What is the outcome after being diadnosed with non alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver?

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After having a routine MRI some abnormalities showed up which led to further testing and a liver biopsy. It appears that at sometime in the past I had auto immune hepatitis that went undiagnosed. I really didn't have any symptoms other then fatigue but then I was always fatigued for other reasons. As of right now even with the cirrohsis my liver function is normal but my liver enzymes are elevated but not high enough for treatment. I realize the hepatitis could flare up again which would call for aggressive treatment to prevent any further scaring of my liver. I have read all kinds of information on these diseases both very disturbing and some encouraging but I would just like to know if anyone who reads this has been diagnosed with this or knows someone who has and what has been the outcome.
I have an autoimmune disease in which my autoimmune system attacks the bile ducts in my liver. This is called primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC). I am curious to know how the doctors came to the conclusion that you have a problem with your autoimmune system to the point that it has caused cirrhosis. If this is true, then this autoimmune problem has been going on for a very long time to damage your liver to the point of it being cirrhotic. I had no symptoms with my disease until my liver was already 90% destroyed with cirrhosis. I suddenly started to swell up with fluid and had no idea anything was wrong prior to that. It was a shock to me that my liver had so much cirrhosis that I would need a transplant. I had no idea anything was going on inside of me.

That autoimmune hepatitis is probably still flaring up each and every day since it just doesn't stop and go away. It takes many years to destroy a liver. There is really nothing much they can do as far as treating it. Sometimes they will give medication to help it, but it really doesn't stop the disease from progressing, especially when its from your autoimmune system. When symptoms from the cirrhosis appear, they can give medications to control them and lab work is done routinely to ward off problems early. I used to have to get an endoscope done every 3-6 months to get banding done to any varices that form to lower the risk of bleeding problems. Basically, they just let the disease take its course since there is no cure other than a transplant.

Even when my liver was 90% destroyed, my liver enzymes were just slightly above normal. My transplant doctor told me this can happen with some people, that the enzymes can almost normalize even though the disease is far advanced.

You said you had a biopsy done. It should show the amount of damage done and how much cirrhosis (scarring) your liver has in it. Figuring out the cause of it when it is not so obvious like alcoholism, can be difficult to diagnose. That's why I asked how they determined yours was from an autoimmune problem. I didn't know the real cause of mine until after my transplant. The biopsy also should show whether or not there is active inflammation going on. The elevated enzymes can be an indication that there could be continued inflammation.

The good thing is that you are still asymptomatic which means your liver is still compensating. It can stay this way for a long time. When I started to swell with fluid, that was my first sign of it starting to decompensate. Even then, I took diuretics that controlled the fluid retention quite well for several years. Once I was diagnosed with cirrhosis, I believe I went and got evaluated for transplant and was placed on the list a year later. I waited 18 months for my transplant and am doing well today. My autoimmune disease still wants to attack my new liver. I do take a medication that works well in keeping my enzymes in normal range which means there most likely will not be any damage as long as they remain that way.

If you want to ask me anything else, just email me. I will be happy to help you if I can.  (+ info)

Liver Cirrhosis?

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What are the symptoms, and what can you do to prevent it?
Extra facts would be superb.

10pts, peepz. Come awn
I am posting the very best sites on the
web that will tell you a lot of information:
http://www.emedicinehealth.com/cirrhosis/article_em.htm

http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/cirrhosis/

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/cirrhosis/DS00373

There are a number of things a person can
do to prevent cirrhosis:
(1)Since the number one cause of cirrhosis
is alcohol consumption...this would mean
eliminate it or at least don't overdue it.
(2)People can develop a fatty liver from
alcohol and also from being overweight,
so eatting a healthy diet with the right kinds
of fats, like olive oil...would be good.
(3)Stay away from exposure to hazardous
chemicals. If you read the labels on them,
you will know which ones to avoid. The
main one is carbon tetrachloride.
(4) Take only medication approved by
the doctor or prescribed by him. Most
all medication go through the liver first
to be broken down before going to the
rest of the body. There are so many drugs,
even prescribed ones, that are very hard on
the liver. Liver patients are told to tell
their doctors all over the counter, herbs,
herbal teas, vitamins, mineral, muscle
building products, and medications prescribed by other doctors. They are not
to take any medication unless the doctor
weighs the pros and cons of it, cause once
the liver becomes damaged..it isn't able
to handle the drugs the same way as it used
to and can cause even more injury to the
cells.
(5) Most people know that they should wash
their hands frequently and use purell or
germ-x or some other product when they
cannot. This is to prevent not only illness,
but can sometimes prevent a virus also.
They should not eat at open salad bars where people can cough or sneeze into
them or where someone may handle
something with unclean hands. They should
also be aware that anyone who is in contact
with someone elses blood or uses a needle
they use, can contact one of the Hepatitis
virus like A,B,C,Etc.
(6) Do not eat mushrooms you pick yourself..mushrooms can cause immediate damage to the liver itself if you get a poison one.

Other causes of liver cirrhosis cannot be
prevented or at least they do not know
how to prevent them: like biliary obstruction,
gallstones, mal formation of the biliary
ducts coming from the liver, hereditary
conditions, auto immune disease.

I hope this information has been of some
help to you. The links I provided have
a wealth of information and are easy to
read.

The symptoms of the disease cannot be
prevented. They usually appear once
the liver cells are no longer functioning well
and some of them start to die off. They
can only treat the symptoms with medication to try to control it or to ease
them...that is all. This is a very progressive
disease and the symptoms will worsen
over time.  (+ info)

if i was a hard core alcoholic for 2 years could i possibly get cirrhosis of the liver?

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i'm only 5'9" 160 pounds and it runs through my family.i drank mostly liquor and malt liquor for those 2 years.but none the less i drank anything and alot.
i'm 5'9",160 pounds. i have just recently slowed down or stopped. but when i drank i drank alot.malt liquor and liquor were my choiced beverages.now it seems that my body doesn't work the way it used to.i encounter fatigue,more ailments. my immune system feels like its shutting down.and if i'm correct the liver is a big part of the immune system right?
I've never heard of anyone getting cirrhosis in 2 years from heavy drinking. The liver is a very tough organ and it takes more than that to hurt it. The experts say 10 years of heavy drinking can cause cirrhosis in some people, but not all drinkers get it and most take a lot longer than that. It is a very slow process that happens to form cirrhosis which is when healthy tissue is replaced by scar tissue.

If you are really worried, have your doctor order lab work for you and get liver function testing done. It's just a blood draw and it will show whether or not your numbers are abnormal and there could be a possible problem. I think you will find out yours will be good. The best thing you could do for your liver is something you have already done which is quit with the heavy drinking. You are one of the smarter ones and keep it that way.

If you are feeling very tired and just not good, there are a million reasons why. Tell your doctor who will give you blood work (make sure to ask for liver function tests) and maybe find out what is going on. It could be something minor that can be easily treated.  (+ info)

What are the causes of liver cirrhosis or cancer?

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Alcohol is largely to blame for liver cirrhosis but my friend hasn't really abused it yet he got the ailment. What might have caused it besides alcohol abuse? He's skin and bones right now and deteriorating fast. Please add curative suggestions if any. His doctor sent him home as a hopeless case so i'm appealing for any other remedies. Thank you
I'm going through the same thing with my husband. He just came home Tuesday night and I have hospice helping out. He is already getting to where he can't walk hardly. People keep talking about a liver transplant but my doc. said my husband wasn't a candidate because he has cancer. But my husband drank alot when he was younger. He has been on alot of pain medicines. Along with meds for blood pressure and cholesterol. I think the cholesterol drugs caused this cirrohsis. He was taking to much at one time but thats what the doctor told him and it started scarring his liver. And later they changed it and he started getting jaundice and thats how they found the cancer. He also has blood clots from his heart to his liver. His liver isn't functioning right along with his kidneys. I wish you luck with your friend.  (+ info)

What is the life expectancy for advanced cirrhosis of the liver?

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What is the life expectancy for a person with advanced cirrhosis of the liver? A family member is currently in hospital with jaundice and a swollen stomach, and I don't think the prognosis looks good. What is the usual life expectancy?
My first symptom of cirrhosis for me was a swollen stomach. I had no other symptoms. It turned out my liver was functioning at only 10%. I had no jaundice. The doctors gave me an estimate of 5 years before total failure would occur and told me I would need a transplant in order to stay alive.

Three years later I had my transplant done. The transplant surgeon told me after viewing my actual liver that I would have only lived another year or a little longer at best with my cirrhotic liver, so the estimate was pretty accurate. He also said that the time I would have left would not be very good, that I would be very sick. My cirrhosis was caused by an autoimmune disease.

If your family member has had a biopsy, that should tell them a lot about how much damage has been done which will give them the ability to give a time frame. It would just be an estimate since there are a lot of factors that come into play in determining how long a person will be able to stay alive. I hope your family member will be able to get a transplant should they need one. It saved my life.  (+ info)

If you have cirrhosis of the liver can that bring on liver cancer?

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Can you have cirrhosis of the liver and liver cancer at the same time. If you had cirrhosis of the liver is liver cancer worse or will both kill you around the same time? Can you live longer with cirrhosis about how long. Thank you, I'm writing a story and one of my characters is struggling with this issue. Thank you for you help.
When the liver cells become damaged,
by any number of causes, the immune system
of the body responds to this and causes
inflammation to develop inside the liver.
The cause has to be found and, if possible,
stopped and the inflammation has to be
treated...if not, it can lead to death of the
liver cells and scar tissue formation inside
the liver. This scar tissue will block the flow
of blood to the other liver cells and also
block the flow of blood through the liver,
on its way back to the heart.

As the cells of the liver die off, the functions
(500 plus) they do to keep the body well,
starts to deteriorate, also. The liver start
to die slowly as they cells do and the
functions go down at the same time.

This can happen fast in some patients and
slower in others.

With cancer, it depends on how fast growing
the cancer is and whether or not it came
from another part of the body to the liver or
started in the liver and stayed there, or
started in the liver and then went to other
areas. If cancer is found just in the liver, itself...
the patient may be placed on the transplant
list for another liver. It will depend alot, also,
on how many growth (tumors) are in the liver
and how large they are. Cancer that has
spread to or come from another area...is
very poor prognosis of living long. It becomes
too difficult to treat and it will keep advancing
to other areas.

Yes, it is possible to have cirrhosis and
cancer together. The cells of the liver can
become damaged If the cancer tumor keep enlarging and multiplying in size.
People who have cirrhosis are at a greater
risk of developing cancer.

It depends on how fast the cancer or
cirrhosis advances; how old the patient is;
if they have other medical problems; if they
can withstand the long hours of surgery for
the transplant; whether they respond to
treatment; if they are able to stop the cause
of the cell damage (like alcohol, medication
toxification, chemical exposure, etc).....
You really cannot say how long a person
has to live. The doctors can only give
an educated guess because they have
the patient's medical background and see
the results of their blood, film, and biopsy
testing.

Cirrhosis of the liver and Cancer of the liver
are both like living through a nightmare.
Both are facing death, head on.

I hope this information has been of some help
to you. Best wishes for a great story.  (+ info)

Is there a proven mediation to improve cirrhosis of the liver?

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Doctors have told me cirrhosis of the liver is irreversible so deal with the fact this condition will certainly shorten my life.
I understand that but I have read that the liver CAN rejuvenate
itself to some degree under certain circumstances if you obstain from the harmful elements which are under your control, alcohol, etc. Is there anything I can "take" or "do "
to maintain or improve the condition of my liver besides eat right and take care of my body, or am I too late? I' 60.
Try a product called liv 52, its the top product for maintaning a healthy liver also carbohydratess help also..  (+ info)

Strep throat home remedies for a person with cirrhosis of the liver?

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My bro has no insurance so he can't go to doctor. He has strep troath and needs some home remedies that won't hurt his cirrhosis of the liver?
Hi Sol

I have healing remedies for both mentioned.

Cause
Sore throats are usually caused by viral infections, but can also be due to bacterial infections, tonsillitis, overuse of the voice, exposure to irritating substances such as cigarette smoke, allergic reactions, infections of the mouth, and/or colds and flu.

Caution: Sore throats are rarely serious. However, if your sore throat does not heal within two weeks, and/or occurs with a rash, seek immediate medical attention. If any sore throat occurs with a rash, see a doctor. A sore throat caused by a Streptococcal infection (strep throat) must be identified and treated, or else it could create rheumatic fever or acute glomerulonephritis (disease of the glomerulus, a network of blood capillaries of the kidney).


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Natural Cures

Aromatherapy: Inhalations with benzoin, lavender, thyme, eucalyptus, geranium, lavender, clary sage, or sandalwood can help relieve symptoms.

Diet: Increase your intake pure filtered water, hot herbal teas, diluted fruit juices, and broths. Eat an organic whole foods diet that emphasizes fresh vegetables and vegetable soups. Avoid all sugars, alcohol, milk and dairy products and any and all foods to which you are allergic or sensitive. Raw organic honey placed at the back of the throat can also help soothe symptoms and speed healing.

Flower Essences: Crab Apple.

Herbs: If your sore throat is due to an infection, chew a small piece of osha root (Ligusticum porteri) and/or gargle with an infusion of sage or licorice. For a sore throat due to smoke or pollution irritation, gargle with an infusion of lavender or hyssop. Other useful herbs include echinacea, garlic, ginger, goldenseal, and slippery elm.

Juice Therapy: Drinking the juice of one or two red potatoes can soothe symptoms.

Nutritional Supplementation: The following nutrients can be helpful: vitamin A, beta carotene, vitamin C with bioflavonoids, and zinc (in the form of lozenges taken every 1-2 hours unless nausea occurs, in which case decrease dosage).




Cause
Liver function can be impaired by a toxic bowel. Most pharmaceutical drugs, if taken on a consistent basis, can also cause liver disease. If you are on such medications, be sure to have your liver function monitored regularly (every 3-6 months) by your physician, and consider other healing alternatives that might reduce or eliminate your need for medications.

Caution: Serious cases of cirrhosis require immediate medical attention.


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Natural Cures

Aromatherapy: Juniper, rosemary, and rose essential oils can all help stimulate liver function.

Detoxification: Liver function can also be impaired by a toxic bowel. For this reason, bowel cleansing and rejuvenation techniques may be very important. In severe cases, repeat the bowel cleanse once a month, or as needed, and stay on bowel nutrients for up to one year depending on the severity of your condition and your response to treatment.

Diet: Diet is extremely important in preventing and reversing all forms of liver disease, including cirrhosis. Eat a low-protein, whole foods diet of organic foods, including seeds, nuts, whole grains, beans, nuts, and goat or rice milk, and also eat plenty of leafy green vegetables. Avoid all alcohol and processed fats such as margarine, hydrogenated oils, and foods with these oils added, rancid oils, and hardened vegetable fats. Instead, use cold-processed oils such as olive. Also increase your consumption of foods high in amino acids and potassium, such as nuts, seeds, bananas, raisins, rice, wheat bran, kelp, dulse, brewer`s yeast, and molasses, and drink plenty of pure, filtered water. Avoid animal protein as well as raw or undercooked fish, and limit your overall intake of fish.

Also avoid all stressors on the liver, such as overeating, drugs of any kind, a highly processed diet (especially one high in processed fats, additives and preservatives), and foods high in animal protein, and accumulation of toxins from chemicals that have to be processed by the liver such as alcohol, drugs, acetaminophen, insecticides, and chemicals from rancid and processed oils. Toxins from Candida yeast organisms within the body can also contribute to liver stress, as can the use of contraceptives.

Herbs: Milk thistle is an excellent herb to help in the treatment of cirrhosis because it helps liver cells regenerate. It may be taken in the form of tablets or the non-alcohol extract called a glycerate. The dose is based upon the content of silymarin (the active ingredient of milk thistle) and so standardized extracts are preferable. The typical dosage range is 70-200 mg of silymarin daily. The herb Picrorhiza kurroa is not as well-known as milk thistle, but may have similar effects. Licorice can also be helpful. The Chinese herb bupleurum (chai-hu) may also be helpful, as can the herbal mixture of kutki (200 mg), shanka pushpi (500 mg), and guduchi (300 mg), with is used by practitioners of Ayurvedic medicine to boost liver function. Take 1/4 teaspoon of this mixture taken twice a day, after lunch and dinner, with aloe vera juice.

Hydrotherapy: Hydrotherapy is the application of water, ice, steam and hot and cold temperatures to maintain and restore health. Treatments include full body immersion, steam baths, saunas, sitz baths, colonic irrigation and the application of hot and/or cold compresses. Hydrotherapy is effective for treating a wide range of conditions and can easily be used in the home as part of a self-care program. Many Naturopathic Physicians, Physical Therapists and Day Spas use Hydrotherapy as part of treatment.
*Purified water is essential for any hydrotherapy treatment. The section Remedies for Treating Chlorinated Bath Water offers clear instructions and recommendations.

Juice Therapy: The following juices can help the liver eliminate toxins that cause stress on it: beet and carrot juice and wheat grass juice. To either juice, you can add raw flaxseed oil and garlic as tolerated.

Nutritional Supplementation: Lipotrophic factor nutrients are essential for aiding liver function. These include vitamin C, vitamin E, silymarin, lipoic acid, and raw liver tablets. Other useful nutrients in this regard include vitamin B complex, vitamin B12, folic acid, niacin (in small doses such as 10-30 mg. three times), liver glandulars, digestive enzymes with hydrochloric acid (HCL) and ox bile extract, and the amino acids L-methionine, L-carnitine, L-cysteine, L-glutathione, and L-arginine.

Caution: For all cases of liver disease, do not use more than 10,000 IU of vitamin A daily and avoid cod liver oil entirely.

Alternative Professional Care
If your symptoms persist despite the above measures, seek the help of a qualified health professional. The following professional care therapies have all been shown to be useful for treating and relieving the symptoms of cirrhosis: Acupuncture, Cell Therapy, Detoxification Therapy, Magnetic Field Therapy, Natural Hormone Replacement Therapy, Naturopathic Medicine, Reflexology, Qigong, and Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Best of health to both of you  (+ info)

Can you get cirrhosis of the liver by drinking Pepsi or Coke?

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I heard something about getting cirrhosis of the liver if you drink pepsi or Coke. Do you think that is true and if you do or don't, do you have some facts to back it up?
Thanks.
According to the NIH, cirrhosis is caused by the following:

Cirrhosis has many causes. In the United States, chronic alcoholism and hepatitis C are the most common ones.

Alcoholic liver disease. To many people, cirrhosis of the liver is synonymous with chronic alcoholism, but in fact, alcoholism is only one of the causes. Alcoholic cirrhosis usually develops after more than a decade of heavy drinking. The amount of alcohol that can injure the liver varies greatly from person to person. In women, as few as two to three drinks per day have been linked with cirrhosis and in men, as few as three to four drinks per day. Alcohol seems to injure the liver by blocking the normal metabolism of protein, fats, and carbohydrates.

Chronic hepatitis C. The hepatitis C virus ranks with alcohol as a major cause of chronic liver disease and cirrhosis in the United States. Infection with this virus causes inflammation of and low grade damage to the liver that over several decades can lead to cirrhosis.

Chronic hepatitis B and D. The hepatitis B virus is probably the most common cause of cirrhosis worldwide, but it is less common in the United States and the Western world. Hepatitis B, like hepatitis C, causes liver inflammation and injury that over several decades can lead to cirrhosis. Hepatitis D is another virus that infects the liver, but only in people who already have hepatitis B.

Autoimmune hepatitis. This disease appears to be caused by the immune system attacking the liver and causing inflammation, damage, and eventually scarring and cirrhosis.

Inherited diseases. Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, hemochromatosis, Wilson's disease, galactosemia, and glycogen storage diseases are among the inherited diseases that interfere with the way the liver produces, processes, and stores enzymes, proteins, metals, and other substances the body needs to function properly.

Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). In NASH, fat builds up in the liver and eventually causes scar tissue. This type of hepatitis appears to be associated with diabetes, protein malnutrition, obesity, coronary artery disease, and treatment with corticosteroid medications.

Blocked bile ducts. When the ducts that carry bile out of the liver are blocked, bile backs up and damages liver tissue. In babies, blocked bile ducts are most commonly caused by biliary atresia, a disease in which the bile ducts are absent or injured. In adults, the most common cause is primary biliary cirrhosis, a disease in which the ducts become inflamed, blocked, and scarred. Secondary biliary cirrhosis can happen after gallbladder surgery if the ducts are inadvertently tied off or injured.

Drugs, toxins, and infections. Severe reactions to prescription drugs, prolonged exposure to environmental toxins, the parasitic infection schistosomiasis, and repeated bouts of heart failure with liver congestion can all lead to cirrhosis.

http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/cirrhosis/#causes  (+ info)

What is a liver lesion and how does it effect people with cirrhosis?

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I have cirrhosis and recently had a CT scan that discovered the liver lesions.
Cirrhosis is a liver lesion. The term "lesion" can refer to any abnormal physical finding in the body. Any severe injury (from alcohol, viruses, parasitic infections, chemical damage, etc. )to the liver can ultimately cause live cirrhosis which in essence is liver scarring.

The unfortunate thing about liver cirrhosis/scarring is that scar tissue doesn't function as liver tissue anymore and thus if the WHOLE liver is scarred an non-functional, it's like not having a liver at all, which is not compatible with life. This is where liver transplants come in.  (+ info)

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