Hi
I was diagnosed with decompensated cirrhosis back in May after an ultra sound. My last lft came back as normal and I still have no symptoms. I've packed in the drugs but still drinking a bit. Could there have been a mistake or am I clutching at straws?
What type of consultant are you seeing?
Apart from the fluid you had due to your heart issue you actually seem to have no symptoms that could be attributed to liver disease, certainly not at the decompensated level. No ascites, no portal hypertension, no bleeding from varices and no deranged LFT's.
It sounds like you need a proper full health check or 2nd opinion on your liver situation.
November will be 6 months from your scan so if they are saying you have cirrhosis then you should be due another scan in Nov. (6 monthly scans ar minimum in NICE guidelines for monitoring cirrhotic patients). Maybe that will provide a better picture.
Well done on kicking drugs but next task should be tackling drinking too especially if you do have signs of cirrhosis on scans.
Make sure you get a repeat scan in November - chase it up if your consultant hasn't yet ordered one.
Katie
Honestly the best thing you can do instantly for your health is stop drinking any form of alcohol. Then arrange to see your GP and request a full suite of Liver related blood tests (your GP would advise on this). Then I would recommend at east an Ultrasound, even better a Triple Phase CT scan of the liver. (A picture tells a thousand words). Of course these are expensive procedures and the GP / Hep would obviously take that into account.
These procedures made it a lot clearer for me to understand
Good Luck
Apart from vomiting up blood I never had any symptoms of liver disease right up until my transplant, it took several doctors to persuade me to have a transplant assessment, lft results were normal but platelet level was very low, I had no idea what was going on inside myself, however by the time I had a transplant I only had 2 weeks left until I became inoperable.
Please try to give up drinking before it is too
Well vomiting up blood would scare the pants off of me to be honest. I won't be considered for a transplant due to my heart. Glad you got sorted. I'm trying to give up drinking but it's very hard. I wish I could just flick a switch and the urge was gone. I don't even get drunk. I like a small buzz and drink lowish alcohol beer.
maybe another work up and scan to see if your now compensated. Are you drinking daily? I would start reducing.
I'm trying, but it's hard. I used to use valium and codeine phosphate to stop the drink urges but became addicted to those and was using 5 valium and over 20 codiene a day when i had them. I was coming up with new lies to my doctor to ask for more each month, you can only tell them you've lost your pills or your pain is getting worse so many times before they get you in for a checkup, realised then i was getting addicted and didn't want to go back to buying opiates.
Don' take any risks. Stop drinking immediately. Or reach out initially with your GP. I also advise speaking with the BLT liver nurses who are excellent listeners amongst years of Liver disease experience. Good
Giving up is not as easy as just stopping sadly. I live on my own, have a high pressure job working from home and suffer badly with depression and anxiety so I never leave my apartment. After a days work I have no one to turn to so turn to the cans. No I don't drink while working otherwise I wouldn't be able to perform my job.
Sorry to hear that. Have you spoken with your GP about receiving help with, initially your depression and then controlling drinking.
I would wholeheartedly recommend the BLT nurses . Their contact No. is on their website.
Good luck and Take care
yes, i've been on medication for it most of my adult life, had a breakdown 25 years ago while at uni.
It sounds like you need to get outdoors even for a short walk, fresh air, a little bit of exercise in nature - this is a better tonic then any booze or 'happy pills' as it will lift your endorphines, outdoor exercise even a 10 minute walk will get you physically fitter (even with heart issues). It will delay the reach for the cans too. Booze is a depressant drug so it will be further exacerbating your depression issues. After a high pressure day there is nothing better than getting some outdoor time - even better if you have trees nearby. The Japanese practise 'Forest Bathing' which isn't as airy fairy as it sounds and is a natural way to de-stress.
"Forest bathing is an ancient Japanese process of relaxation - know in Japan as shinrin yoku. The simple method of being calm and quiet amongst the trees, observing nature around you whilst breathing deeply can help both adults and children de-stress and boost health and wellbeing in a natural way."
Hubby (who does have cirrhosis) gets a real lift from any time spent outdoors whether that be a long walk, bike ride or just a short walk round our village.
Best wishes,
Katie
Dear thelad73,
If you [are in the UK and] would find it useful to talk things over, our nurse-led helpline is open Monday to Friday from 9am to 3pm on 0800 652 7330 (excluding bank holidays)
We also facilitate a range of virtual support groups for people living with a liver condition (and their families and carers).
If you [are in the UK and] would find it helpful to speak to others with shared experience, you can register to join a group here
britishlivertrust.org.uk/vi...
Best wishes
British Liver Trust
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