F 2 fibrosis, what now.

[T234]

Hello community,

The last couple of years have been tough I l lost my brother and got diagnosed with sarcoidosis. I abused alcohol for 4 years. 6 months ago I woke up with severe Ruq and what appears to be yellow (mustard) stool, these symptoms are still with me but have diminished alot).

After more than 6 months in search of a diagnoses I finally got it... it's been quite the struggle to get to this point, negative ct's ,normal bloods, normal ultra, 30+ doctor visits.

Finally I got refered to a hepatologist at the university hospital, she scheduled me for an ultrasound and an elastography. The doctor who performed the ultra and elasto assured me after the exam that everything was oke. I was relieved. One hour later I had my appointment with the hepatologist to discus the results a 2nd time. The hepatologist told me I had mild fibrosis (f2) and that it most likely will resolve if I continue to not drink alcohol ( have not had a drink in the last 5 months). Extra bloodwork also has been done.

I'm feeling depressed at this point. However I am still motivated to work on my health and abstain from alcohol.

Would be appreciated if anyone could share their experience or knowledge about fibrosis ( f2). Is it reversible? Do people with fibrosis ultimately progress towards chirossis? I'm 31 years old and am deeply worried by the impact this could have on my life(xpectancy).

Thank you, Tom

[confused71]

Hi I have Nash F2 -3 MIne is through a bad diet and overeating .I was diagnosed 2 years ago with a biopsy I lost 22 pounds and for most of the 2 years i have maintained same weight and have eaten healthy ---I didnt manage to lose any more weight ---my blood tests recently were really good my liver test is now in the normal range my acid reflux disappeared ---sadly since xmas i gained 12 pounds through eating excess rubbish over xmas ---- I know the benefits of no alcohol or bad food for me ---my acid reflux is back so i have to lose weight . You are able to halt or stop progression if you dont drink and also watch your food intake --sugar is really bad for liver --good luck

[T234 in reply to confused71]

Thanks for your story, you seem to have turned this around.My eating habits were awful the last few years. Pizza's, kebab, chinese food.... the good stuff. Since the beginning of my symptoms, I changed to a healthy lifestyle.

I tend to eat a lot of fruits, do you know if the sugar in fruits could be damaging to the liver?

[confused71 in reply to T234]

I have just found out this weekend i have been eating too much fruit for the past two years although its healthy fruit contains a lot of sugar and in my case sugar and carbs and overeating did the damage over several years .I had a sweet tooth and when i gave up cakes pastry etc i lost a lot of weight but still craved sweet things ---I ate about 4-5pieces of fruit a day . i eat bananas apples oranges and grapes mainly however i read today its the wrong fruit and heavy in sugar ---I do eat blueberries and frozen berries --- so even after 2 years i am still learning

[confused71]

I have sent a post for you --confused 71

[CarpeDiem11]

Not quite sure what is causing your depression? Are you naturally pessimistic or optimistic- depending on your answer, this could be affecting the diagnosis you have received. You are very fortunate. F2 is reversible, once the source that caused the damage is removed, but a qualified medic has told you that, so what makes you doubt them? If you don't believe the hepatologist, I'm not sure how any of us can help?

[T234]

I'm a pessimistic person. I also experience anxiety rather easily when there is uncertainty. It's who I am and who I became throughout the last few years.

My sarcoidosis has made me pessimistic and uncertain towards medical professionals. It took me 1.5 years, 40+ doctor visits before I got my diagnosis.

The last doctor ( rheumatologist with a specialisation in systemic diseases) was the firs one to order ct's, mri's. The scans revealed that my lymph nodes were enlarged=> biopsy=> sarcoidosis.

Luckly my sarcoidosis is not very active.

This experience and 30+ doctor visits that I had to do for the fibrosis diagnosis has had an impact on my mental state.

[CarpeDiem11 in reply to T234]

That certainly explains it. My experience has shown me that some medical individuals are more experienced & thus more confident in their analysis. However, recent experiences have shown that depending which team looks at things, in my case surgical or hepatological, could deliver different verdicts. This is confusing for any patient.

I urge you to question each thing, one at a time, until you understand it, that way you have more chance of reversing the current damage, which I understand is totally doable. Don't let others dictate your health.

In addition, I can also tell you that the different tests & scans do not necessarily tell the same story. In my case my biopsy says one level of damage & the ultrasound another. If you could get someone to come to your meetings & record them or make notes that will help.

Sorry to hear that it has so heavily impacted your mental health, I understand that. The constant visits, tests & lack of action all impact. Just remember, you obviously want to get better & you must get them to help.

I wish you all the very best & hope that now you are on the path to improvement 🙏😊

[confused71]

I had a bad anxiety state after my diagnosis i think in my case i wasnt seen in two years and in that time i had progressed enough to worry consultant ---my anxiety and anger came from a lack of support and information I didnt know anything about the liver or how it works --just told lose weight never told the severity if i didnt Everything i know i researched and took back control I will never be passive again over my health and i dont feel guilty being anxious or worried of the unknown ---- I thought progressive meant death so I was scared --Being positive now I am not so scared as I was i will just do everything i can to stay healthy . Just go with the bad days its normal for a lot of people

[Olly2021]

I’ve had RUQ pain for a year and a half now, Palmer erythema, and now my nails have bands on them? All came back clear. Blood work, ultrasound, fibroscan. I do have elevated estrogen. Have you had that checked? I am consistently 35 points elevated. One thing I’ve read is that high concentrations lemon juice, have had successfully reversed some of the alcoholic liver damage in mice. The last time I drank, I had the worst pain I’ve ever experienced, about 3 days after. I drank the juice of about 1 lemon, and not 30 minutes later, the excruciating pain was gone. Just something I’ve noticed. I know lemon is anti inflammatory. Maybe worth a try?

[T234 in reply to Olly2021]

Had very extensive bloodwork done at the hospital ( the nurse took about 9 samples of blood) everything came back perfect, still waiting on the result fot auto immune hepatitis. Started drinking the ginger lemon tea bout a month ago, have experienced no pain from this. I did however experience horrible pain after 2 beers about 6 months ago.