how long will this go on

[keyker]

My husband has cirrhosis and won't stop drinking and taking drugs...he has been to the hospital 3 times to have his stomach drained, his legs and feet are very swollen, he doesn't sleep, right now he is destroying my home, taking dishes out of the cabinet and putting them everywhere, crazy things, i tell him to please go lay down and he gets angry, he is staggering and falling, his arms and legs bleed for no reason, he is jaundiced and almost looks skeletal, except for his stomach, which is starting to swell again....I don't know what to do....any advice please!!!!!

[Beaker]

How are the alcohol and drugs getting into the house?  What has Alanon told you to do?  Are you afraid he will get mad with you?  To be honest, you are the one in power right now, not him, what would you like to do?  With the stumbling and all the dish hiding, his brain is pretty much over loaded with toxins.  Besides, there is no such thing as reasoning with an alcoholic.  The only advise I can give you is to have him committed but once he sobers up he will return to this type of behavior.  You know this already, he has done this before.  I feel you are asking if it would be terrible to walk away from this situation.  Have him admitted to the hospital and you take some time for yourself, that is not a crime.  If you do not take care of yourself, you will not be able to take care of him.  Now, call Alanon and do as they advise, what do you have to lose?

[imkindly]

Hi there
Beaker gave you some good advice.

Remember what we talked about last month----

Toxins can build up in the body of a liver patient. (Especially ammonia). (Ammonia is a waste product from digested food).
Those toxins effect the brain.
That's called encephalopathy.

A person with mild encephalopathy may act irritable, or groggy, or sleep alot.
If encephalopathy is worse....they may act out of their head.
If it's allowed to get out of control....they can go into a coma (and their brain swells and they can die.)

LACTULOSE is a prescription liquid laxative that removes ammonia from the body.
Anyone with encephalopathy needs to talk to a doctor and get a prescription for lactulose.

Now for the alcohol---

The sicker your husband gets (the worse his liver gets)...his body will have a harder time processing drugs (or alcohol).
Drugs or alcohol will have a much, much stronger effect on him.
That also contributes to encephalopathy.

KEYKER,
If you think that your husband is getting mentally strange...If you think your husband has encephalopathy...You need to get medical help.
If you think it's just MILD-----you need to get him some lactulose pronto (now).

If you think he is starting to act crazy------you need to call an ambulance (don't put him in the car to drive him there yourself, unless you have someone to help you---someone to keep an eye on him while you drive)

You mentioned taking dishes out of the cabinet. You are the third person that I've heard say that! (The other two needed to be hospitalized, so don't blow this off----if you are getting the feeling that something is wrong-----call an ambulance.)

Call an ambulance---

You tell them that he has liver disease and encephalopathy---

They will come to get him---

They will take him to the hospital----start him on an IV, give him lactulose, maybe give him Flagyl or Neomycin, maybe even give him enemas.  They'll clean out his system.
If he has drugs in his system they'll probably give him some Flumazenil too.


If I were you, that's what I'd do.

***@****

[imkindly]

Here's a common test for encephalopathy:

Stand in front of your husband and tell him to hold his arm out in front of him----palm towards you.

LIKE A TRAFFIC COP, STOPPING TRAFFIC.

Can he hold that pose?

Can he hold his hand up, like he's stopping traffic?


If he can only do it for a few seconds......call an ambulance.