Has my ascites gone for good?

[Radtek9]

Hello. I was diagnosed with liver disease last January and developed ascites soon after and had to be drained 3 times in a 2 month span. My liver wasn't filtering out the toxins and they were going to my brain and was taken to the hospital once for hallucinations so severe that my wife did not feel safe with me in the house.I was certain that I was going to die if I didn't shape up. I was put on Spiro and took it for a couple months, quit drinking and the ascites went away. By May, I stopped taking the Spiro and all other meds, started going to the gym and living sober. It is going on a year now and its like it has miraculously disappeared! I have to see my doctor for a 1 year check up which he expects my liver to have bounced back to almost normal. I am just wondering if anyone else has experienced this. Has it gone for good? Not even my doctors can answer this question as they are pretty much shocked at my results and they just tell me to keep up the good work and stay clean, maybe I've been given a 2nd chance and don't waste it. My heart goes out to all suffering with liver issues.

[bintcliffe]

Hi There, congratulations on your progress, I was admitted to hospital three years ago now and put into an induced coma, I had ascites and it was drained away and it has never come back so I hope with your new sober life style it could keep it abay.

Hayley 🙂🙂

[Radtek9 in reply to bintcliffe]

That's great to hear! Thank you for the response. I just work in the medical field and see ppl with ascites always take a turn for the worse. Its good to know that there is an upside. Gook luck to you as well.

[jazzjam]

That is wonderful news. I had ascites on my stomach in 2017, I am still on aldactone and furusomide but that is mainly because they found fluid on my lung before they and I knew I had cirrhosis (fluid on my lung has nothing to do with the cirrhosis). I still have some fluid on my lung that they say it will probably never go as they don’t know why it appeared. I did have ascites on my stomach. It went away within a couple of months and it has never come back although I am still very careful with the foods I eat, no salt etc..

[ab1982]

You say you were diagnosed with liver disease? What stage or what type?

[Jonnyangel]

I was told by my GI Dr that living with cirrhosis is like being a tight rope walker - you’re probably good as long as there isn’t a stiff wind. That being said, he’s right. A lot of it depends on lifestyle changes - diet, exercise, supplements, regular checkups etc.

In March, right before Covid hit hard, I had a pretty severe bleed from minor esophageal varicies most likely caused by a small UTI. So after a week in the hospital I was released and have been in quarantine ever since. I still have to take diuretics but not as much. He said most people don’t bounce back from a trauma like that, but I hope to be one of the few who do.

And while any infection, trauma etc can rapidly change your circumstances, it sounds like you’re cruising so far, so just keep taking care of yourself and enjoying every day you can.

[Onesmallstep1969 in reply to Jonnyangel]

I didn't know that varices can be caused by a UTI. Good to know.

[Jonnyangel in reply to Onesmallstep1969]

Any infection can change your fortune really fast, so obviously I’m hyper vigilant now about going to the doctor at the first sign of any infection, regardless how minor it seems.

[Elizableu]

Hi Radtek9. I haven't been on this site, sometimes I find it inspiring, other times it reminds me of how sick I am. Like you I suffered hallucinations and acitis , I was in intensive care for over a month and then regular stomach drains, draining 7lts a time. My mum was told I was dying and to start thinking about my funeral arrangements, if she rather my be buried here in France or to be flown back to wales where I was born. She was so brave and kept it to herself until not long ago i had developed malnourishment and could only walk with a stick, my memory had gone too. Unfortunately I returned to drinking after a few months and it took a grip again, my liver got worse but my ascites did not return. 3 years on, I look healthy but the damage is done. I am on my 6th week in hospital with a newly diagnosed Post traumatic stress disorder, they are saying my alcohol problem is a "symptom" of this. In the last 2 months I have been diagnosed with this, discovered that now my spleen is enlarged, I've had a stroke and gallstones to boot! I I will be here until January at least, my next brain scan is Dec 30th. Has anybody had a MELD SCORE test done? I am waiting for my result, I asked the doctor here to do it. I have been blessed to have gained 3yrs on my life so far but without being morbid or a martre I just want to know so that I can plan ahead. Its AMAZING you have managed to stay sober!!!!! Keep on punching! X

[sophiaS1980 in reply to Elizableu]

You can do your meld score yourself just google online meld score calculator, punch in your lab numbers these are the lab numbers you will need.....INR, Creatine, bilirubin and sodium, if you don't have a copy of your labs, i suggest you get copies of all labs. GL

[Chaz3125]

Sounds like me except without the hallucinations! I was admitted with what looked like a 9month baby in my belly! I didn’t have a drain I was put on spiro and sent home. I too went to the gym daily (until lockdown) and changed my lifestyle completely and thankfully no ascites back. I feel great and all results seem ok apart from blood platelets a bit low which the monitor! Well done on the complete turnaround you are doing amazing x