Experiences with
Liver disease

There are many different types of liver disease. You can help prevent some of them by maintaining a healthy weight and staying within the recommended alcohol limits, if you drink.

Types of liver disease

Some of the most common types of liver disease include:

Condition	Possible causes
Alcohol-related liver disease	Regularly drinking too much alcohol
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease	Being very overweight (obese) – this may cause fat to build up in the liver
Hepatitis	Catching a viral infection, regularly drinking too much alcohol
Haemochromatosis	A gene that runs in families and may be passed from parents to children
Primary biliary cirrhosis	May be caused by a problem with the immune system

Get the flu vaccine

Flu can be very serious if you have liver disease. Ask for your free flu jab at:

your GP surgery
a local pharmacy that has a flu vaccine service

Find out more about the flu vaccine

Coronavirus advice

Get advice about coronavirus and liver disease from the British Liver Trust

Symptoms of liver disease

Most types of liver disease do not cause any symptoms in the early stages.

Once you start to get symptoms of liver disease, your liver is already damaged and scarred. This is known as cirrhosis.

If you or your child has been diagnosed with liver disease, the British Liver Trust or Children's Liver Disease Foundation can also offer advice and support.

How to prevent liver disease

The 3 main causes of liver disease are:

obesity
an undiagnosed hepatitis infection
alcohol misuse

You can reduce your risk of many types of liver disease with some simple lifestyle changes such as:

trying to maintain a healthy weight
not drinking too much alcohol

Vaccines are available for hepatitis A and hepatitis B. These are recommended if you're at risk.

Important

You do not have to drink an excessive amount of alcohol to risk damaging your health. Regularly drinking just over the recommended levels can be harmful.

Read about the risks of drinking too much

More information

Use the BMI healthy weight calculator to find out your body mass index (BMI)
Start the NHS weight loss plan
Read about cutting down on alcohol
Find out who should have the hepatitis A vaccine and who should have the hepatitis B vaccine

HealthUnlocked contains information from NHS Digital, licensed under the current version of the Open Government Licence

35,816 public posts

Carvdilol 3.25

My husband has liver disease and liver cancer with varices. He's been prescribed carvdilol 3.25mg. it's given him diareahh and is making him wee a lot more. He has read the contra indications and is worried as it says it's dangerous for people with liver disease. It's so confusing.

My husband has liver disease and liver cancer with varices. He's been prescribed carvdilol 3.25mg. it's given him diareahh and is making him wee a lot more. He has read the contra indications and is worried as it says it's dangerous for people with liver disease. It's so confusing.

in British Liver Trust

coronavirus shielding

Am I right that us with cirrhosis and other chronic liver disease are now being advised to shield?

Am I right that us with cirrhosis and other chronic liver disease are now being advised to shield?

in British Liver Trust

Help

Can one year of heavy drinking everyday lead to liver disease? I have a bad pain in my liver nausea all day for the past 3 days and diahrrehea.

Can one year of heavy drinking everyday lead to liver disease? I have a bad pain in my liver nausea all day for the past 3 days and diahrrehea.

in British Liver Trust

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Alcohol Related Fatty Liver Disease

Hi I am a 42 year old male and was diagnosed 4 days ago with Alcohol Related Fatty Liver Disease following right abdominal pain. I have been binge drinking since my teens so time to look reality in the face and get myself better.

Hi I am a 42 year old male and was diagnosed 4 days ago with Alcohol Related Fatty Liver Disease following right abdominal pain. I have been binge drinking since my teens so time to look reality in the face and get myself better.

in British Liver Trust

Blue Faery's Love Your Liver Public Awareness Campaign

Help Blue Faery spread awareness and increase prevention of liver cancer and disease. Every day, we will release a new video with one action item to help you learn more about liver disease and cancer prevention.

Help Blue Faery spread awareness and increase prevention of liver cancer and disease. Every day, we will release a new video with one action item to help you learn more about liver disease and cancer prevention.

AndreaWilson_FounderAdministrator

in Blue Faery Liver Cancer

NAFLD patients who would like to share their story with the British Liver Trust

Have you been diagnosed with non-alcohol related fatty liver disease (NAFLD)? If so, we'd love to hear about what action you're taking to improve your liver health. If you'd like to share your story, please email Lois at lois.baily@britishlivertrust.org.uk we'll be in touch. Thank you.

Have you been diagnosed with non-alcohol related fatty liver disease (NAFLD)? If so, we'd love to hear about what action you're taking to improve your liver health. If you'd like to share your story, please email Lois at lois.baily@britishlivertrust.org.uk we'll be in touch. Thank you.

Trust1Administrator

in British Liver Trust

Liver pain

Was diagnosed with alcohol related liver disease a few months ago,had more than a couple of drinks over the festive period and now have liver pain. My question is will it settle down again by itself? Thanks in advance x

Was diagnosed with alcohol related liver disease a few months ago,had more than a couple of drinks over the festive period and now have liver pain. My question is will it settle down again by itself? Thanks in advance x

in British Liver Trust

Raising Awareness of Liver Disease

The raising of awareness of liver disease over the years has taken me down many different roads. People in high places need to be informed of what is going on as well as the general public.

The raising of awareness of liver disease over the years has taken me down many different roads. People in high places need to be informed of what is going on as well as the general public.

Liver-Lifestyle-Guru

in British Liver Trust

Liver biopsy results/ Gilbert’s Syndrome?

I have seen a post about how some ppl with Gilbert’s syndrome have many symptoms of liver disease without having an actual liver disease. If anyone has any experience with any of this some input would be nice but I will still be asking a lot when I see my dr later this month.

I have seen a post about how some ppl with Gilbert’s syndrome have many symptoms of liver disease without having an actual liver disease. If anyone has any experience with any of this some input would be nice but I will still be asking a lot when I see my dr later this month.

in British Liver Trust

Biopsy

I’m so worried asi don’t drink apparently it fatty liver disease. I’m 73 and thought I was fit . Please help am I going to get worse quickly I plan to lose more weight as advised . Worried Coligate123

I’m so worried asi don’t drink apparently it fatty liver disease. I’m 73 and thought I was fit . Please help am I going to get worse quickly I plan to lose more weight as advised . Worried Coligate123

in British Liver Trust

New British Liver Trust campaign! Please support

The new campaign, Sound the Alarm on Liver Disease, is urging the Government to transform care for those with liver disease, and improve early diagnosis to save lives. To support the campaign and sign the petition, please go to https://britishlivertrust.org.uk/petition.

The new campaign, Sound the Alarm on Liver Disease, is urging the Government to transform care for those with liver disease, and improve early diagnosis to save lives. To support the campaign and sign the petition, please go to https://britishlivertrust.org.uk/petition.

Trust1Administrator

in British Liver Trust

Blood test - GGT and CRP levels

Or is it likely that I do have something potentially like liver disease (non-alcoholic fatty liver disease maybe?) or blocked bile ducts?

Or is it likely that I do have something potentially like liver disease (non-alcoholic fatty liver disease maybe?) or blocked bile ducts?

in British Liver Trust

Spider Nevi

All my lfts are normal as well as the ultrasound, is it possible to have spider nevi without a liver disease? Or it is always associated with liver disease, im getting anxiety right now. I dont know if should ask for further tests. Thank you

All my lfts are normal as well as the ultrasound, is it possible to have spider nevi without a liver disease? Or it is always associated with liver disease, im getting anxiety right now. I dont know if should ask for further tests. Thank you

in British Liver Trust

Itching and Advanced Liver Disease/Anyone without advanced liver disease?

I keep reading itching is one of the signs of advanced liver disease, how is that possible when people with just a fatty liver with mild fibrosis have itching and some without fibrosis have itching. Anyone with itching without advanced liver disease?

I keep reading itching is one of the signs of advanced liver disease, how is that possible when people with just a fatty liver with mild fibrosis have itching and some without fibrosis have itching. Anyone with itching without advanced liver disease?

in British Liver Trust

End stage liver disease & cancer - what to expect

Hi everyone, On NYE of this year, my 75 year old dad was diagnosed with end stage liver disease and liver cancer (after a lifetime of pretty heavy drinking, although he wouldn’t admit it). The diagnosis was obviously quite tough to swallow, as was the prognosis - he was given ‘months vs years’.

Hi everyone, On NYE of this year, my 75 year old dad was diagnosed with end stage liver disease and liver cancer (after a lifetime of pretty heavy drinking, although he wouldn’t admit it). The diagnosis was obviously quite tough to swallow, as was the prognosis - he was given ‘months vs years’.

in British Liver Trust

Liver disease and medication issues

Has anyone else experienced issues with medication and liver disease at all. I am scared that I have cirrhosis but it has never been detected

Has anyone else experienced issues with medication and liver disease at all. I am scared that I have cirrhosis but it has never been detected

in British Liver Trust

Hereditary liver issues

Can a problem with blood clotting from a cut,be linked in anyway to problems with any type of liver disease? Also,is it worth looking into checking own health of liver function,if close relative from liver cancer? (Non alcohol related). Thank you.

Can a problem with blood clotting from a cut,be linked in anyway to problems with any type of liver disease? Also,is it worth looking into checking own health of liver function,if close relative from liver cancer? (Non alcohol related). Thank you.

in British Liver Trust

Disappearing distended abdomen

My sister died on the 28th March of what I believe was undiagnosed liver disease. She had drank too much for way too long and had had various symptoms relating to liver disease. But what I want to know is, just before she died her massive tummy just disappeared. What made that happen?

My sister died on the 28th March of what I believe was undiagnosed liver disease. She had drank too much for way too long and had had various symptoms relating to liver disease. But what I want to know is, just before she died her massive tummy just disappeared. What made that happen?

in British Liver Trust

AST/ALT ratio dropped from last test?

I'm confused about the ratio i read being near or over 1 indicates advance liver disease, but what does it mean now that my ratio is lower on the new test?

I'm confused about the ratio i read being near or over 1 indicates advance liver disease, but what does it mean now that my ratio is lower on the new test?

in British Liver Trust

Do I have Jaundice, or early stages of cirrhosis?

Every symptom has led to beginning stages of liver disease (including a very small but noticeable yellow color under my eyelids). This has scared me enough to rebegin my journey of becoming sober.

Every symptom has led to beginning stages of liver disease (including a very small but noticeable yellow color under my eyelids). This has scared me enough to rebegin my journey of becoming sober.

in British Liver Trust