New here,and may have Liver problem - Liver & Pancreas Disorders Message Board

Teacupforme · 11-12-2006, 02:14 PM

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Teacupforme · 11-16-2006, 01:49 PM

I find that a bit sad to be honest. I didn't post asking for donations, I posted asking for some basic opinions regarding my liver. I also notice that as much as 120-130 people can read a post over here, yet only one person may reply. I wonder why that is? Mostly why would 130 people bother reading,and nobody try to help?

If I knew more about the Liver, I would certainly try to help more of these people.

Just my 2 cents.

danielm · 11-16-2006, 02:32 PM

Hi teacup, I think you'll find that a lot of people tend to browse the forums or look at what other people have to relate and don't reply either because they don't have any experience with what you're going through or can't offer any educated advice on what's going on. This forum is most definitely a popular one, but you really have to be patient (no pun intended) on getting feedback and advice.

That said, I understand why you'd be feeling anxious and looking for a quick reply to your situation. A lot of people tend to visit this forum when they're going through an illness or looking one up and then leave once they're all better. I don't think anyone is trying to ignore you though or be unhelpful.

I know you mentioned that you were showing signs of Hepatitus, did you actually have this confirmed by your doctor? I've had liver issues myself, and they had to run several blood scans to clear hepatitus as a possibility. Hep A and Hep D/E can be gotten virally and go away after a period of time, whilst Hep B/C tend to stay for the long term. The symptoms alone however that you've described indicate that you had something going on with the liver, but not necessarily that it was hepatitus that caused it. I had similar symptoms to you with a fatty liver.

Do you still have your gall bladder at all? Your gall bladder lives in the same area as your liver and is often confused with liver pain, especially if you have stones.

Bear in mind your liver can have little episodes from time to time depending on what you consume, and can return itself to normal by time you test it next. As long as they're testing for enzymes in the blood stream (as this is a primary initial indicator that your liver is in distress) and those come back clear, you're generally okay.

That said, if it's an ongoing issue, you can get an Ultrasound and MRI scan done to take a closer look at what's going on there with the liver too. The symptoms you're having 2 years ago definitely indicate a liver issue at that time, but the more recent symptom is a little more vague which is probably why your doctor hasn't pinpointed anything as yet.

I would personally keep an eye on things, taking careful note of the symptoms and if they persist, you have a chat with the doctor. The mild right rib pain is often associated with liver or gall bladder conditions, but unless you have some more parts of the jigsaw (symptoms wise), it's a little hard to join the dots on anything specific.

At present, the bloodwork is the best starting point and a good primary indicator that something might be going on.

No one is going to know your body better than you though, and it never hurts to be proactive about these kinds of things. That said, if the Drs say there's nothing remarkable going on, that's a good sign. But as with all things, if you need that reassurance, always get a second opinion - it can never hurt.

Best of luck.

Cheers.

Teacupforme · 11-16-2006, 06:27 PM

Thank you for your reply. I appreciate it. I guess the bloods being normal is good, but that pain on the bottom right rib hurts more when it's pressed,and the pain sort of radiates to flank and back. Nobody has been able to tell me. I guess I should consider the gallbladder too. Haven't even thought of that.

danielm · 11-17-2006, 12:49 AM

If you get pain to the touch, that's usually related to an inflamation. Your gall bladder shouldn't do that (being so small), but your liver certainly would.

Have you had an Ultrasound or MRI more recently? An inflamation of the liver can happen quite suddenly, depending on what is causing it and gentle to the touch and the location of the pain is remarkably similar to the pain you'd get if your liver was inflamed (I've had the same thing, so I know exactly what you mean).

I'd be asking the doc to have a feel of the area because they can pick up inflamation just from touch - and then get a referral for a proper scan to follow up.

Calcification is something I wouldn't be overly concerned with at this stage. I had a decent sized fatty deposit on mine that showed up on scans too and gave me a small heart attack (I thought it might have been cancer, you can imagine how THAT makes you feel!). Anything that's out of the ordinary is enough to send a cold shiver down the spine, but I was assured that's nothing to worry much over as long as I stuck with the diet.

See, for me it was fatty liver (non alcoholic) so I know right where you're coming from on the symptoms. Apart from the right rib aching, I also got digestive problems, headaches, almost constant nausea, sleeping problems, depression and dizzyness/chest pain to go on top (along with your stools and pee changing colour). Bloody scary, as you well know! I was in a similar buzz to you are now - knowing something didn't feel right but couldn't get a Doctor to pinpoint the problem. I posted a lot and browsed online a lot looking for answers, quickly to put my mind at ease (it's human nature) but at the end of the day no one could really advise me of anything until the Doctor could identify the problem.

I went through the series of tests too - endless blood tests, xrays, Ultrasounds, Endoscopy, 3 CT scans... you name it... so I know how you feel!

But the only thing I can recommend is that you keep on your doctor about this and ensure they go through the tests to be sure. Until they can identify the problem that's causing the symptoms directly, you need to keep at them and once you've got that first step out of the way, people can probably help you more on where to go from there.

There's quite a few diseases related to the liver and whilst some are definitely serious, some certainly are not. But human nature being what it is, we always think in worst case scenario terms. All I can say is remember that, and try and refocus on staying calm and relaxed. You're body is under stress when the liver is upset and getting worried just makes it that much harder. I had to go on Anti depressants to deal with my illness it got that bad, but the important thing is that you recognise and acknowledge to yourself how you feel and do something positive about it.

Your bloodwork at present might not indicate anything with the liver, but bloodwork alone cannot pinpoint problems. If you're having other symptoms, it's definitely worth getting an ultrasound to have a visual look at what's going on there, which should reveal a lot more.

Now the other benefit to getting an ultrasound done is that if it's NOT your liver, but actually your gall bladder (perhaps you have stones or sludge, a bilary tree blockage or what have you) having problems, then they'll be able to see that on the ultrasound too. Remembering that the liver and gall bladder are in the same region, it's easy for them to pick up both whilst doing the one scan.

Again, I know about this because I had my gall bladder removed 2 years ago when I contracted Gall bladder disease. A scan at that time revealed the gall bladder upset and just my luck, 2 years later my liver decided to have a fit as well.

Some people get all the luck I guess

But don't FRET! Whilst my story sounds a worry, I am actually doing quite well now with my ALTs dropping back to normal in the last month and I'm feeling a lot better of late. Your liver is a really resiliant organ and can bounce back from a lot of problems that go on with it if they're treated early.

Keep your chin up and go see your doctor again. Tell him all the symptoms you're having and if he's not willing to send you to get an ultrasound done, see another doctor who will!

Best of luck and hang in there!!!