Unsure to be worried or not! Possible NAFLD

[liquoricet]

Hello, I went to my docs in October to ask for HRT and have high CRP levels which has caused all sorts of tests. They were 22 in Oct, 18 in dec and 15 in January. My ferritin was slightly raised (currently 163 should be under 150) but she said that inflammation goes together. There was a query that I had a UTI but that went by itself post Xmas. My LFT has come back normal twice.

Anyway, I had an abdominal ultrasound before Xmas which ruled out most things but showed " a slightly fatty pancreas" and borderline enlarged liver. (She said it might be big or might be my normal). It otherwise looked smooth and non fatty.

I've now been referred to the gastroenterologist dept and have an appointment march 20th and I'm really anxious! What will they want to do? Will it start with a "chat?"

I am very overweight (BMI 39) but working on it and have been exercising regularly for the last 11 months and lost 4kg. I have decided it's sensible to give up alcohol (except special occasions) if there's a problem with my liver and I'm doing my best to really be careful with food and lose more weight.

Doc says she doesn't know why I have inflammation and for a bit thought I'd be sent to urology. I'm very anxious about the whole thing and trying to keep things in perspective. (I'll very much hoping that if I do yet another crp test it may have gone down again).

Any advice welcome!

[AyrshireK]

Sadly, NAFLD is the fastest rising cause of liver disease in the Western world and being a tad overweight does put you at risk of developing that condition even if you don't have it just now so taking steps to tackle it before it becomes an issue (and before your March appointment) is certainly a good idea.

The BLT released details of a study into the benefits of a Mediterranean Style diet to prevent NAFLD - details are on the website :- britishlivertrust.org.uk/ea...

They also have a superb leaflet on treating NAFLD with a healthy diet and exercise - available to download at:- britishlivertrust.org.uk/do...

There is no need to panic at all, all stages of liver disease up to and including early cirrhosis are reversible with lifestyle change and/or treatment. So, if NAFLD is a possible issue you can take steps to stop it and reverse any potential damage done.

Katie

[liquoricet in reply to AyrshireK]

Thank you, that is a very kind response. I am quite happy to eat a Mediterranean diet as oily fish is one of my favourite foods -although I'm sad it doesn't include ice cream. I'm decreasing sugar, sweets and ultra processed foods (although we generally cook from scratch) and snacking on fruit & nuts again (I like them but stopped as hubby is allergic).

My sweet tooth and weekend wine are generally my downfall so if I'm avoiding alcohol that's a decrease in calories, right?

[AyrshireK in reply to liquoricet]

Yes, wine has lots of 'empty calories' plus any level of alcohol on a potentially fatty liver is like throwing petrol on a bonfire and can trigger inflammation leading to fibrosis. So, deffo something to remove as much as possible.

It's not clear you have a liver issue but best to follow advice and 'Love your liver!' as the BLT campaign says. britishlivertrust.org.uk/in...

Katie

[liquoricet]

I've just had a message saying my hospital appointment has been cancelled and to get another set of bloods done in March. I will be continuing to "love my liver" and see what happens. Thank you for your support.