Liver damage

[Tilly228]

Does covid effect your liver? Or can further damage it.

[MINTVCX]

Not sure if this helps but please check this:

elsevier.es/en-revista-anna...

Covid is pretty new so I think limited studies on this so far.

[DavyGravy]

Hi Tilly

As Mint has already stated, there are only limited studies on this. Also, taking into account mutating and new variants it will be an extra worry for the future. I always think it best to err on the side of caution. You (and all of us with any underlying health problem) should treat covid as a high risk. I know a few on this forum have had covid and managed to shake it off with little effort, but that is no guarantee for the rest of us.

I have always worn my mask in public places and shops even when the restrictions were lifted, I do not eat in public places and if I could, I'd shield myself, but, unfortunately my boss seems to think every job that is not assigned to anyone else in the building, must be added to my duties so, no chance of a rest for me. 😀

Stay safe and stay healthy

Dave

[AyrshireK]

There are various studies that have taken place examining the long term effects of Covid 19 on other body systems and yes the liver is one that does come under attack during Covid 19 infection.

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

Liver damage in COVID-19 has been attributed to the direct attack by SARS-CoV-2, drug toxicity in COVID-19 therapy, acute inflammatory damage and hypoxia caused by pneumonia.

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/325...

The current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), has become a major public health crisis over the past few months. Overall case fatality rates range between 2-6%; however, the rates are higher in the elderly and those with underlying comorbidities like diabetes, hypertension and heart disease. Recent reports showed that about 2-11% of patients with COVID-19 had underlying chronic liver disease. During the previous SARS epidemic, around 60% of patients were reported to develop various degrees of liver damage. In the current pandemic, hepatic dysfunction has been seen in 14-53% of patients with COVID-19, particularly in those with severe disease. Cases of acute liver injury have been reported and are associated with higher mortality. Hepatic involvement in COVID-19 could be related to the direct cytopathic effect of the virus, an uncontrolled immune reaction, sepsis or drug-induced liver injury. The postulated mechanism of viral entry is through the host angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptors that are abundantly present in type 2 alveolar cells. Interestingly, ACE2 receptors are expressed in the gastrointestinal tract, vascular endothelium and cholangiocytes of the liver. The effects of COVID-19 on underlying chronic liver disease require detailed evaluation and, with data currently lacking, further research is warranted in this area.

Some of the folks on the AIH Facebook page have only been diagnosed after Covid 19 infection and some have been diagnosed with DILI (Drug Induced Liver Injury) after vaccination but by the nature of Auto Immune Hepatitis there is some sort of predisposition which just awaits a trigger which can be all manner of things from environmental, prescription meds etc. etc.

Katie

[GeeNLiver in reply to AyrshireK]

Very interesting. I was just dx with DILI. My enzymes first started rising in July 2021. Well, that's when I had a blood test with my physical. They'd be fine the year before. I've had pain exactly like the pain I had that caused me to have my gallbladder removed n 2019 for a while. It went away for a time after the removal, but came back. So I don't know if that pain was really my liver and it's been building without impacting my enzymes until recently or not.

I was vac'd Mar 17 and April 7. Doc thinks the DILI is from green tea extract that was in 2 supplements -- one a powdered super foods shake mix, the other for mental health. I've never used the body-builder stuff or weight-loss stuff. I had a biopsy on Dec 13 and it came back with focal periportal fibrosis and inflammation. Between F1 and F2. Now I wonder if the vac'd pushed an already building issue right over the top.

[AyrshireK in reply to GeeNLiver]

Green Tea Extract ( as a supplement ) is another well known trigger for AIH.

[GeeNLiver in reply to AyrshireK]

Thanks. Yes, I am aware now. I wasn't before late October or I wouldn't have been using it. I stopped it Oct 27, so we're in a wait and see mode. I hope that was the causative agent.

[pushthrough]

Hello Tilly, my specialist said yes it can damage the liver further and to get vaccinated. I’m not sure if it’s the virus or the treatment for it that can impact it because I failed to ask. I already am vaccinated. When I told her how many people are on my floor at work in open concept without masks she shook her head. I plan to continue working from home. I was just diagnosed last Monday with cirrhosis. However you should ask your doctor. I have been very cautious.

[Tilly228 in reply to pushthrough]

I had fibrosis and was being discharged in 2019. They kept me on the books. Fast forward to 2021. Went for a fibro scan and was told I have cirrhosis. They asked had I did anything different I said covid.

[pushthrough in reply to Tilly228]

Wow, I'm so very sorry!

[Ubwa]

I was advised to do everything to not get it as at the stage I was discharged I was decompensated and docs basically said it would likely kill me.

Thankfully I was lucky (again) and was mostly asymptomatic with it - as I was gifted it as I was leaving hospital.

Have known people who got it and where very sick, so definitely do everything you can to protect yourself

[pushthrough]

Wow, you are lucky since you were decompensated. I'm doing everything I can to not be around large crowds such as work but being in the USA they can and likely will demand a detailed explanation of why I'm asking to continue to telecommute.

Last time my physicians note was not enough. So I spoke in generality of an organ not functioning properly. Now that it's confirmed I have it I'm not sure how it's going to go.

I want to avoid them knowing exactly what I have so it has to come from my family practice Dr. I don't want a note from my specialist with the heading, Division of Liver Transplant Surgery. lol I hope you are now in the compensated stage and best wishes. I'm sure we will chat again.

[Zukosmile07]

Hi Tilly. I got an email from the NHS yesterday. I have a post transplant appointment today and also have to have COVID swab, msra swabs in preparation for a surgical hernia repair on Thursday.

White background with bold black lettering

[Zukosmile07 in reply to Zukosmile07]

The email goes on about how there are treatments to seriously impeded the infection from escalating.

[Chaz3125 in reply to Zukosmile07]

I received this email yesterday aswell x

[busy946]

I suffered a liver injury that has been attributed to Covid-19 infection a year ago. I was unvaccinated at that time as wasn't entitled to the vaccine at that point. I didn't have any underlying liver issues, my liver was completely healthy until it was damaged by something. As I was positive and unwell with Covid-19 and hadn't taken any drugs that could cause a liver injury. The damage was presumed to be caused by the virus, which I was told a year ago, was known to affect the liver, but not exactly how.

After two hospital stays and lots of tests I was prescribed Urso and recovered, I believe completely.

Whilst Covid-19 positive I had suffered a blocked bile duct due to a gallstone. This is not a rare occurrence, as there were other covid patients in hospital during my stays who had a blocked bile duct. I think that let the virus "in" to attack the liver as it was not functioning well at that time.

The infection meant I couldn't have my gall bladder out though. As the virus is still badly impacting NHS I haven't mentioned it to anyone. Keeping my head down for now.

Hope everyone stays safe.

Kate

[Zukosmile07 in reply to busy946]

Hi Kate. I had cirrhosis of the liver a number of years but I never got told an accurate reading/diagnosis. I was in hospital February in a really bad way and had been for months. I was on a ward awaiting an ascetic drain when I was informed that I had caught covid 19 in hospital. They moved me into a covid unit where every other patient was wearing ventilators. I had no symptoms what so ever, I'd had no vaccine at this point and I had end of life liver disease (wasn't diagnosed as of yet). After 7 days they moved me into a isolation bay on my own away from the COVID patients. Now till this day I don't know if it was COVID that put the final diagnosis into play or I already had it. I suspect that I already had end of life liver disease because I had no symptoms of COVID while in the middle of that hot stop incubator. 🤬Who knows what to expect!😢

[AnxiousCanadianChic]

I’ve done a lot of research on this as I had my yearly blood work done in March and my liver enzymes were high so I then had 2 ultrasounds and a fibroscan ultrasound and my kpa was 12+(I think 12+, if not then higher), which I read was F3. I have ZERO contributing factors, except stress and I very rarely drank. I had those tests done before I ever got my vaccines but I did suspect I might have had Covid in 2020 (I didn’t get checked so I can’t be 100%). I don’t have cirrhosis so I have to wait at least 6 months at least to see a liver specialist. My 2 gps and internal medicine Dr are baffled by what caused my liver issues. I don’t have Hepatitis and only have a very mild fatty liver.

[Bolster150]

Yes it can, as others have already said and drugs used in treatment may have hepatotoxic consequences in a few and related hypoxia does not help. I’m very aware that some on this forum believe that liver issues only derive from alcohol abuse but obviously that’s not the case.

[AyrshireK in reply to Bolster150]

I don't think there are any members of the forum who believe that all liver issues are alcohol related - we have members with a huge array of reasons for their or their loved ones liver disease . Anyone joining the forum who did have such a view would very quickly be educated otherwise owing to the depth of experiences that members have.

Sadly, a great many of the medical profession always jump to the alcohol as a cause before looking any other reason - my t-total hubby has auto immune cirrhosis but on his first admission to hospital with a variceal bleed had a doctor tell him "he needed to change his ways!" and had a GP ask "are you managing to stay off the booze!" with medical professionals jumping to these sorts of assumptions and tv/media always choosing to portray that angle it's hardly surprising that the general public are so misinformed about liver illness and it's many facets.

Katie

[Bolster150 in reply to AyrshireK]

Thank you, yes it is a shame how assumptions are often automatically made. I agree that most will be educated about the disease on this forum, maybe that viewpoint only is taken by one member in particular.

[Zukosmile07 in reply to Bolster150]

I had the same conversation at the post transplant clinic yesterday with a lady who complained about pain and fluid buildup after a long hall flight from America. She went into hospital for scans on the abdomen and they found 3 little cancerous lumps on the liver.😢

She had her transplant 2 weeks before I did.🥳

Wow how she praised the fact that she got the pain and build up of fluid or she may never of known. So very lucky!🥳

I hate liver disease it's so nasty!💥