Help-Husbands liver shot from drinking!! - Liver & Pancreas Disorders Message Board

tired06 · 10-19-2006, 03:58 PM

I am new here and not sure what kind of response I will get but I am scared. My husband has drank for yrs and newly wed to me doesn't want to die anymore! He was having problems with swallowing and I got him to go to the doc. He had a scope put down his throat and blood tests. His liver is enlarged and told to STOP now. He has to have an ultra sound done now. What am I in for with him? I am supportive and he of me and my issues. I just don't know what to expect. He has tried to quit was in recovery 8 months ago=didn't work. Now that these results have come through he is tring. Any advice and what do I expect with the liver stuff? Thanks to who reply.

danielm · 10-19-2006, 06:26 PM

Hi tired, thanks for posting.

Let me start by saying that liver disease from prolonged alcohol consumption has various stages involved.

Early on, you can get fatty infiltration of the liver. This in itself can make you uncomfortable and have a number of different symptoms, but you can fix it by simply stopping alcohol consumption.

If you do not, then the disease progresses such that you get scarring of the liver. This damage is permanent basically.

That will then lead to end stage chirrosis of the liver which is the hardening of the liver and causes it to stop functioning. At this stage, a transplant is necessary.

That all said, I'd be jumping the gun a bit by assuming the worst straight off the bat. Bloodwork and an Ultrasound will give your doctor early indicators of what's going on there and assuming you're only in the early stages of the disease, you can actually stop any further damage done and heal your liver through not drinking and taking up a healthy diet and regular exercise.

Your doctor will order what ever tests are needed to get to this diagnosis for you, but right now I wouldn't fret too much until your doctor can confirm what's going on.

The most important thing your husband can do right now is stop drinking immediately and go through the testing procedures with your doctor.

Best wishes

tired06 · 10-20-2006, 05:13 PM

Thanks DanielM
I appreciate your reply. You were enlightening for me. I just hope he DOES quit drinking so far so good. Thanks

lane1961 · 10-22-2006, 04:37 PM

Hello..
Go and buy him milk thistle....you can get rexall milk thistle at walmart for around 6 dollars 1000 mg...
Have him take 2 in the morning and two at night...this stuff can actually repair his liver.....keep us informed

kmacdona · 10-22-2006, 08:49 PM

I just wanted to add onto Lane1961's comment about milk thistle. Although it has qualities that help prevent damage to already healthy liver cells. It does not reverse damage caused by Fibrosis or Cirrhosis. If the alcohol isn't completely stopped the damage will continue, milk thistle or no milk thistle. And I post this because I know from experience. My wife died of Cirrhosis and took milk thistle every day. It made no difference in her health. She also took multi-vitamins, folic acid, Vitmamin B complex. The only thing that showed effect was Alpha Liopic acid taken with Vitamin C and E. (not exceeding the RDA of vitamin E). This also helped with her ascites.
But, I say this because no matter what she could have taken to help her liver, the one thing she needed to stop taking, was alcholol. This in of itself would have saved her.

MaC