Posted on 07/03/2012 8:29:13 PM PDT by fourth and three
I lurk here a lot but don't really post. I just thought I would post here to see if anybody is familiar with all this.
I learned about 3 months ago that I have cirrhosis of the liver, probably caused by alcohol use. I never thought I drank that much -- maybe 4 or 5 beers a night -- but I had such a habit for many years.
I had no warning of such a problem, and only learned about it when my abdomen started becoming oddly swollen, and uncomfortable. Finally, when I was looking like a pregnant woman (literally}, I was sent for an ultrasound and ascites associated with cirrhosis was diagnosed. This came like a bolt out of the blue. When you get ascites, the prognosis is rather grim, with an expectation of 3 years to live without a liver transplant.
I don't feel like I'm dying, but I've been drained of about 2 1/2 gallons of fluid twice since then, and take diuretics and drastically limit salt intake. I want to work but I constantly feel weak, and I am not sure how honestly I should talk with an employer about my condition.
I also have a six year old girl who doesn't understand why daddy feels so weak all the time.
Just wondering if anyone knows about this condition and might have information that is valuable to anyone who has this disease.
It does carry some risk as I mentiomed. Your advice is at odds with The Mayo Clinic however. Aspirin, NSAIDs, naproxin, etc. are all worse than acetomenophen. Aspirin in particular can be a big problem because people percieve it to be so harmless, but that is not the case with liver damaged individuals. It would remove a risk to eliminate acetomenophen, that is true, however in doing so you’d eliminate every single over the counter pain medication from use.
You are doing the right thing checking the internet for answers. If you have not already done so, go to medical Web forums and learn from people with your condition. Diet is something to learn about and stick to it. Accept that your beer drinking days are over. Find a new vice, preferably one compatable with your liver condition. Not one more sip of alcohol.
Prayers up!
I hate hearing of your difficulties. If you wish send me your name and I will put you on our prayer list at church.
I suppose "too much" varies from person to person.
Seems like the best gift you can leave your daughter is the certain belief that, for her, 4 or 5 beers a night for decades may not be the smartest lifestyle.
The first and most important thing you should do is quit drinking alcohol. You don’t process it well at this point. I also question your assessment of how much you drank since this disease is classic for an alcoholic ... that is one who consumes much alcohol over a long period of time.
the best thing you can do is to get real, face facts, clean up your act. The liver is quite capable of healing when given the right conditions. I have seen multiple cases thought hopeless that have been cured by doing this.
If I were you I would haul myself off to some AA meetings in one big hurry
Prayers for you.
From the FDA:
If you have liver disease or drink three or more alcoholic drinks per day, you should not take Tylenol due to the risks associated with the medications, cautions the FDA.
From About.com:
Many people with chronic hepatitis and other types of liver disease (who don’t regularly drink alcohol) can safely take the recommended doses of Tylenol; however, you should definitely check with your physician before taking any medication if you have liver disease. For people with advanced cirrhosis (decompensated cirrhosis), Tylenol probably can’t be used because of the serious existing liver damage. If you have serious liver disease, talk to your doctor about appropriate dosing and best alternatives for treatment of pain or fevers.
There are many alternatives for pain and fever besides OTC:
(Aspirin, Naproxin , etc.)
Arnica Montana is a good example.
Well, I guess I cannot take on the Mayo clinic, but if it were me in this situation, I would not touch it.
If it IS used, I would hope he would do it under the strict eye of his physician.
Some people go with, well “if two are good, than three is better” type of dosaging, and that is where serious problems will occur.
Only drinking “4 to 5 beers an night” which is 28 to 35 cans of beer a week is what got him in this predicament.
I hope you can see where I’m going with this.
Regards..
But, even that is controversial, as indicated by the several FReepers who have replied much as you have. If at all possible, avoid over the counter pain medications if you have liver disease, is probably the best approach. If it can't be avoided, be very cautious and take nothing without clearing it with your doctor.
Fair enough?
bump cause...
No more alcohol. You doctor will have other things you need to do. With proper care, you liver can regenerate itself. You can be glad that you found the problem before your liver completely shut down.
Actually, everyone of European stock should be tested for this. I've been told it is part of a routine physical in the UK. It is easy to identify and treat, if caught soon enough; left untreated it is deadly.
“my understanding is it takes two things to get your condition. First you need a genetic predisposition. Then you need to drink. Using tylenol speeds up the process. There are lots of people who drink heavily and live to their 70s and never develop liver problems. They don’t have the genetic component so they don’t have to worry.”
You understand correctly. And the liver will regenerate miraculously from many things, but not cirrhosis.
The good news is your Liver can take it.
There are health risks associated with Cirroscis and you need to be aware of foods and medications that can weaken your liver.
Salt....Learn to live without the shaker. Honestly, you don’t need as much you pour. There’s tons of it in our foods already.
Clear water....Not tasty, except when Ice Cold on a hot day or piping hot on a cold day but absolutely great for removing toxins.
Sweat! So good for removing toxins. You’ll stink for a while but so what. Drink plenty of water, sweat some more and eventually it’ll disipate.
Potato’s and bannanas...counters the effect of sodium. Skip salted butter and salt. Try this trick. You get approximately the same amount of potassium from just about any flavor of potato but, Red Potato’s are sweeter and more flavorful than Russet. I like to nuke them for about 2.5 minutes which leaves them a little crunchy and they are so good.
If you need to eat Russet Potato’s be sure to eat the skin. Tons and I means tons of minerals on the skin. Go to Wendy’s and buy one of thiers for about a buck. Delish with no sourcream and not fake butter. Even better if left overnight to let the chemical reaction sugar it up more and make it sweeter.
Acetaminophen/Aspirin....SKIP THEM FOREVER...unless you are having a TIA, Stroke or heart attack.
Ibuprofen...using very, very, very, very, very, very, sparingly for pain and inflammation.
Did I say drink water? Do it and have a potato or bannana each day.
Omega 3 and 6 fatty oils supposedly help.
The most important thing to your health is a great outlook on life, smile everyday damn day no matter how much it sucked and especially for its moments when it was so damn beautiful....Like when you looked a newborn in amazement and the little thing looked back at you, widened its eyes and smiled a smile so beautiful as only a baby could.
2 year olds as well.
Puppies and kitties... tell me there’s an ugly one....
flowers...Birds, squirrels, deer
The way the clouds dance or the sun sets or rises...
give thanks for the rain...we need it, sometimes in deluges.
Give thanks and be grateful....smile as you do and ponder the details...
I think of my friend, who was outstandingly beautiful.
She passed at 101 years old and five months but always said “It’s a great life if you don’t weaken”....
To which I always replied “Yes, But ....Let’s not take life so seriously, None of gets out of this thing alive...”.
I understood her inculcation and she understood mine.
Live it up baby but, the part that was making yuh sick has got to go...
Listen to the Shibumi. He’s a good man.
You may wish to check these websites, books, organizations for information:
The Life Extension Foundation ( www.lef.org) Enormous amount of research available
Earthclinic.com (Ted’s Remedies)
Author Dr. Hulda Clark’s books - there are five or six - I would start with The Cure and Prevention of All Cancers (2007) and then work backwards by book copyright date. www.huldaclark.com She is known for a modern day version of the “liver cleanse”.
Best to you.
I didn’t say that to scare you.
No. Wait.
Yes I did.
It was a good scare that fixed me up right, about 11 or 12 years ago.
A couple of my “drinking buddies” didn’t get the scare.
They’re dead.
Shit....
My mouth dropped open and my eyes widened....
Wow...
My achoholic sister after years of in/out of hospitals was finally told that if she didn’t stop drinking she would be dead in a month. They said it again a few months later when she passed out drunk. A year or so later she went in for throat problems (was cancer - heavy smoker).
They did xrays all over due to her medical history. The doc had them redo the ones of her liver as he thought there was something wrong with the image. Second time they came back the same as the first - clear as a bell!!?? (She never did quit drinking).
The throat cancer did her in. Although she never gave her body a chance as she kept drinking and smoking. I had hoped she would have given her body to science as it was a miracle she made it to 60 years old. (First hospital visit was at 28).
Anyway - a quick prayer said for you and yours fourth and free. And whatever you do - don’t punt!
I am so very sorry. My husband has been sober nearly 2 years and he drank like you did, either a bottle of wine or about 5 beers a night. He too didn’t think it was “much” but a couple of incidents happened to cause him to want to stop.
He didn’t want the group thing, like AA. He did it cold turkey by dropping all sugar, fruit, fake sugar, and starches other than occasional potatoes from his diet. He began by taking small amounts of lithium orotate, to cut cravings, which can be found online. This is nowhere near the amount of lithium the bipolar patients take. Also drinking plenty of black coffee, whenever he wanted, really helped. Just in case you refuse the AA route as well.
Try to clean up your diet and prepare for your transplant, whenever it may come. Take plenty of vitamin d, get your blood levels over 70 because you are ill.
Prayers up for you.
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