I have a lacerated and very cirrhotic liver, the cirrhosis being caused by my diabetes.

[Madmog]

A big problem is that I have V & D lasting at least two days at least once a week. Any ideas from anyone please?

[Bolly]

Hi Madmog. By V&D do you mean vomiting and diarrhoea?

If yes, how long have these weekly episodes been going on. Have you spoken to your GP about them? The 2 day thing is a difficult thing to answer, as if this was an isolated 2 days then the normal advice is not to consult a GP unless the vomiting goes on longer than 2 days, but as yours is every week I would be asking the GP for advice.

Was your cirrhosis diagnosed by a liver biopsy - are you being looked after by a hepatologist or a gastroenterologist? If so, what do they say about the weekly episodes.

By 'lacerated' do you mean your liver is bleeding due to trauma? Or do you mean scarring as in fibrosis/cirrhosis.

[kitkatkaz]

Hi there Madmog,

I also have cirrhosis and diabetes, and wonder if you have been prescribed any medication for your diabetes? I am assuming it is Type 2. I was taking metformin for about a year, and had vomitting and diarrhea almost constantly, then the doctor reduced the amount of metformin and it reduced the symptoms a bit, then as I controlled my diabetes by diet only, they stopped the medication. I had had visions of being stuck with the bad, painful tummy and nausea for the rest of my life, then without the metformin I was a new person. I'm not saying this is the cause of your problem, just thought I would open up your mind to some possibilities, the one for me was so simple to resolve. So a trip to your GP is the best thing you can do.

I often wonder if it's the diabetes that causes the cirrhosis, or the cirrhosis that causes the diabetes! as I don't drink alcohol at all.

Wishing you the best of luck.

K

[Madmog in reply to kitkatkaz]

As said above, because I have been so ill lately and have spent much of the last few months in hospital, the GP is naturally reluctant to come up with any ideas. However, yes, I am on a small dose of Metformin to try to reduce the amount of insulin that I take four times a day. As I have had very little food lately, the amount of insulin that I take has had to be reduced and so I am really in a good position to just stop taking the Metformin and see what happens. I shall let you know! Thanks for your idea.

[AndromedaKraken]

My Dad does not have liver cirrhosis like me, but he is type II diabetic and he experienced the same problems with Metformin, which was a severe problem because he has a stoma! He ended up bypassing the Metformin altogether in agreeance with his Diabetes consultant and taking solely insulin. So it would seem, as suggested above, that Metformin is the culprit here.

[AndromedaKraken]

BTW it saddens me that people always have to justify their cirrhosis by saying "I don't drink!". It is not only alcohol that causes this hideous disease, however the media might present it to be the case. Why should we all have to justify ourselves in this way? I have crytogenic cirrhosis and I am sick of other consultants I see, plus my GP, assuming that my sometimes deranged LFTs and other blood results are caused by drinking, which I do not do. Anyway, soap box rant over! Sorry to tack on in this way!

[Madmog]

I certainly agree with you about having to say that I have cirrhosis but that I don't drink all the time. I too get annoyed by this. Since stopping my Metformin I have had a couple of bouts of vomiting etc but they have been shorter than usual. So I will wait to see what happens within the next few weeks.

I apologise for introducing a diabetes issue rather than a liver one, and so I am extremely grateful for all the answers I have received.