4th stage liver disease from hep c

[lisa739]

can someone explain if it is normal for someone that has been dx with 4th stage liver disease from hep c to have sever nausea and vomiting with absolutely no appetite. If so could you explain why and what I can do for it. I don't seem to get much help from my doctor on this, he just wants to keep doing ultrasounds of my abdomen. I've had a biopsy and it showed 3rd stage, then about 2 or 3 years later started having some symptoms and they ran blood and my platelets were low so they then dx with 4th stage. Help, I'm wasting away and having to take phenegren for nausea and I feel that could be stressing my liver more..

[Advocate1955]

As others have said above, anyone with Cirrhosis should be followed regularly by a hepatologist.  I know that several people on this forum who have decompensated Cirrhosis (meaning their livers are no longer functioning very well) have talked about nausea and weight loss and feeling like they're wasting away).  I don't know if that is directly due to their decompensated Cirrhosis, or if it's other related gastro problems, since the system is all connected, but either way, you need to be monitored about every 3-6 months by a hepatologist to 1) screen for liver cancer, 2) determine if you can treat your Hep C to protect your liver from further damage, and 4) monitor your liver for signs of decompensation so that he/she can help treat symptoms as they arise.
Advocate1955

[heart_in_the_keyes]

Lisa, Hector gives you excellent advice....please try to follow it...like me, your symptoms are probably not related to your liver but please get the correct doctors to diagnosis you correctly.  Hector and some of the other posters on here will have the most excellent medical information available for you and guide you along the way.  Then you will get posters like me who just tell you their personal experiences.  I was always blaming everything on my liver and that was silly for me to do. But hey, it's the big focus in your mindset now.  I agree with what Hector told you.  Good luck...let us know what happens.

[HectorSF]

Stage 4 liver disease just means cirrhosis (scaring of the liver). Cirrhosis covers many degrees of illness. For people with early cirrhosis and no symptoms or blood abnormalities to people who's liver is failing and close to death. So stage 4 means you have cirrhosis of the liver but it doesn't say how advanced your cirrhosis is.

You say your platelets are low. How low? Numbers matter.

You need to see a specialist in liver disease ASAP. Your doctor obviously is not knowledgeable about liver disease or hepatitis C. You should be seeing at least a gastroenterologist that treats patients with hepatitis C. They should should refer you to a hepatologist if your liver disease is advanced cirrhosis as even they can't help people with complications of cirrhosis.

You should ask about treating your hepatitis C before your liver disease becomes so advanced only a liver transplant will save your life.

Anyone with cirrhosis should be under the care of a specialist ASAP. Time is not on your side. Liver disease only gets worse over time. The sooner you treat your hep C the better the chance for success.

Good luck.
Hector

[heart_in_the_keyes]

I have Stage 4 ESLD w/decomp liver...  when this was happening to me...the nausea and pain in my abdominal area and had lost approximately 25#'s...my liver specialist / hepatologist / gastrologist did an upper GI to check for ascites and varacies.  He did not find either but he did find two huge open ulcers and several that had healed.   Probably caused from work stress and all the NASIDS that I was taking for the abdominal pain. He put me on Prevaid and there I have been for the last two years with a couple of upper GI's being done to check on them.

That is my story. It may not be yours but,  I like you...immediately took it back to the cirrhosis and the condition of my liver.  Fatigue goes hand and hand with Hep C and liver disease.  We aren't saying what you are telling us isn't related to your liver...it's just that we aren't doctors....we give suggestions and guidance.

As it was stated above there could be many other reasons why you are experiencing these symptoms.  If you aren't seeing a hepatologist or liver specialist, get one.  And ask and ask and ask. If you not happy or confident with what you are being told, get a second opinion. It is your right...it is your body and it is your life.

[Idyllic]

There are a few posts on the forum related to this as well as members with insight and experience. I agree 100% with what Cgal said: Get thee to a Hepatologist ASAP! It sounds like you need an up-to-date assessment of your health and options from a Hepatologist.

You did not mention your genotype or anything about prior treatment so I am assuming you might be treatment naive. Now might be a good time to find out about treatment options.


Meanwhile here is a thread that has a few posts related to diet for those with cirrhosis. Apparently adequate protein intake is important since  malnutrition, muscle wasting, anorexia, extreme fatigue to name a few things can be a risk with cirrhosis.

http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Hepatitis-Social/nasty-protein/show/1860708

[Cgal1957]

First get yourself a liver specialist, a good one. Have you treated for the Hep C? If not also get a good hepatologist and find out your options. Do you have varacies and have you been tapped for abdominal fluid? The vomiting does not sound right. The loss of appetite and nausea yes.
Get yourself to a doctor this week and not an MD. I wish I could tell you more on what to do but I am not a doctor. And you are correct anything you put in your body at this point can stress your liver more,