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How Can Primary Biliary Cholangitis Be Treated?
I have primary biliary cholangitis PPC, for 15 years and my last two years have had what is diagnosed as hepatic encephalopathy for which I have taken Lactulose and now xifaxin (SP?). But my most recent labs come back with an ammonia level of 24, so is there some other reason I could be so confused and unable to concentrate. We have thought it went with the liver disease, but I wonder if there could be some other cause since the ammonia levels are normal
Mon, 8 Jan 2018
Hello.
Treatment of primary biliary cholangitis:
Because no cure exists for primary biliary cirrhosis, treatment focuses on slowing the progress of the disease, relieving symptoms and preventing complications.
Treating the disease
Treatments aimed at slowing the disease and prolonging life include:
Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA). Also known as ursodiol (Actigall, Urso), UDCA is a bile acid that helps move bile through your liver. UDCA doesn't cure primary biliary cirrhosis, but it may prolong life if started early in the disease and is commonly considered the first line of therapy.
Although UDCA doesn't work for everyone with primary biliary cirrhosis, people with early-stage disease respond better. UDCA is less likely to help people with advanced liver damage. Side effects may include weight gain, hair loss and diarrhea.
Liver transplant. When treatments no longer control primary biliary cirrhosis and the liver begins to fail, a liver transplant may help prolong life. A liver transplant is a procedure to remove your diseased liver and replace it with a healthy liver from a donor. Most donated livers come from people who have died. But in some cases, it may be possible to remove a portion of a liver from a living donor.
Primary biliary cirrhosis often recurs in the transplanted liver, but it may take several years to develop. People with primary biliary cirrhosis who have liver transplants generally have high survival rates — 80 to 85 percent after five years on average.
New medications. Researchers continue to explore other drugs for treating primary biliary cirrhosis. Immunosuppressant drugs, in particular methotrexate (Trexall, Rheumatrex) and colchicine (Colcrys), have been widely used, but their effectiveness remains unproved.
Numerous other drugs, including antiviral medications, continue to be studied as well. Studies suggest that adding fenofibrate (Tricor, Triglide, others) or bezafibrate (Bezalip, others) may be helpful for some people who don't respond to UDCA alone, but larger studies are needed.
with regards- Dr Sanjay Kini
Treatment of primary biliary cholangitis:
Because no cure exists for primary biliary cirrhosis, treatment focuses on slowing the progress of the disease, relieving symptoms and preventing complications.
Treating the disease
Treatments aimed at slowing the disease and prolonging life include:
Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA). Also known as ursodiol (Actigall, Urso), UDCA is a bile acid that helps move bile through your liver. UDCA doesn't cure primary biliary cirrhosis, but it may prolong life if started early in the disease and is commonly considered the first line of therapy.
Although UDCA doesn't work for everyone with primary biliary cirrhosis, people with early-stage disease respond better. UDCA is less likely to help people with advanced liver damage. Side effects may include weight gain, hair loss and diarrhea.
Liver transplant. When treatments no longer control primary biliary cirrhosis and the liver begins to fail, a liver transplant may help prolong life. A liver transplant is a procedure to remove your diseased liver and replace it with a healthy liver from a donor. Most donated livers come from people who have died. But in some cases, it may be possible to remove a portion of a liver from a living donor.
Primary biliary cirrhosis often recurs in the transplanted liver, but it may take several years to develop. People with primary biliary cirrhosis who have liver transplants generally have high survival rates — 80 to 85 percent after five years on average.
New medications. Researchers continue to explore other drugs for treating primary biliary cirrhosis. Immunosuppressant drugs, in particular methotrexate (Trexall, Rheumatrex) and colchicine (Colcrys), have been widely used, but their effectiveness remains unproved.
Numerous other drugs, including antiviral medications, continue to be studied as well. Studies suggest that adding fenofibrate (Tricor, Triglide, others) or bezafibrate (Bezalip, others) may be helpful for some people who don't respond to UDCA alone, but larger studies are needed.
with regards- Dr Sanjay Kini
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