Please I need your helpful advises thank you

[Graceuk2006]

Recently diagnosed with Liver Cirrhosis early stage but my hepatologist said there is NO treatment. I waited for almost 3 years before they made a diagnosis only to say now that they won’t do anything to treat me? I’ve made a research and back home I learned that this condition can be treated with Silymarin or Liver supplements. What do you reckon my dear members? Thanks for your helpful comments

[bintcliffe]

Hi Grace, I too was diagnosed with liver cirrhosis but in the early stages over 3 years ago since then I've been T Total and my liver now is doing ok all my blood tests for the liver are now in the normal bracket, I have quarterly blood tests along with ultrasounds I'm on no medication, and I'm so happy with how things are, hope you too can get on with life but you have come to the right people on this group who will have your back and offer good advice X

Hayley

[Graceuk2006 in reply to bintcliffe]

Thanks so much for your kind advise. I forgot to say that there is also early bridging fibrosis. I read about it but still confused. My doctor didn’t explain anything about this. She just said to lose weight and blood tests before the next appointment to her which will be about after 6-12 months, or probably more. My sister back home was also diagnosed with NAFLD and she is being treated with medication by her Liver Specialist. If I will not be more proactive most probably I will be dead in few years time.. feeling hopeless

[AyrshireK]

HI Grace, sadly your doctor is correct there is no treatment for cirrhosis, from now on it is a case of trying to slow or stop any progression (this is done by identifying the cause of the cirrhosis and treating that condition - whether it be by lifestyle change or medicine for the underlying cause or other interventions) and dealing with any of the side effect conditions that having cirrhosis can bring.Over the counter supplements and things like milk thistle/silymarin are not to be trusted, they have only anecdotal evidence as to effects, are not soundly medicinally tested and can indeed have negative effects on your liver. Many members of the forum have been expressly advised against them by their medical team so I would totally avoid them.

It's not all doom and gloom, early cirrhosis is thought to be somewhat reversible providing you can deal with what has caused the 'assault' on the liver that has caused the damage. It's possible to improve your liver health.

(My hubby was diagnosed with decompensated cirrhosis with a massive bleed from varices back in April 2012 - his condition being due to Auto Immune Liver disease). All these years further on he is stable, normal bloods, only relatively minor symptoms in the grand scheme of things and doing 'ok'. Not 100% fit but not at deaths door, no symptoms of decompensated cirrhosis at this point.

The BLT have excellent pages regarding cirrhosis and living with a liver condition which I found hugely helpful when hubby was first diagnosed and I am sure you'll find your way round the website and get loads of information there.

britishlivertrust.org.uk/in...

britishlivertrust.org.uk/in...

Katie

[Graceuk2006 in reply to AyrshireK]

Thanks so much for your kind advise. I forgot to say that there is also early bridging fibrosis. I read about it but still confused. My doctor didn’t explain anything about this. She just said to lose weight and blood tests before the next appointment to her which will be about after 6-12 months, or probably more. My sister back home was also diagnosed with NAFLD and she is being treated with medication by her Liver Specialist. If I will not be more proactive most probably I will be dead in few years time.. feeling hopeless😪

[AyrshireK in reply to Graceuk2006]

Right, I think you are possibly jumping the gun and perhaps this is a case where doctor is interchanging the fibrosis/cirrhosis terminology and your condition may not be as severe as you fear. You need to clarify your diagnosis with your doctor.

Your doctor has said early cirrhosis with bridging fibrosis - there are 4 stages of fibrosis labelled F0-F4 anything up to F3 could be considered early cirrhosis or fibrosis but all of these stages are reversible and to me your doctor saying to go away and loose weight would suggest to me you haven't yet reached the stage of F4 (or full on cirrhosis). If you have Non Alcohol Related Fatty Liver Disease as the underlying cause of your liver issue then you can perhaps make significant improvements to your liver health by making positive lifestyle changes - ALL IS NOT LOST.

F3 fibrosis is known as incomplete cirrhosis it is categorized as bridging fibrosis where areas of fibrotic tissue in the liver are gradually being joined together with bridges of the livers own protective fibres.

F4 is labelled as cirrhosis or end stage liver disease - even it is reversible to some degree whereas it used to be thought no so. You really wouldn't describe full on cirrhosis as early cirrhosis nor would it still be being described as bridging fibrosis.

It sounds to me like your doctor has said early cirrhosis meaning a stage leading up to full blown cirrhosis and you can still do something about it which is why your doctor has told you to go and make the lifestyle changes.

I don't have expertise in NAFLD or what medicines are being brought out for it but certainly it is possible to reverse NAFLD and NAFLD related fibrosis by making significant lifestyle changes. The BLT has recently released details of a study looking at the Mediterranean Diet as a positive for NAFLD.

You can improve things, don't give up.

britishlivertrust.org.uk/ea...

britishlivertrust.org.uk/in...

Katie

[Graceuk2006 in reply to AyrshireK]

Thanks Katie

[Hidden]

Hi there and welcome to this friendly forum. I can see that other forum members have already posted some helpful replies. We cannot give advice with regards to medication but I have included some information from the British Liver Trust which may be helpful.

britishlivertrust.org.uk/in...

Best wishes, Trust10

[Graceuk2006 in reply to Hidden]

Thanks

[Frananncru]

Hi, I too was diagnosed with NAFLD with cirrhosis and was found to have oesophageal varices almost 2 years ago .The only treatment I need is a beta blocker to reduce the pressure in the varices to reduce the risk of bleeding .I have mild high blood pressure and tablet controlled type 2 diabetic .

I have totally stopped any alcohol and enjoyed a low carb diet .

Dropped 2 stone , which has lowered my blood pressure and put diabetes into remission .

It’s not all doom and gloom , if I look after myself and have regular blood tests to monitor things Iam leading a normal life with normal life expectancy .

Don’t Google , trust your consultant and air and share with this group . Take care and good luck

[Graceuk2006 in reply to Frananncru]

Thanks a lot dear..

[Onesmallstep1969]

I can't speak to what your doctor meant by telling you there is no treatment. The fact is that, according to scientists, early cirrhosis is reversible, especially if the condition that caused the injury to the liver is stopped. This study reported actual cases of reversal of cirrhosis caused by autoimmune disease. Please read it. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/941...

Note that the blood markers of the patients improved from the time of diagnosis until the time of the biopsy which showed that the cirrhosis had disappeared. So it's very important for you to track your tests to know which of your numbers is improving/worsening and make lifestyle adjustments to fix them. Keep a journal of what you eat and how much you exercise.

A normal, healthy liver will show various markers that show up in your blood tests. Actual reversal of cirrhosis must be confirmed by biopsy.

Anyway, please adopt a healthy eating pattern and walk everyday about 45 minutes at a moderate pace. For healthy eating, I eat a plant-based diet with no dairy and my blood numbers are normal . My liver is functioning normally with no medications, after following a treatment of steroids and immunosuppressants. Others do well eating fruits and vegetables with a little fish or lean meat. You should see what works for you.

Try to adopt a relaxed, low stress approach to life's ups and downs. It truly helps. Treating this disease we have is more a marathon than a sprint.

Come back to this forum often. You're among people who have learned how to "live with this disease" rather than die with this disease. Best to you!

[Graceuk2006 in reply to Onesmallstep1969]

Thanks very much!

[Richard-Allen]

Hello Grace, I realise how frustrating this must be for you. As soon as our livers become seriously damaged, the first thing we want to do is to try and make it better. This is a natural response for many people.

Sadly though, there isn’t a magic cure for cirrhosis. You just can’t reverse the effects of scar tissue. There are many unscrupulous traders out there, who make some bold statements about how their wonderous product can repair liver damage and rid the body of toxins. None of these products that are available online has any scientific value and have not been medically tested. The bottom line is that there is no magic cure for cirrhosis.

I recently responded to a similar question to a gentleman named, JimmyJackson. Please see my response to Jimmy’s thread: healthunlocked.com/britishl...

I hope this helps, even though it’s maybe not the answer you were hoping for.

Best Wishes

Richard.

[utep99]

There are millions of companies that say they can reverse Liver Cirrhosis, but they are lying to you. Once you have cirrhosis you have it sadly. However, there are certain drugs that will prevent associated conditions with Cirrhosis. You do have the option of a liver transplant. I went through about 4 years of cirrhosis and they believe a transplant will be possible in one year. This will cure it but if you smoke stop! I can tell you the materials I take that will help just ask for a list of medications. However, none delay it but it will help your overall health.