Fibrosis diagnosis

[Worried49]

Hi everyone,

I’ve just had a fibroscan, and told I have scaring of my liver, my consultation was surprised as my bloods were all normal so he did it twice, first time the score was 9, second time 7.5. I’ve no fatty liver. He said as I hadn’t had a drink recently it could have been worse. He said that I don’t have cirrhosis and it’s reversible if I give up alcohol. I went private just to check my liver after I had one set of abnormal LFTs, earlier this year. My GP said I didn’t need to have any imaging tests. I’m really in shock, I have drunk more than the the recommended amounts of alcohol over the years but never imagined I was damaging my liver. The consultant said because I’m a woman and small build that it can affect more..

he said it’s reversible but I’m so scared and have so many questions. I’m not seeing him for 2 weeks after my ultrasound. What more will the ultrasound show?

I’m reaching out as I feel so anxious and worried I’ve permanently damaged my health. I have a loving partner and wonderful daughter I want to be here for. My relationship with alcohol was always in social and work settings and habit, but I’m not an everyday drinker. Lockdown I did drink more though I don’t know how long my livers been damaged for.

I appreciate any insights you can give me x

[Hidden]

Hi and welcome to our forum,

Here is our information on imaging scans;

britishlivertrust.org.uk/in...

If you are in the UK It may be helpful to talk to our nurse helpline on Monday on 0800 652 7330 10am to 3pm

It is important to focus on the words from the consultant' it is reversible' if you make lifestyle changes, so that is a good place to start.

Keep us posted

[Worried49 in reply to Hidden]

Thank you I will

[Hidden]

I am in the same boat. I have recently been told I have fibrosis. I drank way more than was healthy years ago but now I hardly touch a drop (well, since my liver scan, nothing) I was told it was non alcoholic fatty liver disease but I can't help thinking it has something to do with the drinking (though I do eat too much as well - or did)

I am now following a healthy diet with lots of veg and fruit. I feel I am listening to my liver on this - not my head (who is a b****** and tries to tell me bad things are what I want, lol)

We can do this, it has been caught just in time (though I have heard of people on here who have reversed cirrhosis)

Apparently (I have just read) a fibroscan is superior to a an ultrasound for detecting liver problems, but I'm thinking your doctor is just doing what all doc's in my opinion do - they don't like accepting other's imaging. I had an xray on my leg to decide what was best, they decided a referral to another hospital was best for the op and the other hospital wouldn't accept the original one's xray, they had to do their own - at a cost to me as they were further away!!

God luck on your journey to healthy!!

[Worried49 in reply to Hidden]

Thank you for your reply and I wish you well on your journey x

[AyrshireK]

If the sole cause of your fibrosis is alcohol rather than other factors then a kPa score of 9 or 7.5 reflects F2 or Moderate Fibrosis (fibroscan reads up to 75 kPa so you are well at the low end of things) at the most so nothing to start getting too worked up about but definitely something to keep working on - you should be able to reverse this by abstinence and healthy living. If the Fibroscan showed no fatty change then that's good news.Bloods being normal just means you've got no ongoing inflammation (good news) and your liver isn't so badly gone as to be affecting it's function.

Continued abstinence, healthy living and those fibrosis figures are entirely reversible.

Katie

[Worried49 in reply to AyrshireK]

Thank you Katie, your words are very comforting. I am still trying to process the news and it’s so difficult carrying on as normal as I don’t want to worry anyone. If I can reverse this I will be so relieved though I realise it could take a couple of years or longer. My biggest fear is that it’s worse than the fibroscan showed and that i start to get complications. I’m dreading the ultrasound. I still can’t believe that it’s happened and if I hadn’t got the fibroscan I wouldn’t have known. I hope that I’m lucky I discovered it and have time to stop it in its tracks, and I’m devistated at the same time. Thanks for your advice, Trish

[foxglove]

would you be kind enough (if you want to!) to tell me who you used fro private liver tests?

British Liver Trust seems to think gp infallable re LVT results ???

[Worried49 in reply to foxglove]

Hi Foxglove, I am happy to send you a PM, a kind member on here told me about it .

[foxglove in reply to Worried49]

Would be pleased to have PM from you. Thanks

[MINTVCX]

I think fibroscan is not conclusive especially with low level of fibrosis. I mean you can have false positive result which mean you do not have any fibrosis at all. But indeed it should be diagnosed further. That's one version.

It can be some other factor (not alcohol, as you say you do not drink so much) that can damage you liver (if indeed you had F2 fibrosis which is not 100% sure). In this scenerio you have to check with your doctors other possible diseases.

You can also have damage from alcohol as you are told. The solution is simple in this scenerio.

BTW I have also similar situation to you. I have normal LFTs and fibroscan 8,8 kpa. Little alcohol, almost normal ultrasound (heterogeneous increased echotexture only), BMI around 25, no symptoms. Some dieases that can cause fibrosis were excluded based on current tests.

9 and 7,5 kpa is quite different. Have you had these 2 tests one by one?

[Worried49 in reply to MINTVCX]

Hello, yes the scores were done one after the other, he just took the second from a different angle. I am going back in 2 weeks to get the results of my blood tests snd to have an ultrasound. I hope they find your cause