Tippsprocedure

After a bleed, I just had a Tipps procedure, but the next day I was dizzy and staggering . After spending 48 hours back in hospital and a bag of iron later, I am home and having to take Rifaiminn twice a day and lactulose. . One bonus is my stomach fluid is going.

Feeling that I’m not going to recover from this and so frustrated that I can’t do much. I am impatient though. Anybody else battled this?

[AyrshireK]

Hi again Yellowrowan, sorry about your recent troubles. I see they have started you on the medication for Hepatic Encephalopathy now following your TIPSS procedure, sadly HE is a complication of TIPSS because before even though your liver is cirrhotic when blood was passing through the liver (albeit more slowly than a healthy) it was being processed somewhat so ridding you of some of the toxins.

Now that you have (ineffect) a canal forcing the blood through the liver it is no longer being detoxified so a common side effect of TIPSS is the build up of toxins leading to symptoms of HE.

I know you are at the upper end of the age spectrum for transplant but has assessment been mentioned as a possibility? I know you have had cancer in the past and this may be an added complication but it is still very much worth asking the question.

Best wishes, Katie

[Hidden in reply to AyrshireK]

Thanks Kate. I know it’s bad, but so far this hasn’t been mentioned. I have a follow up on Thursday