General Anaesthetic, Cirrhosis and Confusion

Hi all!

This is my second post so I’ll try not to go on too much!

In January I started having abnormal bleeding which got heavier and more frequent.

In March I was told by my gastro consultant that I have liver cirrhosis while I was an inpatient in hospital for 8 days.

The gynae problems persisted and today I will have missed 4 menstrual cycles.

2-3 months ago I was due to go into hospital for a number of gynae procedures under general anaesthetic (red flag).

The anaesthetic consultant was very concerned (he was lovely) and started asking me questions about confusion and did a basic neurological test.

After going over the risks and agreeing to blood transfusion (in case complications arise with the liver) I signed the form then took a hypo and severe chest pain and so the doctors couldn’t proceed and I was kept overnight for observation.

Around 1 month ago I attended a pre op assessment where the anaesthetic doctor up in the different hospital never really listened to how I’m feeling - the appointment was rushed and she put me down as fit for surgery.

I haven’t heard anything since and this is out of character as my gynae consultant wanted things done quickly, especially seeing its red flag.

As the days go on, I’m getting sicker, more and more tired (I’m sleeping 3 times per day and at night-drained of energy) and been having mild headaches every single day for 1- 2 months along with confusion, forgetting things (my memory used to be really good - I can’t even remember song lyrics anymore or what Im going to do next), I’m starting to forget what I’m saying mid sentence along with coming out with the wrong words to name a few of these symptoms.

My gp did some ‘memory blood tests’ but these have came back normal.

Can the liver cause some of these symptoms?

I’m really not good as each day passes and I feel like a burden on my mum as now I need continuous care - housebound.

I’m also having doubts about the procedures as i don’t feel well enough right now to go ahead. I’m dreading the day that the hospital calls with a date as I know there are risks with the cirrhosis (anaesthetic doesn’t work the same) and now I’m not sure what to do!

Has anyone with cirrhosis on this had a procedure under general anaesthetic?

I had a Fibroscan last Monday and while the Cap score was at 254 the kpa was 23.9 and so I’m waiting on some kind of news from my gastro consultant too, but I know this will take a while.

I’m probably overthinking but with the risks of general anaesthetic (I have an enlarged spleen, mental health conditions and autism too) I’m just terrified.

I’m just beginning to accept the liver cirrhosis diagnosis and know that I have to get on with things but being so sick is taking its toll on me.

Thanks for reading this!

[AyrshireK]

Hi again, sorry to hear you are struggling.

On the matter of the general anaesthetic I wouldn't have thought it would pose you any great problem even with cirrhosis and the anaesthetist will be aware of your condition and deal with it. My hubby had at least one procedure under a GA whilst he was poorly with cirrhosis (he had an ERCP with gall stone removal and widening of his bile duct plus they did an endoscopy for banding whilst he was still under) he had no ill effects from it at all. I am sure people with cirrhosis undergo procedures under GA all the time.

As regards your confusion episodes, brain fog etc. there is a condition that goes along with cirrhosis called Hepatic Encephalopathy (HE) that can cause these sorts of problems BUT it sounds like you had memory tests and cognitive function tests with GP that sort of rule it out. In your last post you also mentioned that your bloods were now all in the normal range and with HE you might expect some of your bloods to still be out of range as it is a symptom of a struggling liver.

Obviously you have anxiety and with health anxiety disorder comes very real symptoms. Brain fog, memory issues , sleep disruption, headaches and more are all listed as symptoms of anxiety. The longer you wait for your procedure the more concerned you are going to get so it would be worth chasing it up and trying to get it over and done with so at least with your gynae issues sorted it would be one less thing to worry about.

All the best, Katie x

[Readlots]

Hi, I’m sorry to hear that you’re feeling worse. You might find it helpful to talk to the British Liver Trust Helpline. The nurses on the helpline are lovely. I’m sure they can steer you in the right direction and provide support. If you are feeling worse it might be worth getting a GP appointment to see if there is anything they can do to speed up your procedures, or to help you get stronger while you wait. I hope you get your appointments through soon and are well enough to have the procedures.