Question for anyone with an answer - Liver & Pancreas Disorders Message Board

sherry_berry · 06-25-2005, 11:51 AM

Right now I'm being treated by a specialist for lupus. I just recently started taking Plaquenil. The Plaquenil along with 20mg of reactin keep the rashes and itching away.

Most recently I had an abdominal ultrasound because of all the abdominal and flank pain. My white blood cell count has been very high for some time now. The ultrasound showed that I have gall stones and an enlarged liver. I am going to a new specialist at the hospital soon. I don't have much of an appetite anymore and when I do eat it's very painful. I've also been suffering from chronic diahrrea for 3 months. I also have high levels of globulin if this means anything? I'm just wondering what is causing all these problems and is there something I can do to make it better?

meatball · 06-26-2005, 01:13 AM

There could be a gallstone caught in your bile duct causing your liver to be inflammed and all the pain you are in. Do you have high liver functions too or just the white blood cells?

sherry_berry · 06-26-2005, 10:29 AM

I'm not sure about my liver functions. Up until now the focus has mostly been on my kidneys. Since I constantly have UTI's and always have blood in my urine. I was just curious if the enlarged liver was common with gallstones. I also woke up the other morning with a broken blood vessel under my eye... who knows what that is about. All sorts of weird and interesting things going on lol.

meatball · 06-26-2005, 06:13 PM

Enlarged or inflammed liver can be from gallstones esp, if there is one caught in the common bile duct. Also the fact that you are having right upper quadrant pain can be a sign that you are having a gallstone attack. The liver is right above the gallbladder so if you have some sort of an infection, it can cause your liver to swell. You should ask your doc to run a liver panel to check your functions..

feelbad · 06-29-2005, 07:16 AM

The broken blood vessel you mentioned, is it like a bright red dot with tiny little veins surrounding it?this(called a cherry angioma) could indicate an increase in the blood pressure that is in the area(and possible organs) around the liver.This could indicate a possible impede of blood flow through the portal vein in the liver.it is called portal hypertension.are you seeing a GI doc at all for the liver issues?If not, i really think you should.i would also let the your current treating doc know about the sudden appearance of the possible angioma.please keep us posted.Marcia