I wonder if anybody has any advice for me regarding my husband's cirrhosis.
He has been hospitalised around 8 times in 2 years with massive variceal bleeds, and has had sepsis twice - last time involving a 4 week hospitalisation. I've been told to prepare for the worst on around 4 occasions now. He had a large liver abscess drained in April this year.
He is on no medication apart from insulin(diabetes) from pancreatitis 6 year's ago. He also has stopped having varices banded. Obviously he has been told many times he needs to be abstinent. He refuses further endoscopies. He had around 40-50 varices banded over last 2 years.
The drinking is now around 4 -5 days a week, and around 3-4 units each time in evenings. I have noticed that the days after he drinks, especially if more than 2 units (pint of Guinness ) there are symptoms the next day.
These are very white nail beds, bad pallor but no jaundice, being tired, and generally not looking great. He has made a remarkable recovery since the sepsis, putting back the weight, but now has quite a tummy which doctors say is not ascites. To me it looks like when he did have ascites. It was never very bad and was only drained once as part of another procedure. However I'm sure the doctors know ascites from fat!
He is active - even on days he feels tired - working part time, but breathless when going up stairs in house. Not breathless if no alcohol the day before. His resting heart rate is also 102, lowish blood pressure.
He has portal hypertension, chronic pancreatitis, cirrhosis, (mild he was told) and was also treated for a common bile duct stricture. There are also blood clots in portal and splenic veins .
Is it possible that given the recovery from sepsis, and the drainage of liver abscess and sorting out the gallstones in the bile duct that he has to a large extent gone back into decompensated cirrhosis. His last variceal bleed was end March this year.
Finding it hard after witnessing and dealing with the bleeds, etc. He is 69 years old. I don't understand why even this 'moderate' drinking hasn't resulted in a bleed to be honest.
Thanks for any advice - he will not hear of being abstinent as he thinks his drinking is moderate, and the treatments have all worked - which they have. He says that he enjoys a drink and doesn't see why he can't 'enjoy life'.
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christmasjingle
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I'm so sorry for your constant worry it is so hard to watch the one you love drinking themselves to the grave , and that is what he is doing doctor s will not even consider him for a transplant if he won't give up the grogg and believe me I know how much of a change in his life a transplant would make as I am 3 months post transplant and the difference is amazing I had drank most of my life but when I had to choose between a possible chance of life or the alternative I chose a life , sober almost 5years now , does he realise what he's doing ? I didn't , until now I was suffering and was in denial of what was possiblely going to happen tell him the truth and get help through a drug and alcohol clinic
I hope you can get him to see where he is heading regards Elaine
Thank you so much for your kind words. There is no way doctors would consider him for a transplant I was told, (which he wouldn't take anyway) because of his other many conditions. So transplant is a non issue.
I would like to know if it's possible he has gone from decompensated to compensated since April this year. Yes he is still drinking - around 14-20 units a week. Since 2022 this is the longest he has gone without a bleed - as I said last one end March this year.
People are very kind in speaking about transplant , but it will never happen, and I just wonder how long he can continue without another 'episode'.
Doctors just say "well he can't have a normal life expectancy with cirrhosis". Yet his hepatalogist (large teaching hospital) also queried whether he had cirrhosis just this year. She has now said she thinks that 'on balance' he does.
They probably don't know themselves how he will continue - I'm just interested in the possibility of recompensation over time even with 'moderate drinking'.. I do know there is no such thing with cirrhosis - husband point blank refuses to.
He is never drunk or even very tipsy but the next day his skin is pale and hands pure white . Can that be the alcohol from the night before?
Thanks again, but sometimes after a long long battle with someone you have to let them decide what they want to do. He has chosen to have a couple of drinks of an evening. Does it do harm however?
Oh this is a very difficult disease to navigate, but I'm so pleased to hear about your own decision to give up and to maintain. All the very best health to you.
Good evening i live in Australia I totally agree that he has the right to choose what he wants to do and its hard to live with an alcoholic as I am I now understand that total abstinence is the only way and yes your liver can repair it's self I had to give up to start to see the difference. Them I was diagnosed with liver cancer and heptopulminary condition ( shortness of breath ) and was on oxygen 24/7 me family believed I would have been dead by now but it all started with giving up the drink .the doctors believed it was impossible for me to changed and give up the drink was when they thought I might have a chance I hope you're ready for a ride of your life because either way you will need to be strong my husband has aged and still worries when I cough LOL
Yet seriously he's always on edge suffering anxiety form caring for me be strong my thoughts will be with you I'll pray for you both
Thank you for you very kind reply. Yes it is a very bumpy road being with someone with this disease. Thing is that even if offered he wouldn’t want a transplant- he refuses banding now. Also refused Tipss.
He has chosen to continue with his 14 or do units a week and I accept that. I’m afraid I’m past the dramas and temper tantrums of encouraging him to just be tee total.
I would like to know or have a rough idea of prognosis given his continued drinking.
They’ve done wonders draining liver abscess and clearing stones from bile duct and treating sepsis - so he looks and feels transformed- but as I say his face and hands really show the alcohol the next day. To him his couple glasses wine are very important.
I am in a similar position to you - a husband who drinks (hiding bottles, denying that he has drunk etc), but in his case it would appear that his liver is coping! He has had a TIA which the Drs think was probably caused by binge drinking and dehydration, but that has made no difference!!
I am finding it terribly hard living with an alcoholic who is denial and will now not go to any occasion with him where alcohol is involved and am dreading Christmas!!
We are in a horrible position - please take care x
The liver is the most forgiving organ in your body. Even when damaged, it will continue to try and regenerate itself, continue to try and perform all 500 of its' functions. And it is possible to go from compensated to decompensated cirrhosis and back again. However, when it is damaged, the liver's ability to complete all those functions is lost slowly, and so you get the symptoms you talk about - next day symptoms etc because instead of doing all the daily things the liver needs to do, his liver is having to work hard on filtering the alcohol from his body.
Are you with your husband for all his appointments? Have you heard the doctors say he has "mild' cirrhosis? It sounds a little bit like he's in denial and not wanting to tackle the relationship with alcohol so is convincing himself (and you!) that it's OK.
I used the analogy before that if you used a cream on your skin that looked good, felt good, smelled nice etc but brought you out in a rash that scarred your skin, you wouldn't then put that cream on the next day and the next day. That is what is happening when he drinks. Tiny bits of damage the next day and the next day, until his liver has no more to give.
Thank you for taking the time to reply - it's really appreciated, and I think you have made a brilliant analogy with the face cream .
I don't go to appointments with him as I'm not allowed - but I've gone to plenty in the past and was obviously very involved with doctors during all his hospitalisations. I also go over all medical correspondence with a fine tooth comb.
Unfortunately it is my husband's decision. He will simply not give up and just says that he has reduced his intake which is all true. He was a very social drinker, and probably in the past would be around the 40 units a week mark.
I just don't understand how given the amount of massive bleeds we had over the past 2 years and his very close shave with sepsis and a liver abscess plus infected bile duct, that firstly he even wants to drink, but also that he is getting away with it apart from the symptoms I've described.
For example, he has done a morning's work, out at meetings all day tomorrow, and is off for a swim at the moment. Yes, he goes to bed very early, and has the grey pallor, white nails, and can be breathless on occasion just from going upstairs. I suppose I just have to accept that if something is going to happen it will do so. Truly this disease is so difficult to deal with and watch.
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Husband still drinking and refusing treatment 
Wondering how long the process of endoscopies and banding can last . Any of your knowledge would be great thanks . 
How would you take this??
