Covid and Liver stress

[ToughToes]

Hello All,Does anybody know if having covid puts added stress on the liver? I ask because I've recently had covid with fairly mild symptoms and towards the end of my recovery back to normal, one day I felt some discomfort on the right side around the bottom of my rib cage. I have mild fatty liver, stage 1. It's been unchanged for the last few years. I haven't had more than a couple of beers in weeks, not because ive been told i shouldn't by my doctor or anything, just because i haven't really felt like it. Recent (mid-August) ultrasound and liver enzyme tests were all normal. Does this sound like covid may have caused issues with the liver? Or could it be something as simple as trapped gas or some other kind of digestive issue?

Thanks,

Terry

[ToughToes]

I can't possibly be the only person here who's had covid? Lol

[Monicka]

Hi, I don’t think mild covid could have changed your liver condition significantly. May I ask you how do you know you have fatty liver? You wrote that your ultrasound and blood tests are okay so I’m wondering where your fatty liver comes from?

[ToughToes in reply to Monicka]

It was detected on an ultrasound several years ago.

[ThyroidDeb]

You don't have any details on your bio of how your doctor determined stage 1 fatty liver. Also with covid, my doctor has told me if I get covid because of the liver problems. I would have to have the infusions and not take the oral medications because they are hard on the liver. However, I have not yet contracted covid. I get my vaccines regularly so hoping that keeps it at bay. I was just told by my new gastroligist, that the Fatty Liver will never totally go away but to keep it as mild as possible to watch my diet and no alcohol. I have lost in total 70 pounds but he wants me to lose more, I weight 170 pounds female. My old gastroligist (who I loved but moved out of the State of Michigan) had me have an ultrasound yearly with his blood panel. My new one wants these test done every 6 months. No idea why just that is what he does I guess. I get pains in that area at times but I figure gas since it goes away with movement and/or taking Gas X.

[ToughToes in reply to ThyroidDeb]

What kind if details would you like. It was detected on an ultrasound several years ago. I think you may want to talk to your doctor, because everything I've ever read says that fatty liver is most definitely reversible with changes to diet and a reduction/elimination of alcohol. Apparently, the only stage not reversible is cirrhosis.

[ThyroidDeb in reply to ToughToes]

My enlarged liver reduced by diet and exercise, but that enlargement stretched the liver so that I have fibrosis stage 1 with mild fatty liver shown through biopsy. Most blood test by themselves showed cirrhosis stage 4 as did the fibroscan with advanced fatty liver. What started it all was an US for stomach problems, my liver enzymes were on the high end of normal but US showed fatty enlarged liver. Primary wasn't going to pursue but decided to send me to a gastroligist, he wasn't concerned but decided on more test which determined cirrhosis and he was happy to stay with that diagnosis. Long story shorter...I went for 2nd opinion he looked at my chest and hands and said he didn't think I had that so suggested the biopsy. He told me that fibrosis can be reduced by diet/exercise a stage or two in mild cases healed altogether. Cirrhosis can be reduced a stage sometimes, 3 years later test still show me at same level of mild but I still have fat through my liver even after 70 pounds lost, but that's mild also and my liver is normal size. My new gastroligist suggested my liver will never be totally fat free but important to not allow it to get any fattier. He wants me to lose more weight. 3 percent by next appointment. So, the reason I asked what test were given my fatty liver sent me onto about 3 months of testing to determine if it had done any damage and it had.

[ToughToes in reply to ThyroidDeb]

I see. Wow!!! That's a lot of info. Thanks for the update.

[Monicka]

Hi, it seems to me (but I’m not a doctor😉) that you don’t have fatty liver any more as your latest ultrasounds are clear. It appears that improvement in your diet and cutting down on alcohol had a healing effect on your liver. I wish my liver improved as your did.

[ToughToes in reply to Monicka]

Hi again Monicka. Well, I wish that were the case; however, my latest ultrasoubd (August 13) still said mild fatty liver, grade 1.

[Monicka]

It’s strange! I must have fatty liver too but no ultrasound taken within past 4 years confirmed this and I have had many. My eating habits were terrible for 50 years and it must have taken a toll. The only sign in me are the elevated enzymes and you have those okay. I had one incidental ultrasound in 2018 that stated mild steathosis but this hasn’t been confirmed since. Really a puzzle🙄

Do you think that there might be different ultrasound qualities? Like some of them being more sensitive and consequently more reliable?

[ToughToes in reply to Monicka]

Mild steatosis, grade 1, is what I have. I think what's in an ultrasound report depends a lot on the radiologist who reads the scan, as well as the instructions given to him/her by your doctor. For example, on my most recent ultrasound, my doctor must have asked him for his assessment of the likelihood of cirrhosis from what he saw, because his concluding statement of the report was, "The sonographic appearance of the liver does not suggsst cirrhosis."

[Monicka]

And have you ever had fibroscan?

[ToughToes in reply to Monicka]

No. But have one scheduled for September 17.

[Monicka]

oh! I will keep fingers crossed for you. I hope it’ll be ok😉I’m having blood check tomorrow, results coming in on Thursday and I’m mega anxious worried nervous🙈

[ToughToes in reply to Monicka]

Why did you get a fibroscan if you don't even have a fatty liver, much less cirrhosis?

[Monicka in reply to ToughToes]

Because I have those ALT AST enzymes elevated. First they were elevated four years ago in 2020. Then I had my blood done in 2022 when they were almost ok (still a bit over the limit but not much). This August 2024 my doctor performed a blood test and they were elevated again and a lot (1.5times and 2.5times). So I decided to get an ultrasound and fibroscan both of which came back negative. But as you say the result might depend on the skills and expertise of the doctor performing it. I just want to solve this puzzle with my liver😃

[ToughToes in reply to Monicka]

That makes sense.

[ToughToes]

Same 🤞 from me to you!

[islandanonymous]

I've had covid at least once, possibly twice...I suspect I had it in Jan. 2020 after travelling to Cuba and sleeping overnight in the Toronto airport next to a woman who coughed constantly for hours on end and was shaking, from fever, I guess. Anyway, both times I was very sick for about a week. I honestly can't remember though if I had any liver pain during or afterwards. I do remember having liver pain for about a year after I was first diagnosed with cirrhosis due to primary biliary cholangitis that went undiagnosed for over a year. (My doctor at the time ignored my elevated liver blood test results.)