acute alcoholic hepatitis.

I AM RECOVERING from severe acute alcoholic hepatitis, i had the onset of encephalopthy, swollen face and legs, feet. i had moderate ascites. i had a scan about a month and a half ago, according to the hepatolagist my liver is back to normal, which im still trying to understand, as i was in last stage alcoholic liver disease, now i just feel rough and ACHE like mad, worsening as the day goes on. ANYONE KNOW IF I WILL ACHE LIKE THIS FOR LONG? the other thing is can i ever drink alcohol again??

http://www.mayoclinic.org/meld/mayomodel7.html

...pine,

Welcome to the forum. We are a group of patients, caregivers and family members of folks who have liver disease of many kinds...alcholic liver disease, autoimmune hep, hep a/b/c etc, liver poisoning, etc. We are not doctors, but provide support and information to one another. We're glad you posted and hope you come often.

There is good information at the top of our forum.

I am the partner of a liver disease patient who has had alcoholic cirrhosis, hep c, and liver cancer. He made it to transplant by the skin of his teeth and is now a year post transplant. He has been clean over 40 years and sober for 18 months. He still has Hep C and will need to be treated for that down the line.

NO, no alcohol, EVER.

Mike was told in 2003 to quit drinking, but did not. He was told that his Hep C was manageable for maybe 15 more years, but he moved to end stage in 7 years.

Some on this site have come through very serious episodes of liver disease, quit drinking and regained some quality of life. But they know, once the liver is diseased, they may be trouble down the line.

Cut and paste the url above into your browser. It draws a grim picture. You can calculate your MELD score from lab tests you likely have already been given. This is the score used by UNOS to allocate organs to those prequalified. Some patients well enough for transplant get to the top of the list in their area at a MELD score of 22-30.

It also calculates the 90 day mortality rate for various MELD scores. My Mike got the 90 day death sentence when he went for his first hepatology appointment. But with cecessation of drinking, lots of maintenance meds, and 5 hospitalizations where they jiggled with is electrolytes, platelets, plasma and albumin, plus some antibiotics when necessary, his MELD dropped into the teens for a while and thus NO 90 day warning...for a while. he got there again in the spring of 2011, just before he got the call.

Run the score. See for yourself. They don't call it End Stage Liver Disease for no reason. Once the liver is fully decompensated, you die without a transplant.

For now, it seems you liver is working again. Keep it that way. NO BOOZE. Settle into a healty diet, non RED meat protien, fruits, veggies, low sodium. You could be fine for years.

Good luck, Mama Lama

Porcupine, congrats on your sobriety!  Over 6 mos., isn't it?  Staying sober is the trick, so keep on going to those meetings!  If you have the urge to pick up a drink, think it through.  What will happen if you take that first drink?  I don't know about you, but I could never have just one.  I would drink until I was drunk or ran out of money.  And we can never really guarantee what will happen when we drink.

If you continue as you are, free of liquor and focusing on your diet, hopefully you will never blow up again or have a crisis.  No, you are not definitely going to get cirrhosis or liver cancer--as long as you don't drink.  Drinking for you is like pouring gasoline on a fire.  Do you have a sponsor?  If not, get one.  And call him with your concerns.

Alcoholism is the disease that tells us we don't have a disease.  But I am here to remind you that you do.  Your liver will also remind you, if you continue to abuse it.  Nobody can tell you how long you will live.  But I guarantee it will be longer if you don't drink, barring an accident or some such.

Nobody likes to be told what to do and I am no exception.  However, I did a little reverse psychology on myself when I was newly sober.  I told myself that I COULD drink...if I wanted to.  And giving myself permission, I really didn't want to drink.  For you, it could be calling your sponsor to discuss it and promising yourself that you will not have that drink until you speak to your sponsor or bring up the urge in AA meetings.

Mainly, it's a matter of thinking it through and using common sense.  Also, you deserve better.

Hugs,

Connie

Hi Porcupine - why have the NHS been crap with you?  What makes you say that?  What have they done/not done for you?

 

at the moment i have seen SIX different doctors in six months, they treat alcoholics with cloak and dagger. i was discharged in the middle of the night by a and e when i was severely ill with liver disease. i could of died at home as i know im lucky to be here. last week one of the doctors i have seen phoned me up because they want me to come of zopiclone at night, she only turned around and said it was because i was drinking. TWO WEEKS before i told her that i was just over six months sober. lol. shabby treatment all round and even the receptionist looks at you if your from another planet. I ONLY SEE THE DOC IF I REALLY HAVE TOO, AS IM NOT A HAPPY PATIENT. i could blog all day, and im a very patient and forgiving person on average.

i AM SERIOUS about my recovery from alcohol, i quess i have not come across correctly. i know the realities of alcoholism believe me. so i apologise if i have come across negative, and i am lucky and VERY GRATEFUL for my liver regenerating. i never enjoyed the drink anytime. and yes the thought that i was heading towards a relapse has come to mind, but as im aware of it i hope i can asbstain.

Porky... are you SERIOUS????? Grab your life by the #$%^ and live it to the fullest... omg!!!! Mr. Z had it so right... don't set yourself up... keep that stinkin thinkin at bay... to drink is to die... period... period... end of story... have to chuckle Mr. E... yes you need to get your rear to the doctor... enough said... Porky... you have been blessed with a 2nd chance... hello of course they look at you that way... unless you go in there with a I wanna live life and be sober attitude that spills out all over everywhere.... hello... Porky Porky Porky... grab live... and move forward... glad to hear you have AA in your life... so glad... glad to see you here... Sandia

there ya go Porky... there ya go...and you will one day at a time... one step at a time... focus on the step ahead... not the many before that... take it one one little step at a time... and come back often....Sandia

Both Coke and Vimto taste nicer than any booze ever did!!!! :)

Hi, Jwhite, and welcome to the forum. You have picked up on an old post. It would be much better for you to start your own thread. Just click on New Topic instead of Reply and give it a title. You are likely to get overlooked on someone else's thread.

That being said, it is vital for you not to drink. It's easy to think you never will when you are feeling so badly, but how about when you no longer have those symptoms? Then the mind starts playing with you: "Oh, I can have just one." WRONG! You can't. So go to those AA meetings, and also take a small calendar for the Chairperson to sign and note what meeting or location. If you should need a transplant down the road, they will require 6 months of DOCUMENTED sobriety.

Hopefully, it will never come to that. It depends on how much damage you have done to your liver that can't be undone. Cirrhosis is not curable. However, it can be stopped from progressing by not drinking alcohol, not eating red meat, and keeping your sodium intake to a bare minimum (to prevent swelling.) We have people here who were at death's door from alcoholism and have come back from the brink and are doing well.

While it's better to see a GI over a primary care doc, a hepatologist would be even better. Depending on what your tests show, though, you may not need one. So do let us know the test results--and start that new thread.

Hugs,
Connie

You may well have fatty liver as alcohol abuse also causes that. But the swelling is from liver disease. You are sweating the alcohol out of your system. I kicked heroin cold turkey, as well as a a Percodan addiction. You can do this.

Hugs,
Connie

Georgia, that was the most difficult addiction for me to kick, too. I smoked 2 packs a day for over 40 yrs. Try the patch. It worked for me. Though actually, I was in a body cast for 3 weeks, then locked steel and leg braces for 5 wks. I was in the hospital all during this time and couldn't even stand, much less walk to the bathroom to sneak a ciggy. They had put the patches on me from the first day of admission. When I got home, I continued them for another 2 wks., then decided to try it without them...and did it.

You might have to change a few habits if they trigger the desire for a cig--like drinking coffee. Also, try to keep your fingers busy with other things. There are also some drastic steps you can take, such as taking a shower whenever you have a strong craving. Go for a brisk walk. Do things to get your mind off of it. They decreased the nicotine amounts (in the patches) pretty quickly in the hospital. I celebrated 9 yrs. nicotine free last Dec. And I still crave one once in awhle. I just don't act on it. Same as with alcohol and drugs. Now I fight against carbohydrates. Transplant helped with that. It changed my palate. I didn't have anything sweet for a month and now try to keep it to a minimum.

Good luck!

Hugs,
Connie

hey jwhite.! porcupine here. i was the one who started this thread a while back. i am a recovering alcoholic and i am 203 days sober and things r looking up. i thought id reply as ALCOHOLIC HEPATITIS is what i have been through last couple of years. the key is NO BOOZE, i nearly died from acute liver failure and i had all the symptoms of swelling face, legs and abdomen. also acut encephalopathy, i was completely mad and terrified to the bone mate. i quess i am replying to u to say that if you ABSTAIN FROM ALCOHOL THERE IS A CHANCE YOUR LIVER WILL RECOVER, but i tell ya it takes time and is unfortunately un pleasent. im sober now and taking each day at a tiime, a a meetings r helping and they will help you. the i had a scan about three months ago, and it came back clear to my complete shock, SO I AM VERY LUCKY, so i quess what im trying to say is HANG IN THERE ,DONT DRINK AND U TOO COULD BE LIVING A NEW LIFE.