Unable to eat; Cirrhosis of the liver

[CookingB]

Could someone help me with some information for my Mum. She has been diagnosed with cirrhosis following 4-6 months of symptoms including bloating, abdominal/stomach pain, extreme tiredness. Over this time she has been unable to eat hardly anything due to symptoms and it ‘sitting in the stomach’ causing a severe weight loss and an extreme lack of energy.

Due to swelling they drained fluid which we thought might help but she is still unable to get out of bed and unable to eat/drink. They have now prescribed meal replacement shakes which she will try. Can anyone suggest anything else we could do? I am concerned without eating they will have no hope of recovering! Thanks in advance

[TT-2018]

The shakes are good, make sure that they are in the fridge, also try the different flavours. If you can get an appointment with a dietitian, it would be enormously helpful. Try and get her to eat little and often of anything that she can manage. Calories are probably the most important thing, as a cirrhotic liver can only store around 2 hours of energy.

Just avoid anything salty or fatty.

Good luck with moving forward.

[Hidden]

Good afternoon CookingB,

As TT-2018 suggests, specialist dietetic input would be very useful. You can ask your Mums GP or hepatologist to refer her.

Small meals often can also help.

I am sure our forum members will also share their experiences and have further tips.

You can also call the nurse led helpline on 0800 652 7330 Mon-Fri 10am-3pm .

Take care,

Trust9