Stages of liver disease

Hi all and good evening. Could anyone give a rough description of what it felt like physically for you to go through the stages of liver disease? The only pains I really get is stomach ache. I never get any discomfort under my ribs in the liver area at the front but I do get daily discomfort around the back right in the liver area. Currently it does feel like my liver is banging to get out. It’s not painful, just very very scary as I don’t know if this is a fatty stage, inflammation or cirrhosis stage. All very scary.

[AyrshireK]

Hi there, quickly scanning back your earlier threads you seem to have been diagnosed with fatty liver a wee while ago now. Have you been under a consultant to keep an eye on your condition and monitor things?

I am not sure anyone can really answer your question because everyone's liver journey is so individual, some people experience symptoms in early stages and some don't until full on end stage or decompensated symptoms arise. You can't base your own 'stage' on anything experienced by someone else.

In my hubbies case his liver was being attacked (perhaps for some years) and he never knew, no symptoms, no pain, no obvious outward symptoms then wham out of the blue advanced liver disease with decompensated symptoms, deranged bloods, jaundice etc.

If you haven't had any recent monitoring and you seem to be experiencing more symptom then you MUST reattend your GP and get up to date bloods tests and scans done to see if your fatty liver has perhaps worsened.

Have you kept off the booze since your earlier diagnosis?

I know you had issues in the past with your GP but I believe you should still be regularly monitored if you have a diagnosis of fatty liver.

Katie

[Hidden in reply to AyrshireK]

Hi Katie. Thank you for your reply. Basically, I’ve been continuing with life. Lockdown has been hard and I’ve not really looked after myself physically if I’m honest.

I had my last bloods and ultrasound February 20 and was told my bloods were ok, liver looked ok but gallstones were very evident. I’m on the list for removal but have been told by my local trust that I have between 1 and 2 years to wait. I’m not pressuring anyone mainly because I’m crapping myself over the op. Never been in hospital before and I’m worried about the long term quality of life I’ll have.

From February to now I’ve undone all the hard work I’d done by losing all the weight. That’s all back on. Gutted as losing it was very very hard as I’ve always battled with my weight and I don’t know if I’ve got the strength to go again. I think my next move is to get my bloods done again and go from there.

Chris.

[Livershy5 in reply to Hidden]

Chris, I had my Gallbladder out and it hasn’t affected my quality of life at all. Except, NO PAIN! If you have ever had pain from gallstones, you can’t wait for the op. It excruciating. Have the op.

[Hidden in reply to Livershy5]

Hi. I get that. I just hear of a lot of real stories where the discomfort doesn’t go and your food and drink habits could change forever. Could I ask where your pain was located and what it felt like? Whilst I’ve had it confirmed I have stones, my pain, as mentioned, isn’t frontal.

[Livershy5 in reply to Hidden]

My gallstone pain was an ‘attack’. Across my upper abdomen and into my back below the left shoulder blade. I had to have four of these excruciating attacks before they would give me an op. It caused pancreatitis on one of the occasions and still they wouldn’t do it. I have made no changes to my diet except cutting back on alcohol. I hope this helps. Your symptoms don’t sound anything like mine. Good luck.

[SunshineLia in reply to Hidden]

Hi Cris. You can try a Ketogenic diet which will help alot on elimination of the stones. High fat diets push on gallbledder to work harder to process the fat, so most of stones will be out before you know. Happened to me, I was for long time on no fat diet ( Ducan) that was when the stones were formed because with no fat to process, gallbledder acumulate but not eliminate. In 6 months of Ketogenic low carb high fat diet my stones dissapeared, most of them, said the x-ray. Good Luck and dont be affraid, the operation will be laparoscopic anyway.

[utep99]

You get good and bad days but to extend your time give up all processed foods and fast food. Go to a Mediterranean diet. Lots of fruit and veggies! avoid fatty beef cuts go for sirloin steak before any other. No pork and lots of seafood. and feta cheese. Sometimes you must force yourself to get up, but activity does help. so, get off the couch even on bad days also a time to accept God, and his salvation is a promising idea. You can stop fearing death and enjoy what you have, stay on meds.