Looking for advice - varicose veins across stomach and history of fatty liver/too much alcohol

[Bananasincustard]

Hi all. I was wondering if I could pick your brains while I wait for my gastroenterologist appointment next month as my brain has been racing.I was diagnosed with fatty liver via ultrasound nine years ago. My dr told me it was very ommon and nothing to worry about so I forgot all about it.

What's got me worried though is a few years ago I noticed enlarged/varicose like veins across my stomach that look like they're branching out from my belly button, one of them even wiggles it's way up my chest, they're not huge but are noticeable. I showed them to my cousin who's a medical student and she said it looks like caput medusae and is caused by portal hypertension from cirrhosis. She also enlightened me to the fact that fatty liver is actually quite bad for you and can progress to cirrhosis over time, especially if someone drinks to excess and doesn't lose the weight.

A bit of my history - I've been 30lbs overweight the whole time and my diet has been poor. I also have a ten year history of drinking too much (nothing seriously crazy, but definitely unhealthy levels- around 5-8 units five or six days a week). I haven't drank for the last 3 months and I've lost 20lbs.

My Dr sent me for blood tests - all of which came back completely normal - including ast/alt/ggt/alp/bilirubin, Platelets, INR, Albumin, FBC etc. He also plugged the numbers into a couple of different calculators (can't remember the name of them all but one was called FIB4) and said the results = zero to minimal Fibrosis. I have no other symptoms whatsoever besides the stomach veins and some mild water retention in my lower legs when sitting for too long, but I am concerned due to the stomach veins which are supposedly a clear sign of cirrhosis/portal hypertension.

I guess what I'm asking is it possible to have cirrhosis or severe liver disease with normal bloods across the board? Does anyone else have these stomach veins? How concerned should I be?

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks

K

[Smegmer]

Have confidence in the FIB tests, thats VERY good news. Continue with the healthylife style changes and you should be good !

[Sunnyskies33]

I don't know anything about those veins...did your doctor have any idea what might cause them? If you want a different assessment of your fatty liver you could ask for a fibroscan. It would tell what percent fatty change you have and scarring, if any. That combined with fib-4 might reassure you. Or an abdominal ultrasound.

[eblessed1982]

hi

I was diagnosed with cirrhosis in March of this year. I do not drink. Never really have. All my labs were completely normal. I’m in my early 40s. I’m am probably 60 pounds overweight. Since March I have lost almost 30 pounds. My cirrhosis was found accidentally. Click on my profile. I am new here also and have explained how it all came about. I have zero symptoms and have portal hypertension (was diagnosed during a scope after I got diagnosed)

Positive news is that I am told this can be managed. I am in the phases of learning more about it hence why I signed up on this discussion board. I have another follow up in a few weeks. I am getting an ultrasound and blood work every 6 months. So far my second round of bloodwork came back normal again. I will have more info at my second doc appointment in a few weeks. Stay positive. I had an ultrasound and then eventually a liver biopsy to confirm. They saw on ultrasound that my liver looked like it could be cirrhosis but then I opted for biopsy to give a final confirmation