Has anyone had a bad reaction to Spironolactone or experienced good results from furosemide?

[elle-boop]

I have cirrhosis due to childhood AIH, until quite recently I have managed to cope with the condition but have been told if my symptoms and acites get any worse I could be in need of a transplant. I am not responding too well to the diruetics and am feeling very anxious about the future. If anyone has any experience that they feel could help I would appreciate hearing from you as I'm a bit overwhelmed at the moment.....

[Ginsing]

elle-boop Hi I too have had rotten results with diruetics particularly Furesomide . I try to eat natural ones and they work better Broccoli and green beans asparagus are good make you wee a lot - try them nothing lost Gins

[elle-boop in reply to Ginsing]

Hi, thank you for your reply. I am really struggling with them at the moment. Spironolactone worked really well and i lost about 9 pounds of fluid in about 3 weeks and felt much easier in my tummy but the side affects for me were awful and i couldn't function. I am now on furesomide and feel no better, i have no side affects tho. My fluid is all back and my tummy is very swollen, i feel like i am dragging it around with me. I have looked at some natural alterative and hope to find something (i am a bit of a hippy at heart lol), i will try the foods you mentioned for sure. have you tried dandilion or any other supplements?

[AyrshireK]

My fiance has cirrhosis due to some AIH in the past, an indicator antibody has been visible in some of his bloods and biopsy result. He hasn't been placed on any meds at all and his condition is being kept in check by a daily fluid intake limit of only 1500ml - he has no sign of ascites at this time. Just wondering if you have a daily fluid intake limit or are you drinking normally and taking diuretics? Might help to limit fluid intake or check with consultant to see if that would be suitable for your case.

All the best though, I have a feeling you are in a situation we might reach in the future. All the very best to you.

[elle-boop]

Hi, thanks for your reply. I haven't been told to limit my fluids at the moment but i should talk to my doctor about that. Salt restriction is a big factor as salt signals the water hormone to hold onto more fluids and men have more of this hormone than women so that should be a consideration for your fiance. I also take milk thistle complex as this helps the liver to function better and also helps with acites (i would say that it is an alternative medicine and should be mentioned to your doctor and you should do research on it for yourself however I find it very helpful but not everyone believes it helps......)

My AIH started when i was 4 and i am 38 now, the type of AIH i had is very aggresive and it has now burned itself out so I am not dealing with that at the moment, just the damage to the liver. Your fiance may never get to the stage I am at, hopefully!! If he is has a healthy diet and limits junk food, chemicals in his environment and limits sugar he will give his liver an easier time and a chance to heal. Also our liver needs to go thro' it's repair cycle which starts at about 11 in the evening and continues until the morning so tell him to avoid late nights and any sort of nightshift work if possible (I didn't know this for a while and think it might have contributed to my situation). There is lots of information available to help you with this and things you can do to maintain the existing health of your liver. You might already know all of this!!

Get in touch if you need to chat or are worried as I think knowledge is power and can ease your anxieties. Thanks for your advice on the fluids, i will definately check that with my doc.

[Liverlover]

Yes, I had problems with spirolactone. It was effective for the treatment of my ascites, but the side effects were a problem. I developed painful lumps in my breasts which apparently is quite a common side effect. I had low sex drive. My consultant has now put me on amiloride instead and combined with low sodium diet my ascites remains under control. My ascites was always moderate and I think amiloride might not be a good option for more serious cases of oedema or ascites, but ask your dr, and good luck. ps the idea of limiting your fluids sounds risky to me, I wouldn't do that without speaking to your dr.