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Ascites-how do you get rid of them?

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Posted 12/10/2010 1:58 AM (GMT 0)
My 85 year old mother has terrible ascites, bad back for over 6 months that left her almost bedridden. Finally, her kidneys stopped working on Saturday night and I convinced her to go to emergency. They refused to agree that she has liver problems despite high liver enzymes. She was also confused but they didn't see it.  I had read about hepatic encephalopathy and told the doctor and he ignored it. At least we know she has no tumors anywhere after scans and ultrasound of her abdomen.

They saw 2 tiny cysts on each liver side only. Told me they couldn't see ascites on x-rays or ultrasound. I was livid at their ignorance. But my stubborn mom has refused to go to a specialist when advised by her doctor. He even didn't tell me about ESLD. I had to read it online the past few days when I learned about HE. 

I bought Lactulose and she started yesterday and is very gassy--maybe too much at once. But what I really need to know is how to get rid of the ASCITES!  It may take a while if doctor refers her to GI specialist. And what can he do? The scans and ultrasound are negative. We have a supply of metronidazole and I got her on them yesterday. By evening, she is wandering around, not lucid. I think she's better this evening. I even got her to eat eggs and yogurt and homemade barley potatoe soup.  I got her off salt since Monday.

The ascites really started a few weeks ago. She treated herself to 8 pounds of smoked salmon in 3 weeks, and hardly anything else. Did this make her have an attack of HE?

I have no one to talk to about this. Any suggestions would help. Do ascites every settle down?

God help us.

Posted 12/10/2010 2:46 AM (GMT 0)
Hello fenella and welcome to HealingWell.

In answer to your question could the 8 pounds of smoked salmon cause the ascites.......well if it's full of sodium it may have helped it. She needs to be on a low sodium diet. If that doesn't help doctors normally prescribe Aldactone/Spironolactone and or Lasix to help with the ascites first. They are water pills that will cause her to urinate a lot. They need to monitor with testing to make sure that her kidneys don't start to get damaged. Or that her electrolytes don't go out of wack. When that stops working they may start doing taps where they drain the liquid out of the abdominal cavity. When they have to do that too often they may do a TIPS procedure. (transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt). Each method has it's own risks.

She really needs to get referred at least to a GI doctor. But Hepatologists are the experts with liver disease.

Hope this helps..........thoughts and prayers......
Posted 12/10/2010 4:42 AM (GMT 0)

Fenella, I just want to welcome you to the forum and to tell you that I agree with all that my co-moderator, Pink Grandma, said--especially about getting her to a hepatologist.  Meanwhile, she should be on a low sodium diet and elevate her feet higher than her heart several times a day for 20 min. each time.  A hepatologist will probably put her on diuretics.

You said they saw two tiny cysts on her liver.  How do they know they're not cancerous?  They need to do an MRI with Gadolinium or a biopsy--or both.

Considering her age, they may be reluctant to do much, but they should at least manage the ascites and HE.

Hugs,

Connie

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