Hi, I have been a social drinker up until The last few months where I have been Drinking quite a lot more. I also went through a divorce a couple of years ago I was drinking pretty heavily.
I had an ultrasound scan where they found that my liver was enlarged. I have had a number of liver function tests that have come back fine apart from my Billirubin But that does go up and down sometimes as I have Gilbert syndrome.
I’m experiencing lack of appetite, nausea, itching skin fevers and the palms of my hands seem quite red. My doctor is adamant that I do not have cirrhosis and I spoke to a nurse at the liver trust who agreed.
I have been referred to a specialist as I have two cysts on my liver I’m just really worried and scared But I have done a repairable damage.
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Zackhill
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Hi, Unfortunately, biochemical laboratory tests and even ultrasound don't in all cases allow to suspect ARLD. The most informative studies for the diagnosis of fibrosis or liver cirrhosis are fibroscan, elastometry and biopsy. From biochemical analyzes can be informative various specific tests designed specifically for the diagnosis of fibrosis, such as NASH-FibroTest for example. Since in many cases the LFT biochemical parameters are not informative for the diagnosis of fibrosis and even cirrhosis all of these tests and research methods have been proposed for the diagnosis of liver diseases. Perhaps you should be more open with your doctor about your concerns.
That has really stressed me out. I am super anxious at the moment. I am so scared about dying. I have stopped drinking and and am eating well and drinking lots of water.
Was it wrong information that to have severe cirrhosis it would show some sort of markers with blood work and an ultrasound?
I also read that ultrasounds are 94% accurate at detecting cirrhosis
Hello,You are doing all the right things. Most folks on here will tell you that their cirrhosis was pretty hard to miss on their bloodwork and scans etc. Aside of the fact, if you're bloods and scans are still showing good results, even if you did have damage, the liver is still doing its job and you would have caught it early enough to turn it around, by changing your lifestyle etc. So keep up the good work, enjoy Christmas and those near and dear to you, and here's to a healthier 2023!!
Hey, you sound really anxious and stressed about this, but try and be reassured by the doctor who seems pretty sure you don't have cirrhosis. Though you describe a couple of periods of heavy drinking, in most cases (I know there are exceptions here), it takes many years of heavy drinking, often daily drinking where the liver has no respite to recover and repair. Your symptoms can be there for many other reasons. For now, just focus on keeping yourself well, and try not to stress, listen to your doctor x
Hi and thank you for getting back to me. In the last 3 days my skin has been itching and I think I have Hepatic Encephalopathy.
Anxiety or irritability.
Difficulty concentrating or short attention span
Muscle twitches
Sleep problems.
Uncontrollable thoughts
I have been drinking every day for the last year or so but I also prescribed an antidepressant, antipsychotic and a benzodiazepine for sleep. I do not take the antipsychotic anymore but taking these on alcohol was obviously a bad idea.
I have read that when the liver is in distress it can struggle processing benzodiazepines and and antidepressants. I obviously cannot just stop taking them but do not want to make things worse and develop further symptoms of Hepatic Encephalopathy.
I now have a sore throat, fever and fatigue and am not sure that these are related.
Hey Zackhill, it sounds like you were a bit like me. Pre existing anxiety that was heightened after being told you may have liver damage. I take anti anxiety meds as well. It sounds like you did the most important thing and quit drinking. That is a massive win! Don’t get down when docs don’t believe you for the first 6 months to year. Only a very small percentage of people actually quit drinking so I can’t stress how great that is. Make a commitment not to drink again ever!
Benzos like almost every other med are metabolized by the liver. I have cirrohis but am very well compensated and take antidepressants and a benzo. I have/had panic disorder. Never, everrrr drink with benzos. It could lead to you not breathing in your sleep and die. I repeat DO NOT consume alcohol with any benzo!
I have to take low doses. It’s not that it hurts my liver, meds just stay in my system longer. You should seriously clear it with your specialist. Not a general practice physician or a gastro doc but a hepatologist when you can. Are you in the states?
Anxiety is a terrible disorder and I can relate. It’s one reason I use to drink. See a counselor if you can.
Now that you realize you damaged your liver you are going to notice a lot of things in your body that you didn’t before. You combine that with anxiety and it can lead to panic. The liver is truly an amazing organ. Be positive. I’m going on 2 years living with the disease. Not saying you have it. But if you do know that it’s not a death sentence. There are plenty of people on here or have loved ones that have had it for 20+ years. Not sure how old you are but I just turned forty.
Stay off google, never drink again, see a specialist, be your own advocate and stay positive.
You already did the most important thing and quit drinking. You are not alone on this forum. I’m sure the angel of the forum, Katie, will chime in after the holiday
You sound very anxious and as we all know that anxiety can bring about a lot of different symptoms. Are the tablets not the cause of those side effects?
At the moment you can only do the things you can control, and you are doing those well. Get to the doctor again when you can for a fuller explanation. Meanwhile, suggest you keep a journal of the symptoms etc as it will help your discussion. We do this constantly now, it is such a help. Take care.
I do not know what to do. I feel like I am having a breakdown. I know I simply cannot stop the benzodiazepines and Venlafaxine but I have read they can continue to cause liver problems and cause further Encephalopathy.
Take deep breaths. Yes, benzos can worsen HE. But no one has told you you have that. If you had HE I believe your iron level would have to be sky high and that typically shows in blood work. I started to convince myself just a few weeks ago after my 6 month check up that I might have it because the mri showed iron deposits in my liver. I was panicking. It’s likely you’re just having anxiety attacks back to back. Im telling you from experience, your mind can cause symptoms. When you have anxiety attacks your body is overloaded. Once it passes it can lead to extreme fatigue, forgetfulness etc… I had one so bad the faint bird chirping felt like it was in my head. You should call someone or have someone come over if possible.
I’m much older than you at 67, and have suffered from health anxiety all my life.
I, too, have been suffering similar fears as you, although my only presenting symptom has been all the body itching - and that mainly at night.
I visited my GP who said she couldn’t find very much wrong with me, and as the itching was my only symptom, she said had no concerns that I was suffering from anything worse than seasonal dry skin. She did, however says that if the itching were to continue, I should go back to see her again just after Christmas - which is what I intend to do.
Above all, the main reason for my reply is to say that I’m so sorry that you’re suffering in this way, and that I hope your liver repairs itself and gives you the best chance of a much better and much healthier way of life.
Hi, I have been to the hospital today and had blood tests and they had improved and my bilirubin had come down. The Dr was absolutely convinced that I have no cirrhosis and that my liver is fine.
I told him that I have the following symptoms;
tiredness and weakness
feeling sick (nausea) and loss of appetite red patches on your palms
itchy-skin/
No sleep
And symptoms of early hepatic encephalopathy
He said that they had checked everything and there were no liver problems.
I cannot accept it as I have so many symptoms associated with cirrhosis
I am very familiar with the most of these symptoms, it's just an objective reality. Like me and my doctors thought these symptoms were associated with liver cirrhosis and tried to look for it ... but in the end they found another serious liver disease... and it's not fatty liver at all.
Hi, my liver condition (by histology) has been described as nodular regenerative hyperplasia (NRH) and non-cirrhotic portal hypertension (NCPH). This is a vascular disease of the liver in which hepatocytes form micronodules similar to micronodular cirrhosis but there is no scarring and fibrosis is absent or minimal. All of my blood chemistry tests were within normal limits except for high ammonia levels. Ultrasound, CT, MRI showed no changes. I described all my symptoms in this link healthunlocked.com/user/Fib...
I constantly take lactulose for the treatment of hepatic encephalopathy, 20-30 ml 2-3 times a day. I don't know how much it helps. Sometimes there are really bad days and then the muscle twitches become more frequent, the hand tremor increases and the musty taste in the mouth gets stronger, sometimes a little better but it never completely goes away.
UPD If you have blood in your stool, then this requires immediate diagnosis and proper treatment. You need to contact A and E as soon as possible and explain to them the change in the situation in your condition. You need to get help, Zack
zackhille glad you went to get checked out. We have seen many people come on here convinced they have liver disease despite seeing several specialists. If you saw a liver specialists you should be celebrating it’s not liver disease.
The Dr just dismissed it all. I am in A and E and feel that the only thing that will save me is a transplant. I have early stage HE and need one ASAP. Does anyone know how I could go about this?
If multiple health professionals and numerous tests have revealed you do not have cirrhosis then you do not have cirrhosis. As for Hepatic Encephalopathy it's caused by toxin build up and this affecting/damaging your brain. This toxin build up will show in deranged bloods - often the ammonia level will be elevated.
You DO NOT need a transplant - in light of you having zero of the potential life threatening symptoms of decompensated cirrhosis. Even patients with known, full on cirrhosis which shows in both their bloods and scans don't always require transplant.
What you do have is a severe dose of health anxiety which is getting worse the more you read and focus on this.
Almost every single 'symptom' you are experiencing can be a physical symptom of anxiety.
Meant in the nicest the nicest possible way what you need to do is get a life! You need to do something to take your focus away from this as you are going to make yourself very poorly but not related to your liver.
Cirrhosis shows as a coarse, dense echo texture on ultrasound and one as poorly as you are convincing yourself you have wouldn't be enlarged but shrivelled and shrunken.
You've been told your liver is potentially a bit enlarged - this is potentially fatty liver due to your earlier heavy alcohol use and that is something you can do something about - a good health kick, exercise, healthy diet and of course no booze. Focus on doing this and hopefully your mental health will improve as well as your physical.
Try doing some exercise (outdoors is best - in nature). Take the focus off these so called symptoms and hopefully you'll greatly improve matters.
Your suffering is in your inability to accept your reality. Have you tried meditation? Coming into the present moment,the only moment we have. You are in thought based reality(your imagination),your mind is racing and catastrophising because your anticipating the futher(non existent). Have your tried breathwork?Grounding? Mindfulness? I’m not devaluing your experience Zackhill,just offering some friendly suggestions that might help you. I used to have all this anxiety carry on too,it’s a bugger for sure(required for when the lion try’s to eat you),the mind will send you into a spin. Try to get still. Breathe. Takes practice. If all else fails stick you head in the freezer 😆. Good luck!!
Hello there. Please take, the good advice offered,please try and calm yourself down, this will not be helping yourself. I understand its a difficult situation, you need to focus the mind on other matters if at all possible. If you truly had cirrhosis....on your ultrasounds, it would show your liver as having a course echo texture, shrunken, and hard as Katie has already mentioned. . Of which mine does im afraid. . So please thank your lucky stars that you don't have it ,as I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. Please just enjoy the life you have without liver cirrhosis.
Hi, I went to the hospital yesterday and had a seizure. They kept me in but let me go. I was trying to get to the Royal Free as my only chance is a Transplant. I have become more agitated. Liver symptoms have worsened and no one is listening.
I also now have covid.
Does anyone know if the transplant process can be done quickly?
No, it can't. My husband has very deranged bloods and very obvious cirrhosis on all scans, plus other life threatening complications. He wasn't listed for transplant until he nearly died, and even then, he has waited over 18months on the list because he isn't actually dying right now. Transplant surgery is classed as a life saving operation and a team of highly trained professionals meet and discuss the benefits v risks regularly over each case. They will not list someone unless they are all in agreement. Its the most scariest thing we have faced in our lives, not just something you order like a new car. Even if you were to need a transplant you would need to urgently address your mental health because its the most stressful thing we've ever been through too. Please seek some help for your anxiety, no matter what you feel your liver is doing.
It’s good to hear you speaking in a more positive way now, Zack.
With regard to the palms of your hands; I’ve seen far worse than yours, and mine can sometimes take on a reddish tone depending on what I’ve been doing, and it sometimes causes me to panic because I suffer from sever health anxiety, but the ‘default’ colouring of my hands, and one that I wake up with every morning, is of a totally healthy looking hue, and is absolutely nothing to worry about.
As regards your other problems, people with a lot more experience than I possess will no doubt try to help. There are some very knowledgable people on here who are generous in giving their time. Some of them can seem quite ‘hard’ at times in the way that ‘tough love’ can sometimes be, but they make a very valuable contribution, and they just might be the ones that serve us most with both their manner and their knowledge coupled together in that way…
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Stressed out
Tips on managing stress and keeping a positive mental attitude.
Ongoing liver assessment stress
ALD, Cirrhosis, Portal Hypertension, anxiety/stress issues, eating disorder
