Low Albumin

Anyone having a problem with low albumin?

Is there any way to supplement this or help with diet.  Hubby got IV albumin in hospital.

When I was hospitalized with almost 25 pounds of fluid in my legs, they gave me albumen, iv lasix and another diuretic over a six day stay. My PCP knocked 27 pounds off me in just under a week. That and they allowed me half a liter of fluid to drink per day. Three days later I had a transplant.

Ok, thanks everybody.

I think this is what I understand: Albumen is a protien created in the liver (so poor liver function = poor albumen production).

Albumen is a by product of the digestion of proteins. Protein is hard for cirrotic pts to digest, so I am to pushing things he likes...eggs, chicken, turkey....hoping he can make some albumen...hoping.

Albumen helps with the movement of nutrients into the blood cells. For Mike with low albumen and low sodium and some other stuff, he evidently isn't getting the sodium, etc into his cells...it wanders around as "free water" in his legs, abdomen, lungs.

He does really well after IV albumen, so this is likely why.

With the additional diuretics started Christmas Eve, Mike seems to be dropping off 3 pounds a day. As his INR runs 2.0 and higher, he is not a good candidate for parencentisis. Good thing the diuretics are working.

Limiting fluids is hard. I fill a 2 Liter bottle with water. Each time he has fluids during the day...juice or water or sherbert, he pours out some of the watere equal to the amount he drank. Water he takes directly from the jar. It is really hard to keep it below 2 liters, because he now feels "thirsty" all the time. Maybe that is psychological since they have focused his attention on it.

They have him taking 100 mg Aldactone and 20 mg of Lasix until he drops to about 165 lbs....his wt when he got out of the hospital December 16th.

With two full doses of lactulose daily, he is able to articulate that he feels "less grouchy."

He is hoping once he becomes more stable and can tell the good days from the bad days, that he will be able to resume some driving responsibility. He really HATES not driving.

Things over all going well this weekend. He's been to 6 AA meetings this week...even Christmas. He takes Sundays as a day of rest.

Carol