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What Causes Abdominal Distention While Suffering From Liver Inflammation?
in 2014 i had inflamed liver and i got fluid all over my body and had to get a tube around my lung to drain fluid every three days or i could not breath i took a special lasik in the hospital through i v for twelve months and chemo and blood transfusion for the blood disease i had a extended stomach like i was 9 months pregnant from drinking to much alcohol my liver count is good now but i have one gram of protein in me i don t drink any more am i going to be o k
Thu, 20 Sep 2018
Hi,
From your story, it sounds like you had alcoholic hepatitis and now have cirrhosis, based on your low protein. This would be considered end-stage liver disease, and at some point is likely to decompensate and cause problems like fluid in your abdomen, bleeding from the veins around your esophagus, and delirium. Abstaining from alcohol is the most important thing you can do to keep this from happening for as long as possible. Nutrition is also important and I would recommend you speak with a nutritionist. You should also be checking the blood vessels around your esophagus with a scope (called an EGD) on a regular basis to check for any veins that look like they might bleed, and treat them before they do.
As far as how long you can expect to live, there is, of course, no way to know for sure. There are ways to estimate, but I would need more information, including your bilirubin, INR (how well your blood clots) and creatinine (marker of kidney function). Your doctor will be in the best position to talk to you about this.
I'm sorry for the bad news, but I am glad to hear that you have stopped drinking. Sometimes when we have health problems it makes us look at the way we live and gives us the motivation to change. I hope this is the case for you and that you use this as an opportunity to live the life you have to the fullest.
Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.
Regards,
Dr. Aaron Branch,
General & Family Physician
From your story, it sounds like you had alcoholic hepatitis and now have cirrhosis, based on your low protein. This would be considered end-stage liver disease, and at some point is likely to decompensate and cause problems like fluid in your abdomen, bleeding from the veins around your esophagus, and delirium. Abstaining from alcohol is the most important thing you can do to keep this from happening for as long as possible. Nutrition is also important and I would recommend you speak with a nutritionist. You should also be checking the blood vessels around your esophagus with a scope (called an EGD) on a regular basis to check for any veins that look like they might bleed, and treat them before they do.
As far as how long you can expect to live, there is, of course, no way to know for sure. There are ways to estimate, but I would need more information, including your bilirubin, INR (how well your blood clots) and creatinine (marker of kidney function). Your doctor will be in the best position to talk to you about this.
I'm sorry for the bad news, but I am glad to hear that you have stopped drinking. Sometimes when we have health problems it makes us look at the way we live and gives us the motivation to change. I hope this is the case for you and that you use this as an opportunity to live the life you have to the fullest.
Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.
Regards,
Dr. Aaron Branch,
General & Family Physician
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