eterry
01-31-2002, 05:18 PM
My husband has cirrhosis from alcohol. has been off all alcohol for a few years, since diag. Had been stable. This week though, encephalopathy has developed and I am scared out of my wits. Haven't heard back from doc yet. Anyone have exp with this? It came on so sudden.
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eterry
02-02-2002, 12:56 AM
I think this episode was a lot worse than "mild". I think that it was short of coma. He slept a bunch yesterday. I ended up taking him to the ER and they gave him the lactulose. The next morning (today) he was a lot better, but still confused. He is still at hospital. I am hoping that the lactulose will keep it under control. He had been taking lactulose, but only for constipation, as needed. This will have to change now. I guess we have entered into a new phase of liver disease.
eterry
02-03-2002, 02:09 AM
thanks for the info. We are not out of the woods yet. DH is still in hospital. He has some ups and downs. He was pretty bad when I left him tonight. I hope this is able to clear up. The gastro expects it to. He has the slurred speech, can't find words, couldn't tell who won a basketball game on tv today, couldn't remember the president's name. I think the enceph is pretty advanced right now, but it hit so suddenly.
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eterry
02-04-2002, 08:54 AM
Yes, i've read that low-protein diet. The gastro said we don't have to restrict his diet, but I might try to cut down on the red meat. They think the enceph was triggered by a urinary track infection that we didn't even know existed.
eterry
02-05-2002, 02:27 AM
No ascites, but the dietician at the hospital sat down with us today to go over diet. She recommended low salt. She did suggest the low protein too.
BTW, he was super today. IT looks like the enceph is clearing. What a difference!!
BTW, he was super today. IT looks like the enceph is clearing. What a difference!!
eterry
02-05-2002, 09:00 PM
DH is coming home from hospital tomorrow. What a week this was.
Lisa35
02-08-2002, 09:29 AM
I noticed you wrote that your husband has acites. My husband has been sick for a year with alcoholic hepatitis. He's not sick enough to be even considered for a new liver so he's on a low salt diet and taking dieretics to control the acites. Is that what your husband does to control his? Or does he have to get his stomach tapped?
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Lisa35
02-08-2002, 11:19 AM
Thanks for all this information. My husband has a hernia from his acites as well and will be getting it fixed in a couple of weeks. But he did have hold off for six months because his blood was not good. Is your husband in a lot of pain because of his hernias? My husband is in extreme pain because of it.
How long will he have to wait for a liver?
Your husband sounds a little more sick than mine but your husbands situation actually seems vert similar to my husbands. If Khris (hubby) eats too much sodium his stomach blows up and he'll increase his dieritics. And he controls it that way. But he's on a real low sodium diet. He tries to stay under 1,000 mg. But it's not always easy.
Thanks so much for sharing. This has been a very hard year for us.
How long will he have to wait for a liver?
Your husband sounds a little more sick than mine but your husbands situation actually seems vert similar to my husbands. If Khris (hubby) eats too much sodium his stomach blows up and he'll increase his dieritics. And he controls it that way. But he's on a real low sodium diet. He tries to stay under 1,000 mg. But it's not always easy.
Thanks so much for sharing. This has been a very hard year for us.
eterry
02-11-2002, 01:30 AM
Lisa,
Gee, we all seem to be in the same boat. Bill does not have ascities in the abdomen, but he has the edema in the ankles and feet. They want him to take 50 mg per day of the spirolactone. The dietician in the hospital suggested the 2000 mg of salt, just to get used to it if the ascities hits. We had been ignoring diet up until now. I was surprised at the sodium content of so many foods. So, watching the sodium has got to be a big improvement for us.
We have had to delay surgeries in the past to get his blood in shape. We found the cirrhosis when he went in for knee surgery and the pre-op tests showed low plateletts. That's when he had to give up the booze and wait for an improvement. He eventually had the surgery with extra care. they gave him plasma and had to stay overnight.
Then he needed surgery for an anal fistula. He just had that surgery in Oct. Had to see the hematologist a lot to get approval for surgery and they kept him overnight again.
He has bad arthritis and was taking oxycontin for both the arthritis and the anal pain. They took him off of this after the enceph. I read about what you both said about the hernia pain and I hope we do not have to deal with that.
Terry
[This message has been edited by moderator3 (edited 04-23-2002).]
Gee, we all seem to be in the same boat. Bill does not have ascities in the abdomen, but he has the edema in the ankles and feet. They want him to take 50 mg per day of the spirolactone. The dietician in the hospital suggested the 2000 mg of salt, just to get used to it if the ascities hits. We had been ignoring diet up until now. I was surprised at the sodium content of so many foods. So, watching the sodium has got to be a big improvement for us.
We have had to delay surgeries in the past to get his blood in shape. We found the cirrhosis when he went in for knee surgery and the pre-op tests showed low plateletts. That's when he had to give up the booze and wait for an improvement. He eventually had the surgery with extra care. they gave him plasma and had to stay overnight.
Then he needed surgery for an anal fistula. He just had that surgery in Oct. Had to see the hematologist a lot to get approval for surgery and they kept him overnight again.
He has bad arthritis and was taking oxycontin for both the arthritis and the anal pain. They took him off of this after the enceph. I read about what you both said about the hernia pain and I hope we do not have to deal with that.
Terry
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topcash
02-12-2002, 01:45 AM
Hi-I have a question. I used to be a "drinker" and back then, I had blood tests that showed my liver enzymes were way off, the doc said due to the drinking.I had a very high billirubin score too. I had a sonnogram and found a i had a slightly enlarged liver and a fatty liver. that was 5 years ago. the doctor scarred me, so I stopped ALL alcohol at hat poimt. My liver enzymes and blood tests quickly returned to normal and have stayed there. Ty fatty liver has never left me, although it has improved. I no longer have any enlarged liver, but stll some fatty liver. I am a hypocondriac, and always worry i have cirrosis, My doc says I am fine , just dont drink, But how can they say for sure I dont have cirrosis without a biopsy ? I do feel fine now
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eterry
02-12-2002, 12:33 PM
my husband's cirrhosis was diagnosed with a sonogram and a cat scan and blood work. no biopsy.
eterry
02-12-2002, 03:18 PM
Just came back from primary doc. Blood work from Thursday showed plateletts at 45. That's the lowest we've seen. Ran tests again today after the doses of vitamin k and potassium.
We are not on a transplant list. The gastro mentioned that he should get on it when we first saw him. But, my husband is not interested in that. He thinks that he would be taking a liver from a child that needs it.
I don't know if the cirrhosis is worse now that he has experienced the bad encephalopathy. We see the gastro next tuesday.
The primary doc doubled the dose of spirolactone from 50 mg once a day to 50 mg twice a day.
Terry
We are not on a transplant list. The gastro mentioned that he should get on it when we first saw him. But, my husband is not interested in that. He thinks that he would be taking a liver from a child that needs it.
I don't know if the cirrhosis is worse now that he has experienced the bad encephalopathy. We see the gastro next tuesday.
The primary doc doubled the dose of spirolactone from 50 mg once a day to 50 mg twice a day.
Terry
topcash
02-13-2002, 01:31 AM
Re: Cat Scan
Did the cat used to determine cirrosis also incorporate the IV, I mean the injection where trhey put that dye in the liver? I refused that injection beccause I had a fear of needles, so i had a straight Cat Scan, and I am wonederingf if thry may have missed seeing if i really have cirrosis because of it?
ALSO: During cirrosis is the blood tests abnormal even if the person no longer drinks? I think i read somewhere that you can have cirrosis and have a normal blood test?
Did the cat used to determine cirrosis also incorporate the IV, I mean the injection where trhey put that dye in the liver? I refused that injection beccause I had a fear of needles, so i had a straight Cat Scan, and I am wonederingf if thry may have missed seeing if i really have cirrosis because of it?
ALSO: During cirrosis is the blood tests abnormal even if the person no longer drinks? I think i read somewhere that you can have cirrosis and have a normal blood test?
eterry
02-13-2002, 11:02 AM
thanks for all the transplant info. Funny, we are in Houston too.
I am so sorry to hear about your husband's botched operation. That is so sad. I hope he was able to get some compensation for it, although I know that he would rather have a healthy liver.
His cat scan involved drinking iodine also. Some liver damage can be reversed when you stop drinking, but not cirrhosis. Once the liver scars, it is irreversible. However, if you have cirrhosis, you will slow down the progression if you stop alcohol. If you have cirrhosis and don't stop drinking, you are only asking for trouble.
[This message has been edited by moderator3 (edited 04-23-2002).]
I am so sorry to hear about your husband's botched operation. That is so sad. I hope he was able to get some compensation for it, although I know that he would rather have a healthy liver.
His cat scan involved drinking iodine also. Some liver damage can be reversed when you stop drinking, but not cirrhosis. Once the liver scars, it is irreversible. However, if you have cirrhosis, you will slow down the progression if you stop alcohol. If you have cirrhosis and don't stop drinking, you are only asking for trouble.
[This message has been edited by moderator3 (edited 04-23-2002).]
eterry
02-13-2002, 11:06 AM
We fit that profile exactly:
male
age 59
blood type: O positive
I wonder why male is highest percentage when I read that women are more prone to cirrhosis.
male
age 59
blood type: O positive
I wonder why male is highest percentage when I read that women are more prone to cirrhosis.