Hi, I have had NAFLD for several years but have just started to get pain with it. I think it may have moved to NASH and possibly fibrosis or cirrhosis (nothing has confirmed that officially yet).
I had a blood test and the doctor said that the liver function number was raised more so than usual. It has always been high since having NAFLD. I have read that if you feel pain then it’s already late stage and I’m really very concerned.
I had an ultrasound less than a year ago and they said it was fatty liver but made no mention of swelling or anything else.
I have an appointment to talk to the doctor about it tomorrow and I didn’t sleep at all last night, I’m dreading another night with just my thoughts playing out worst case scenarios.
Has anybody else had any experience with pain (usually when pressed or bending) in the right upper abdomen. Is there hope? Or am I looking at cirrhosis and a potential transplant?
Sorry for the drama but this really came quickly out of the blue.
Written by
IronPilgrim
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I've had ache/pain in upper right abdomen and right shoulder blade. I had an ultrasound and have a moderate fatty liver and enlarged spleen at 14.6cm. I asked at the scan if the ultrasound can pick up cirrhosis and he said yes and he said I didn't have any cirrhosis. I had stopped drinking alcohol about 2 years ago but my diet was rubbish but after my scan I now watch what I eat and the ache/pain has more or less gone. Sometimes I can feel it in my right shoulder blade after I've done some weights. I take Milk Thistle capsules that really help. Look up Inulin. Angela Rippon takes it as she was diagnosed with a fatty liver and it helps remove fat. I'm hoping to start jogging soon but suffering from Gout at the moment. I'm waiting to see a specialist but waiting list is 6 months.
A word of caution on taking Milk thistle: What Are the Risks of Taking Milk Thistle?
Risks. Milk thistle can trigger allergic reactions. People who are allergic to artichokes, kiwi, ragweed, daisies, marigolds, and chrysanthemums are at higher risk. People who have diabetes or endometriosis should check with a doctor before using milk thistle. While milk thistle has been traditionally used in pregnant and breastfeeding women, its safety is unknown. If you’re pregnant or breastfeeding, check with your doctor before using milk thistle. Milk thistle is not recommended for children.
Side effects. Milk thistle seems to have few side effects, even when taken for several years. Some people have nausea, diarrhea, itching, and bloating.
Interactions. If you take any medicines regularly, talk to your doctor before you start using milk thistle. It could interact with many drugs, including some that treat high cholesterol, infections, insomnia, and blood pressure. Since milk thistle may lower blood sugar, people with diabetes should check with their doctor before taking the herb as it may make their blood sugar fall too low.
I’d be extremely cautious regarding over the counter type herbal remedies like milk thistle. My hep doctor told me in no uncertain terms not to take anything like that because a) they are not proven to do anything good and b) if you have a damaged liver they can actually make things worse.
I do take milk thistle but only in its natural form (leaves, seeds and buds for tea making purposes) and not in some manufactured and processed capsule and I only did so after running everything I do take by my hep doctor who said milk thistle in its natural form won’t harm MY liver. I was even warned off taking paracetamol because it can damage the liver, only take it I was told if absolutely nesacary. If I have a bad headache now I just either suffer with it or concoct a herbal tea for any headache.
We are all different of course and what may be OK for my liver may not be OK for someone else’s. All I do know is that all these so-called wonder over the counter type remedies packaged as liver health, gut health and so on are mostly rubbish and will do nothing for your liver or make it worse.
I spent a fortune at Holland and Barrett on such products while an alcoholic over the years thinking if I took them it would protect my liver, thankfully I was always too drunk to bother with them because when I was finally hospitalised with jaundice and ascites and likely cirrhosis my hep doctor said when I got home to throw them all in the bin because taking them would make my liver even worse.
Remember your liver has to filter out these things, check the packaging and what other components are added to these remedies, many of which are not good for the liver, sadly there is a lot of misinformation because if you type into Google liver health remedies and milk thistle comes up, yes, in its natural form not some manufactured expensive mass produced capsule. If it truly worked your doctor would prescribe you that stuff like they do Folic Acid, Thiamine, multi-vits etc.
I’m not saying herbal remedies are not to be used full stop, but if you do, research what you’re taking and always try and get it in its natural form. Your diet is the key, I’d rather for example try and get my vitamin D from food and exposure to sunlight then pop some tablet.
Regarding the gut itself, kefir was recommended to me by my doctor, I had IBS I didn’t even know about but since I’ve introduced kefir to my diet, it’s all resolved now, but again what works for someone may not work for the other, always seek advice from a doctor or a diet expert and make it all about what you specifically require in regards to your own health issues.
Fatty liver can all be revered or resolved or Improved by diet and exercise alone, you don’t need some so-called fast track super pill or liver detox capsule, save your money, time and effort into researching food.
Well done on 2 years sobriety btw, that’s amazing, you’re doing great there and hopefully your gout will improve, my friend has it and he’s always in pain with it. Good luck!
Don't go to Holland & Barrett. They are the worst. I buy clean Milk Thistle that contains no fillers or binders etc. Go take a look at your pharmaceutical tablets and read the leaflet inside and see how many side effects they can give you. Big Pharma are not there to cure us. If they did then they would lose all their big profits and their share holders wouldn't be happy. I stopped taking Milk Thistle for a few weeks and felt worse. I went back on it and felt loads better. I get my Milk Thistle from British Supplements. Search on YouTube Benefits of Inulin for fat loss as seen in How to stay young with Angela Rippon. And yes, no alcohol and healthy diet is a must but Milk Thistle has been used for 1000's of years. Big Pharma just doesn't want you to know about natural cures.
Yes you’re right big pharma only care about profits, given the advances in technology and research I’m sure there is a cure out there for many things, but I’m guessing (admittedly) that most cures or rather things that can make you better are all derived naturally from the sources of our earth which if we can manage to look into ourselves we wouldn’t all be reliant on meds or a need to pay silly money and such for these so called wonder medicines and tablets.
I’m convinced my night time tea ritual of mixed natural leaves and herbs for example is the main driver towards my own liver’s remodelling, along with a healthy diet and abstinence of course.
Regarding milk thistle I go for the buds, leaves and seeds and make my own homemade teas out of it or use it in recipes along with other naturally grown stuff that comes from the earth. It’s just one of the hundreds of healthy sources I’ll use to heal myself or stay healthy.
Google artichoke and a whole host of artichoke extract tablets and capsules claiming to heal your liver will come up. Again I’ve spent silly money on such crap. Now I eat natural artichokes, and don’t put toxic tablets into my body. All of it is a con IMO including Milk Thistle capsules, so called liver health stuff etc.
If you’re going to use Milk Thistle anyone, use it in its natural form, but do so at the advice of a nutritionist and your doctor and whatever you do, also do your own research.
Having said that a lot of doctors are clueless and not intentionally so, they just aren’t trained to know the ins and outs of what food source is good or bad for your liver, even top hep doctors don’t fully understand the liver and diseases associated with it.
You have to be your own health advocate and do your own research. I was on all kinds of diuretics for ascites for example and while they clearly do something to help with that, they also can cause other issues. Me, I looked at natural diuretics that bring in vital vitamins and minerals and help you flush out the toxic ones rather than brining in nothing but flushing out everything.
With medicine it’s like whack a mole, take one thing to help deal with some issue and you’ll need to take something else to deal with an issue from taking the first set of meds. It’s a catch 22 vicious circle.
I’m lucky my doctor seems clued up and told me I don’t need diuretics and to stop taking them the moment I no longer had ascites which I put down to eating healthy, abstaining and flushing out any toxins naturally from natural sources rather than the medicine.
That’s me though, again we are all different and we must all go off our own health condition and what works and doesn’t based on that as especially with liver disease it affects everyone differently.
I currently suffer from terrible alcohol related neuropathy and I refuse to take a few tablets for it so I’m researching into natural sources that can help deal with it and while it’s trial and error even taking some ginger, lemon and tumeric in my tea seems to help massively. But again that’s me, I know for example if your on certain medication things like ginger, or lemon or tumeric will have an adverse effect on such medicine.
If you think about it, other than generic and hereditary predispositions to certain things we are all born healthy little babies and other than that and wear and tear and old age the only thing that makes one ill or can worsen your health is what you put into your body.
Alcohol, drugs, smoking, fatty processed foods and the wrong medication.
There are no pain receptors in your liver. The liver, gallbladder, spleen and pancreas are covered by the Glisson's capsule so it could be any one of a number of organs causing the problem.
While it could be a progression of your liver condition, if your only symptom is pain, it could be any one of a number of things.
Eat well, avoid alcohol, keep active, that's all you can do! Keep us posted.
So i’ve just had my doctors appointment and the liver function results were slightly raised (ALT 165, AST 95) but apparently they’d expect much higher for liver disease. Next stop, ultrasound.
My husband has NAFLD and at one point his numbers were raised. He started milk thistle in capsule form and within 3 months of repeating bloods his numbers were normal and have remained stable. I try to get him to eat well but it’s a struggle. He does drink the occasional beer. Hope you get answers.
Hi, I am going through the same situation and have been reading alot about this, not from Google but from medical websites. Fibrosis no necessarily means liver transplant. With healthy life changes the symptoms can be reduced. I am still looking for a ray of hope to find out if this can be reversed. First of all, pease do not stress yourself. You do not want sleepless nights and high stress which may lead to another issue. Try to maintain a sustainable and healthy lifestyle and wait for GP's diagnosis. They will refer you to a specialist for Fibrosis and it will clear things up a bit. I have read so many successful stories on this issue that I am little hopeful now. I wish you luck and remember you can fight it.
HiHoping that your pain has eased off. I too have pain. My consultant said that because my liver is large and fatty it has stretched the Glissons capsule which consequently has caused my pain. The liver itself doesn't cause pain.
So I went for an ultrasound and apart from it being fatty, the doctor said it was normal size and shape and didn’t look abnormal otherwise. Which makes me confused as to why it hurts.
Hi Iron, dont know if i can help a lot except to share i've had same pain - for four years. Never had bad bloods or other symptoms. My consultant finally confirmed after 4 years that i had fatty liver "less than 10%" and that was causing the pain - like a tennis ball tucked under your ribs. He suggested weight loss (only). I've lost two stone - first three months drastically reduced alchanol that was 30units per week - 31 days AF today - but still have the pain. I'm going to keep going for another 30 days then go back to consultant for a Firbroscan if the pain has not gone away. hope you get to a root cause.
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