took my husband to liver doctor today..more confused

[linda803]

Hi hector well went to the GI today , the doctor said my hubands meld score was 14, he said it is different than the states,  Then I asked about a transplant and how was that going, He said my husbands not on one at the moment, I also asked what was my husbands blood type,, The doctor didnt know.   My husbands ascities and adema is back he gained 18 lbs in a month, so he put him on 40mg of Furosemide, and 200mg of Spironolactone a day and said they will call for a appointment to go back in a week. I mentioned that my husband has moderate chronic  kidney disease , and he said it would be ok to take the pills for a week. The doctor also took my huband off the propranolol pills, I asked about the varises and when were they going to ban them,   Again he said they would set up an appointment. So at this point   Im really confused  Its like talking to a brick wall with these people and Theres nothing I can do just go with the flow and pray for the best, Because they just wont answer my questions its awfull but the system has failed up here all we are is a number or a pay check to these people, Im still wondering about that meld score dosent seem right to me ..As for my husband he sleeps his days and awake all night now,, The doctor said that will change as so as the fluids in his stomach are gone, any answer will help because I dont believe these doctors anymore.. Thanks again linda

[IAmTheWalrus]

Linda,

I just want to send some sympathy your way. Your husband sounds more ill than the MELD = 14 would indicate. Like Hector says, that can fluctuate a lot. I hope things work out for you both.

Brent

[linda803]

Hi again hector were the people from ontario canada , last month I had gotten the lab reports  and posted them on here,I couldnt figure the meld score but you had come up with a score of 29, anyway the doctor said today that the numbers are different from canada to the USA, so I have been looking for a meld score calulator for the canadian version , and I cant find anything, So I guess all I can do is wait and see,, I cant thank youenough for your help in all this and I wish you best holidays and better times ahead take care talk again linda

[HectorSF]

Hi Linda,

Sorry to hear about the problems you are experiencing.

Any chance of changing docs? Gastroenterologists or hepatologists. Finding someone to support you and your husband.

So your husband is not listed? Was he? (Sorry my memory is shot these days). He will need many tests and meet with the entire transplant team to be listed.

I assume his MELD went down? From what?
12 is too low to get listed in the US. Ideal time for transplant is between 17-25 but because of the shortage of livers many are only transplanted in the upper 30s when the patient is very very ill.
Remember MELD goes up and down and does NOT always correlate to how ill one feels.

Taking your husband off of propranolol for awhile shouldn't be a problem so don't worry about that. Maybe they want to see what is going on with the med. Propranolol can cause dizziness and other cardio issues. Again, nothing to worry about. I have been on and off many times myself.

"husband he sleeps his days and awake all night now"
Is his ascites keeping him up at night?
It is not uncommon to have day-night reversal due to hepatic encephalopathy (HE).
Does he have signs of HE? Confusion, inability to concentrate, foggy thinking?
Is he taking lactulose? Rifaximin for HE?

The good news is... the diuretic meds with take about 2 weeks to fully work, but they will work. If you make sure he is eating less than 2000 mg of sodium per day. Otherwise the meds won't help. He'll feel a lot better when the ascites lessen.

Right now let then evaluate your husband's condition and give him the proper medicines. Nothing drastic should happen. You want to relieve your husbands complications of cirrhosis as much as possible. Plenty of time for a transplant.

I hope this helped hand in there keep me updated.
Best of holidays to you both.
I'm hanging in here with you.

hectorsf