itchy

[Melissa0504]

hi I’m new here and concerned about itching.

I started itching out of nowhere last week and it’s not stopped. I have been to the doctors and waiting on bloods, liver function being one of them.

My question is what does liver itching feel like to those who have had it?

many thanks

[lonmallin50]

l only ever got it at night in bed it’s like it just does not go away its when bile builds up in blood mine was I had decompensated liver disease

[Lurcherliver]

Hi

Itching is worse at night, no rash but you can make yourself red from scratching . Does your skin look a tanned golden shade? Whites of eyes slightly yellow? Palm of hands, feet, scalp, all over really. They give you a powder to relieve it . Drink lots of water and high fibre to try to reduce it, no alcohol obvs etc. Usually caused by high levels of bilirubin . Good luck with the bloods

[c3c31iaML in reply to Lurcherliver]

Hello

I'm sorry to hear about your itching - I have had this sometimes severely since diagnosis of cirrhosis last November. It feels like itching beneath the skin, hard to explain, and the occasional stabbing pain which occurs anywhere - like a sudden insect sting which makes me jump!

Several options later (strong antihistamines, antibiotics) prescribed by the Hepatologist, I now seem to have found a solution in Colestyramine powder. I take 2 x 4g per day, and inititally allowing for the 7 or so weeks it took it to kick in to my system, it relieved the itching 95%. I am now back to about 80% - something always itches day and night (worse at night) but it's much more tolerable.

Maybe if it continues ask your hepatologist if this can be prescribed for you? As I say, bear with it for a few weeks as it eventually works and is worth it!

All the best, Cecelia

[Lurcherliver in reply to c3c31iaML]

Thank you. I had colestryamine sachets prescribed when in hospital and as my bilirubin levels fell I stopped taking them. I took one a day. I haven’t taken any for weeks but have recently been feeling unwell again and have started itching again (although not as bead as before) so for the last couple of nights I’ve started taking it again. Hope you’re ok

[Melissa0504 in reply to Lurcherliver]

Hi

I haven’t got any yellowing of my skin, or any other symptoms just itching.

[mickeymouse42]

Perhaps ask your GP for a serum bile acid test. Itching can be a sign of cholestasis.

[Melissa0504 in reply to mickeymouse42]

I did mention bile. She had ordered LFT I’m not sure if this would be covered by that group of tests?

[mickeymouse42 in reply to Melissa0504]

No it will not include serum bile acid test. It might include bilirubin test but you can have elevated bile acid levels without elevated bilirubin levels. You will need to ask for it explicitly.

[Sunnyskies33]

Hi! Not recently but in the past, I had itching. I have eczema at times so hard to know if liver-related but I have read that an irritated liver can be related to itching. Get the tests but try not to pre-worry. I was diagnosed with a non alcoholic fatty liver (early moderate level) and very minimal scarring (7.5 kPa). The liver is forgiving and my doctor said that weight loss and exercise can reverse it most likely. While waiting you might adopt a fatty liver regime of no alcohol, exercise and healthy diet with healthy fats like olive oil. Very minimal added sugar or refined grains, as these are not good for the liver. Instead have healthy whole grains like oatmeal, lots of fruit and veggies, fatty fish like salmon, chicken breast and other fish. You can find info online on a fatty liver diet which is really good for most people as a basic diet.

[Readlots]

Hi Melissa, you are obviously worried and trying to find answers but I’d urge you to wait for the results of your blood tests. You could take yourself down a rabbit hole of worry thinking it’s your liver or something serious, when it could just be a change of washing powder. We’ve all made the mistake of exploring Google and tied ourselves in knots. Hopefully your blood tests will come back clear and the itching will resolve on its own or a simple explanation will be found.

[Melissa0504 in reply to Readlots]

thanks for that, I definitely need to calm down a bit, and googling doesn’t help!!

What I do know is I had a scan (MRCP) in March because of gallstones and they said my liver was ok then

That’s what I have to keep thinking.

[AyrshireK in reply to Melissa0504]

It's possible this itching is still gall stone related - any blockage in the biliary system can cause changes to bile acid/bilirubin levels and lead to itching. May be nothing to do with your liver.

[Melissa0504 in reply to AyrshireK]

Hi, I have had my gallbladder out after having gallstones a couple of years ago. Most recently I felt as though I had a stone in the bile duct (pain, indigestion and nausea) but that all settled and I had MRCP and endoscopic ultrasound earlier this year which found nothing.

It’s interesting though, I never had itching when I had gallstones, just biliary colic which I have not got now and I have no other digestive issues presently.