My hubby has been diagnosed with cirrhosis. He had ascites which has been drained. He is now at home on a high protein, carb diet and low salt. He has stopped drinking alcohol since he was discharged home. He was an habit drinker and has had no symptoms of withdrawal. When out socialising he drinks normal coke. At home he likes to have 0% Doombar. Clinical nurse stated he should not drink the none alcohol Doombar, has anyone else been told this? We were planning to go to Tenerife 4 Oct for 5 weeks.. However, when mentioned to his consultant he did not think would be advisable nor a cruise. Does this mean all people with cirrhosis cannot go abroad?
He is awaiting a gastroscopy to see if he has any var(?) That may cause internal bleeding. Obviously we don't want to endanger his life. We know it is early days as was only discharged 1 May 21 after seeing GP eith breathlessness. He is eating well, now he's got his appetite back.. His muscles are getting back slowly and his body mass is improving. In himself he is feeling better than he has done for the past couple of years. His drinking habit started during the lockdown. He is 64 years old and was diagnosed with epilepsy 2015 and became a househusband then. Any information to help me support him would be appreciated
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Sanblass
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Hi Sanblass, lets see if I can help with some of the queries asked.
Non-Alcohol versions of real alcohol beers - when this subject comes up on here it often creates some degree of 'discussion' lets say. Some people think yes they are ok, a good way to move away from the real thing or a good alternative to allow participation in a social setting without standing out BUT if a patient is going to perhaps progress to transplant assessment and alcohol was the cause of the liver disease they have to prove they have re-evaluated their relationship with alcohol and drinking a non-alcohol version of an alcoholic drink doesn't do that. It shows there is still the appetite for a boozy drink and there is a risk that the non-alcohol version doesn't quite make the grade and there is a potential risk they will slip back into old ways. A proven period of 6 months complete abstinence and a commitment to life long sobriety are demanded of anyone who had alcohol as a cause of their liver damage.
Richard has previously posted the advise on this that QE Birmingham give out to pre-transplant folks on the subject of non-alcohol versions of alcohol drinks. Hopefully he'll find it and add it to post.
Your hubby is going to be having an endoscopy/gastroscopy to check for varices in his oesophagus. Varices are small blood vessels in the gullet which can become enlarged or actually burst leading to massive blood loss - these occur as a result of a side effect of cirrhosis called portal hypertension. They need to be checked for and treated - usually be banding them/tying them off and this is all done during an endoscopy procedure.
If your hubby has varices then there is a risk whilst flying and it can potentially bump up your travel insurance massively because should they burst in flight you may be looking at redirected flights, emergency landings and foreign hospitalization. Short haul is usually possible BUT you will need the all clear from varices or risk of bleeds.
As regards cruises then there is no reason why you can't do that or driving onto the continent, train travel etc. The big risk at the current time is obviously Covid-19 and if a patient has decompensated cirrhosis (ascites is a symptom of this stage of liver disease) then it increases the level of vulnerability to infection, people with decompensated cirrhosis were in the bracket of folks who were shielding during the early lockdowns. SO the risk of cruising at the current time is the close and crowded proximity to others. Obviously with any foreign trip you need to have adequate travel insurance cover and be wary of infection risk.
If you haven't already seen it the BLT has a really good page on cirrhosis and all the side effects that come with it, it is very much worth a read to educate yourself more on what this condition actually means. You can then make the most of appointments with medics as you are more 'clued up' on the signs and symptoms to look out for.
P.S. no question is a silly one and we have all been there at the early stage of diagnosis in need of further information so if you have queries then ask away and we'll all try and help.
When a liver becomes cirrhotic and reaches the final end-stage. Other medical conditions and complications can begin to appear as the liver struggles to carry out some of the 500 different functions it is continuously performing. Conditions such as Varices, Ascites, and Hepatic Encephalopathy may begin to appear. Because we are all different, some people may experience some conditions, while others may develop other symptoms. Because the liver doesn’t have any pain receptors a person might never realise they have a problem until something just happens.
Back in 2014, I had a variceal bleed one evening while just relaxing, watching TV. The first I realised was something was wrong was when I felt nauseous. I vomited four more times that night before being blue lighted to hospital. A person with possible varices is strongly recommended not to fly due to the differences in cabin pressure. Even in a short-haul flight, there is the risk of deep vein thrombosis or even portal vein thrombosis.
A person who develops Ascites will need regular draining. Other conditions may begin to appear. The liver for example may become insulin resistant and the person develops type-2 diabetes. Tumours can begin to form and these are better identified sooner than later.
Having said all this, you may find that travel insurance very hard to obtain as some companies consider the risk too great. Those companies that are willing to insure a person will be at an enormous cost. This can sometimes be greater than the whole package holiday.
Direct sunlight would also need to be avoided as a weakened immune system, could cause melanomas (skin cancers) to appear.
Finally, if a person was to end up requiring a liver transplant as in the case of tumours on the liver. If the cause of the original liver damage was due to alcohol, then a person would only be considered suitable to go on the liver transplant waiting list if they had abstained from drinking alcohol, or alcohol-free drinks for at least six months.
Alcohol abuse is considered to be a mental health condition, as these can include cravings and desires to want to taste the drink. This may include beers, wines and certain spirits. It is deemed that if a person is still drawn to the flavour of these drinks, then they might still have issues. A person can very easily slip back into old habits just by taste alone. So these strict rules apply.
I would try and stick to sugar-free Fanta, Coke or Pepsi-max. J2O, etc.
I seriously think you should reconsider going away at this time. I hear Bognor’s nice this time of year. Steptoe & Son would go there every year (your hubby will know who these guys are).
Hi. After all the stats and what might or might not happen, please accept a big round of applause 👏 in you and your husband coming through a, no doubt, very scary, traumatic time. Going away before you get a full picture of how your husbands health is may be a little risky.
From what you say about hubby’s condition it may not be as bad as some levels of liver disease present.
Just push for a complete overview of your husbands state then decide after reading appropriate articles like Katy recommended.
But…please be assured that a diminished, damaged, struggling liver does not have to result in a diminished, damaged or struggling lifestyle. Please keep us updated in what happens. Take care.
Hi,
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