Partner cirrhosis just diagnosed

*car keys

Welcome to the forum. Sounds like he is having an episode of hepatic encephalopathy (HE.)

Hugs,
Connie

Hi ziff and thanks for your reply.

He used to be a heavy drinker, was also obese and diagnosed 12 years ago with diabetes. So they have put NASH and alcohol as causes.

He has had ascities and oedema which started after being in hospital but is now lessening.
He is taking beta blockers, lactulose, omeprazole, spironolactone, iron tablets, senna, and his diabetes medication.

I don't know whether ammonia levels have been checked.

Thanks for your help

Sadtimes, I am a alcoholic that's been clean for 5 years. I can't say if he's a alcoholic only you would know that but if you don't know we (alcoholics) have a tendency to hide our problem. I f he has confessed to a doctor he's had a drinking problem in the past it may throw a few extra roadblocks in front of him in his recovery journey. You should always be honest with your doctors. Alcoholism is dimly looked upon in the medical community as any other form of addiction.

My suggestion to you is to make arrangements to see a Hepatologist as soon as possible. He needs to be on Xifaxan, It's a antibiotic basically that helps to rid him of the toxins he accumulates due to the damaged liver. When taken with Lactulose it packs a powerful punch. He needs to be having at the minimum 3 loose bowel movements a day. If he isn't more lactulose until he does. You can't overdose on the stuff. This should bring the HE down to tolerable levels or clear it up completely. It's doubtful if his liver is that far gone he will ever be off Lactulose. A low sodium diet or no sodium diet will help keep the fluid issues at bay. Diuretics are great over a relatively short term to keep edema down but they will cause kidney damage if taken for long periods of time. Stay away from red meat as it's harder for the liver to process.

Once you find a Hepatologist you need to carry a pen and paper to write down notes of what he tells you. Most physicians are in a hurry when they see you so keep the notes as a backup. Write down a list of questions to ask prior to going. Do yourself a huge favor by collecting all his medical records you can find and keep them in order. Should he be considered for transplant he will likely have to attend some form of substance abuse therapy or AA meetings for 6 months before they will even evaluate him medically. This may very from transplant center to transplant center but seems to be the rule of thumb for most. All sessions or meetings he attends will have to be documented and signed by someone in charge each time he goes.

I have about a 15% estimated liver function myself and had to have surgery for several complications during my first few years of fighting the disease. I went through the whole process from start to finish and have been fortunate to have survived without transplantation. My meld scores have reached a almost normal level by doing the right things and abstaining from alcohol. I can tell you with 100% confidence it can be done but he has to be willing to fight like he's never fought before, If not for himself for you and his child.

Ziff

Thanks for all the helpful info.

Bump