Alcoholic Hepatitis

[Anon99999]

Following on from previous post.

Updated result came back as

ALT 95

AST 49

GGT 157

So all improved. Unfortunately I ended up drinking for 1 week after 6 weeks of abstinence which resulted in a 3 day hospital stay with Alcohol Hepatitis (ALT of 400, Bilirubin 25) and withdrawal requiring fluids and diazepam, my bloods improved and they let me home with Vitamin B and Thaimine prescription. I am done with alcohol now.

Recovering from that I then got an infection in my elbow and Cellulitis which resulted in 4 days IV antibiotics 8000mg a day and 2 weeks Oral at 4000mg a day which wiped me out.

Recent bloods show Bilirubin, full blood count etc. all back in normal range but ALT and GGT both around 180, GP said expected after the antibiotics and is arranging follow up bloods.

Ultrasound in hospital showed enlarged and swollen liver with mild spleeneology, normal liver appearance.

Still waiting for the Gastro appointment, I’m worried that I have pushed things over the edge now.

Current symptoms

Muscle wasting and joint pain

Not digesting food properly

Gynomastacia

Lack of libido and testicular atrophy

Pale gums

Nail changes - loss of lunar on some fingers

Bags under my eyes

Insomnia

Hair loss on head

Sleep disturbance, could not sleep more than 30mins, this is very slowly improving, I managed 2 hours last night then a few lots of 1 hour in between waking throughout the night.

Other symptoms which have improved a lot the last week and I think were mainly the alcohol withdrawal

Feeling really ill and weak

Dizzyness and off balance

Brain fog

Muscle twitches / jerks

I’m now 7 weeks alcohol free and about 10 days since finishing the antibiotics. Is there any chance what I am experiencing is still the inflammation and not cirrhosis? How long can it take for the inflammation to go down?

I’m drinking plenty of water now and eating a healthy diet of lean meat, veggies, nuts, fruit, whole grains, protein shakes, every 3-4 hours to try and stop the muscle wasting but food is not getting digested properly, could this be the inflammation still?

[Ubwa]

strange to have all those symptoms with your bloods only marginally raised, especially in such a short amount of time? Have you been told you have cirrhosis? Possible it is now making itself known.. Some could be anti biotics(esp digestive related ones) and some diazepam related. Best wait what doctor says as we aren’t them and only they can reveal the true diagnosis.

Note the above is based on personal experience and knowledge I have gained having spent too long in a hospital ( I even get mistaken for staff now) it’s my opinion only.

[BritishLiverTrust8 Moderator British Liver Trust]

Dear Anon99999

This is a question that your own health care professional is best placed to answer, as only they have access to your medical records.

We suggest talking this through with your own doctor or health care professional in the first instance

Best wishes

British Liver Trust

[mtk0925]

your ultrasound being clear is a good sign that it’s not cirrhosis take this as a wonderful wake up call

[pushthrough]

Hello Anon,

Great job on being 7 weeks off the poison called alcohol. I was too unknowingly had alcoholic hepatitis and had been sent to the hospital for what they thought was thrombosis and it ended up being portal hypertension. You should really see a specialist because I was told I temporarily damaged my liver and would return to normal in 6 months to a year. (Almost 2.5 years sober now). Luckily I was already scheduled to see a gastro who then sent me to a hepatologist at which point I was told I had compensated cirrohis.

Even though the head of gastro at the emergency room was mistaken about the severity of my condition he said something that changed my life.

He said: “you are 38 years old and you seem like you have a great future ahead of you. I’m telling you now, you better thank God you came in here when you did. If you don’t quit drinking you will not live to see your 40’s.” I hear and see so many people go back to drinking even after being diagnosed with cirrhosis. I don’t understand it at all.

Setting whether or not you have cirrhosis or not aside. Stop drinking permantely or it’s going to get much worse very fast. Just because you start feeling better doesn’t mean it’s ok to have a beer. Resolve whatever caused you to drink in the first place. Whether it’s anxiety depression, etc,

Take care,

G.

[Anon99999]

Thanks for the replies. I seen the Gastroenterologist today and he confirmed that I have liver damage but he does not think it is Cirrhosis after doing a physical inspection and reading the previous ultrasound report and based on my improving bloods. He thinks I was/am at extremely high risk but believes I may have avoided irreversible damage. Abstaining from alcohol is a given otherwise it will get worse, he believes that I will improve though.

All bloods are normal now except ALT/GGT

ALT 54

AST 31

GGT 85

He advised to repeat these in 6 weeks and in the meantime is doing a Endoscopy to ensure there are no Varices and a Fecal Elastase test to check pancreas function and celiac disease due to the digesting food issue. I suggested a CT or MRI to further check the liver but he advised it’s a bit too soon to do these at the moment since stopping drinking and to wait until the other tests and further bloods first.

I’m still really concerned with all the symptoms I have but do hope the diagnosis is correct and that the damage is still reversible at this stage.