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Son in hospital with alcoholic hepatitis

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Posted 10/26/2012 11:22 PM (GMT 0)
I am at my wits end with no answers from doctors. Seems like maybe you all can help. My son is 26 and drinking ten years. Took him to ER with extreme jaundice. Admitted three weeks ago. I need to know what we are dealing with and noone will tell me! Only prognosis is his number is over 31 which indicates over 50% mortality in 30 days. He is on prednisone. Once the acute stage passes, will he still be in danger? They moved him to rehab in the hospital a couple days ago and I am trying to figure out what to be ready for when he gets home. 2 times in ICU two years ago with pancreatitis, now this.

I was holding on to hope due to his not being on dialysis, then I read today that if no liver transplant planned then no dialysis. I have his bloodwork and know the numbers are horrible. His billirubin went from 10.2 to over 15 since admission. AST is over 168 (was 171 at admit) His stomach is extended and low oxygen and portal hypertension. Nose bleeds randomly, although not since hospital.. I read about how bad some of you all were and hope you can explain what to ask, although they just talk in circles when I try to pin them down.

Maybe this is not as bad as I think, judging from what some of you came back from.
Posted 10/27/2012 2:04 AM (GMT 0)
Hi, Rosa, and welcome to the forum. Your son appears to be in end-stage liver disease. If the number you are talking about being 31 is his MELD score, then every transplant center I know would be transplanting him. HOWEVER, he would need to have 6 mos. of documented sobriety to be considered for a transplant.

People who are alcoholic or heavy drinkers, for some reason can get worse when they first stop drinking. But then the numbers start improving. There are a number of members here who have returned to reasonably good health the longer they are sober. If there are no kidney problems, don't worry about transplant being affected.

If there is insurance or cash, I'd have him enter an inpatient rehab facility for alcohol and drug abusers for a minimum of 30 days. If that's not possible, I would make it a prerequisite of living with you that he attend daily AA meetings. If he drinks again, he could die. That's the bottom line. Do not buy alcohol for him or give him money to buy any.

Check out the Caregivers thread. You will meet others with loved ones in this position and get a lot of support. Also, read the informational material in the folder at the top of the page entitled Hepatitis Resources. It covers liver disease in general.

Hugs,
Connie
Posted 10/27/2012 4:36 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Rosa,

I sent you a long post earlier, but my computer ate it up before I could SUBMIT.

My Mike was at deaths door in October 2010. In hospital with high MELD score. He had been a heavy drinker for years. They gave him 90 days to live if he continued drinking. He chose not to, went to AA most days, though he was half out of his mind...and a very mean ugly person at the time.

He did the 6 months. Lived. Though he was in the hospital 5 different times for about a week each time. He was transplanted May 1, 2011 and 18 months later he is still sober and ALIVE. He is not great. But he is alive and not mean and not dying at the moment.

This is up to him now. And I agree with everything Connie has said. Once they bring his ammonia level down some he may be able to make a clear decision about what to do. Detox is important.

I wish you both well,

Mama Lama
Posted 10/29/2012 7:14 AM (GMT 0)
At first I dealt with things by saying I would just supervise him 24/7 so he cannot drink but then I spoke to hhursday and saw his sneaking ways are still in tact. He is way over medicated on anxiety meds and plans to go back on it all after getting home. This made me crash and burn because I had to allow myself to see the truth which is that I can't control him. He is an adult. I want to say my house my rules but then when he messes up what would I do? Send him home so he can drink??? When I finally let reality filter into mymind I have to force myself to accept that he is the only one who can change this. I am not sure that he will. I am so angry at these doctors who write these meds with no responsibility. Maybe a shorter sentence would be more acurate... I am so angry....... r
Oh, as far as 30 day rehab, he also said he is leaving after less than 2 weeks because his birthday he wants to be out. He won't do family counseling because he says we can work it out alone. He thinks I have all the answers and I don't. I am working hard to find some emotional stability so I can be strong for my other kids. I am glad I found this and am so grateful to those of you who take the time to interact/ Know that you are appreciated. You (and God)may be what helps me survive this. (Just as I feel like I need a moment off work to compose myself, a hurricane comes in and shuts work down for 2 days, God is good)
Thank-you,
Rosa
Posted 10/29/2012 7:17 AM (GMT 0)
I meant to post that on the care givers thread. I will get the hang of this. My first blog.
Posted 11/8/2012 12:20 AM (GMT 0)
I brought my son home from rehab yesterday and he immediately picked a fight so he would have an excuse to leave the supervision I offered and go home alone. I sent his older brother over but by the time he arrived he smelled alcohol. I found his discharge papers this morning and saw that it says released to .... hospice. After refusing to discuss "the prognosis" that was how I got it. I am so angry, yet so numb I have no emotion.
So, as far as treatment. Could it be that they say hospice only because he left rehab when should not have? If he is in hospice but stops drinking could the liver heal or is this definitely a transplant or death situation once they say it is that bad?? My son took him home to Michigan this morning and we are having records sent to a doctor/friend who will tell us the truth of his condition. He says he will go to AA once his liver heals. I think his mind is gone.
I want to believe I am really confused and things are not this bad.
Rosa
Posted 11/8/2012 1:38 AM (GMT 0)
Things ARE this bad, Rosa. I'm sorry, but it's obvious that he does not have any intention of quitting alcohol or drugs. The doctor obviously realizes this and says "hospice" since he doesn't think he will live longer than 6 mos if he continues drinking. There are exceptions--people here who have put down the alcohol and come back to health. But it requires a commitment on the part of the addict, which your son obviously is not ready to do.

You cannot do a darned thing about it and that's why you are angry. You know he is drinking his life away, but he is the one who must do something about it. No amount of badgering, pleading, etc., will work.

I'm very sorry.

Hugs,
Connie
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