Until AJD
opens a new thread, I'm going post here.
High ammonia levels are nothing make light of. The patient can slip into a coma, even die, if the levels go up and up.
Waste no longer processed properly by a failing liver will back up into the blood instead of leaving the body in urine or stool. This is what makes the patients disoriented and often angry and combattive, certainly non compliant re: meds, diet etc. I totally agree with Connie about the diet. It is likely his diet has contributed to his liver disease. Hopefully he is not a drinking man also.
One of our members described how they got the lactulose into her loved one in the hospital...pretty scarey actually...first through a nose tube (ng tube) and later as an enema. They will get it IN as it can save the patient's life.
When your Dad's ammonia has returned to somewhat normal level, know that it can spike at any time. Do not let him drive EVER until this is resolved. His doctor may have already told him that, or he may have voluntarily turned over the keys. My Mike didn't drive for a year.
There is a second med some folks take called Xifaxan. It is really helpful with Hepatic Encepalopathy. Some insurance companies don't pay for it, but I can give you some ideas if you have that problem. Just e me. My email is in my profile. With both meds, my partner, Mike returned most of the way to the world of the sane and was able to make it through the months of waiting to reach transplant eligiblity. He had to be alcohol free for 6 months and stay alive until they had a liver for him.
There are members here who have had to overcome many life choice situations in order to live on. As with Mike, they had to get sober. Others have had to quit smoking or lose a lot of weight in order to qualify.
End Stage Liver Disease describes the last stage of cirrhosis. It is not a pretty disease.
I hope your Dad has the opportunity to stop the progression of the disease before it is too late and he is in end stage. I hope hereturns to some clarity if this is a final illness so he can be "with" you for now.
Carol aka Mama Lama from Florida