers I suppose don't even have a clue that having a few glasses of wine after work every night can actually do damage if over a week.
Never touched alcohol in my life but saw the destruction it can cause with a distant family member and how it also causes destruction for those around them!
It truly is a disease and should be treated as that!
Underlying reasons for the need to be drinking need to be addressed and appropriate Therapy or treatment offered should be the way forward..but sadly most people are just told bluntly to go away and stop drinking!
It's an awful disease and I honestly feel for most they don't get the compassion and treatment they deserve to help them before it's too late.
Not everyone is strong enough to overcome this demon without proper support and help.
I have to say once my husband finally admitted he "might have a drink problem" the doctors were incredibly supportive. One to one weekly councelling sessions were set up and he was dry for 3 months. Sadly though not long enough to get on the transplant lists, both his liver and kidneys were failing and he died in intensive care with me holding his hand.
There's too much promotion of alcohol, people aren't educated as to the dangers of it... yes, its destructive to the user and their families and the alcohol industry has a lot to answer for....... shame on you !
That's so sad. I'm really sorry to hear. Alcohol is really bad and cutting down or giving up can be so difficult. If it were invented now, it'd be illegal.
Thankyou. Yes it is so sad, what makes it worse is there are many more cases like mine. Most people on this site have been very supportive of each other while going through the same thing. I only wish l had found this forum 10 to 14 years ago when l was struggling to keep normality for my children while dealing with the enormous stress of looking after a very ill alcoholic and no idea where to get advice .... l just had to figure it all out myself. Still, l am blessed with having my now grown up children, a new husband and extended family. Its just tragic that my daughter only ever remembers him as being ill, and their Father has missed out on everything they've both achieved over the last 10 years. So many of us here have said exactly what your last sentence said ... it's so damn true.
Laura x
Hi Eurotrash
A healthy lifestyle, eating a balanced nutritional diet and cutting out alcohol will certainly benefit your liver function.
If you do have a fatty liver, you may also want to ask for fibrosis testing, to see if there is any stiffening/scarring of the liver. In the UK there are specific blood tests, Fib-4 score blood test and the Enhanced Liver Fibrosis ( ELF) blood test. There is also a FibroScan that can be used.
Thats the time to get a bit of extra exercise in ...... a good distraction and better habit to get into. We've just bought a peleton ... can't get enough of it, hundreds of scenic routes, great 20 minute workouts and just work your way up. Very addictive and fits in with my work all the rest of my exercise routines 🚵♀️🚴♀️🏋️♀️
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