Liver problem
Posted , 3 users are following.
Hi all. I’ve posted a couple of times about this subject and I’m grateful for the advice.
I’m at the docs on the 2nd October as I’m just not happy regarding my liver progress.
I’ve been told to ‘enjoy life’ and not be scared to death and depressed with worry about drinking alcohol and eating the nicer richer foods out there. I’ve been cautious however. I used to drink daily and eat fatty foods and rightly so, diagnosed with fatty liver disease.
I have been good since my diagnosis in late June eating wholemeal foods, veg, fruit etc etc etc. I’ve sustained a weight loss of nearly 1 1/2 stone but I have taken the docs advice and have enjoyed life so I’ve had a drink on a Saturday. Going from 7 days to 1 sometimes 2 is a vast improvement. The NHS website no less does state that if you abstain from alcohol with ARFLD for 2 weeks then your liver should return to normal health. I do find this quite unrealistic if I’m honest. My overall health appears to be ok. No pain, no diarrhoea, stool still pail but healthy ( I put that down to change in diet) but I am getting discomfort around my right rib cage. I must stress, this is not pain. I just feel as though I’m bruised. It’s more that sensation possibly with a very mild back ache type feeling. I did have an injury almost at the dime time as my diagnosis. It was a sporting impact injury. An elbow to that side of the body which was very painful. I can feel the bruised rib when I press. This is almost to the side under the bottom rib but the same sort of feeling is radiating to the back. It makes me want to press up against something to massage the pressure point. It’s not pain but I can feel it. I know it’s there. I’m just worried that this is my liver. I’m worried it’s inflamed and that’s what I can feel. I’m thinking my once a week drink is still continuing to do me harm.
What is the pain felt when you have a poorly liver? Would I feel unwell at the same time? This is why I’m taking myself off to the docs as it’s bothering me and if I’m honest, it’s really getting me down.
This feeling just doesn’t feel muscular. I hope I’m wrong and I know some muscle groups can feel odd when damaged through injury but I’m thinking my liver is just not coping with life. The doc never said to me that I should be T total forever and that I needed to go on a strict diet continuously so I haven’t but if I need to then I should be told. I really want an MRI scan but I’m not hopeful I’m going to get one. This should tell me if it’s my liver, skeletal or muscular.
I’m beginning to regret my nieveness and abuse to alcohol in the past. I’m 41 and have been drinking since 18 and heavily for 5 yrs and I’m scared I’ve knackered myself up.
Any reassurance or real life stories would really help. Many thanks, Chris.
0 likes, 9 replies
joanie34 chris180477
Posted
I went to the doctor with pain under my right rib cage and sometimes on the lower ribs also. I thought it was my gallbladder. An Ultrasound found a lesion on my liver. I was told to stop drinking completely and get another ultrasound in 6 months. I try not to drink, but when I do the pain returns. I get my follow up ultrasound in three weeks. I am worried. I've lost 13 pounds but I really need to stop drinking completely. Now they are saying even one night of binging can hurt the liver. If it's inflamed they need to find out why. I had a CAT scan and it did not show any lesions. I'm very confused. I have not other symptoms just pain and pressure under my right rib that comes and goes. Labs were normal, tumor marker test was normal I am worried. Definitely not going to drink for the next three weeks until my next test.
chris180477 joanie34
Posted
Lesions o the liver are a normal occurance. They don’t usually spread or cause any health issues but surely your bloods would have picked up any abnormalities?
richard61401 chris180477
Posted
hi chris i have same symptoms but my issue is a gallbladder issue. it keeps getting inflamed. i also jave gallbladder polyps. i suspect i also have fatty liver but doc says i dont. my advice to you is eat healthy and do not drink at all. eat lots of fruit and make eat meal 50% vegetables. mainly greens. Eat salad too, oily fish. lay off fried foods. fatty liver can be reversed with the correct diet but it will take around 3 years of constant healthy eating. also do not eat any processed sugar and processed carbs. fruit sugar is fine despite what people say. Fruit is probably the best thing you can eat. Good luck to you.
richard61401 chris180477
Posted
hi chris i have same symptoms but my issue is a gallbladder issue. it keeps getting inflamed. i also jave gallbladder polyps. i suspect i also have fatty liver but doc says i dont. my advice to you is eat healthy and do not drink at all. eat lots of fruit and make eat meal 50% vegetables. mainly greens. Eat salad too, oily fish. lay off fried foods. fatty liver can be reversed with the correct diet but it will take around 3 years of constant healthy eating. also do not eat any processed sugar and processed carbs. fruit sugar is fine despite what people say. Fruit is probably the best thing you can eat. Good luck to you.
richard61401 chris180477
Posted
one more thing to add. The docs will tell you that fatty liver is not serious. They are wrong. it is very serious. follow the healthy eating and it will repair
chris180477 richard61401
Posted
hi richard. my issue is also the gallbladder. i am at the docs tomorrow so im asking to get the operation sorted. i had another attack on xmas day. if i hadnt got my mums co codamol pills id have been in bother. ive had an mri recently which showed stones. the largest being 1.4cms!! so im told my liver is fine. my bloods returned to normal and my lft's were erratic. up and down which i was told is not a liver issue. if the lft's are at a constant then that would be liver but because they are up and down, points towards the gallbladder which can affect lft's. my ultrasound did show a fatty liver so at the moment i have no idea whether that has healed or not. all i know is, is i have a very sore right flank of my back and it doesnt seem to go away.
richard61401 chris180477
Posted
if you have gall bladder issues your liver is also in distress. please reconsider having your gallbladder removed. despite what doctors say it is essential for digestion and you will still get pain after having it removed. TRUST ME. Research it. like i said it is reversable but only with extreme diet and lifestyle change. Without your gallbladder you wont be able to digest foods as efficiantly. Do some reserch into leaky gut/ Low stomach acid levels and the general mechanism of digestion. Then you will see how important your gallbladder is.
richard61401 chris180477
Posted
flank pain may be liver. or kidneys. your liver wont heal in a couple if weeks. only with 2-3 years of lifestyle change.
chris180477 richard61401
Posted
hi richard. thanks for your message although im not entirely sure where you get your information from. if you look at any medical journal, foundation or trust website or speak to anyone regarding this subject, they will all say the same thing..... "the gallbladder is not essential for life"
the only problems after removal is in the short term and if you get the trots then medication can be given. but thats it. if there was any risk to not having one then provisions would be put in place surely and this information would be more widespread. id go back to your research drawing board and really take note of the majority rather than the minority as all youre doing is scaring yourself and passing this on to others you are advising. if you are from the uk then id especially leave american research well alone and stick to reputable british journals.