Exhaustion/Confusion

My husband has been experiencing extreme exhaustion over the last several months.  He also has serious mental confustion and severe headaches.  He is not undergoing any treatment right now for his Hep C (previous treatment failure) and doesnt have insurance.  We have been able to get a little bloodwork done through local health clinics and have found that his liver enzymes are pretty good (not great).  His platelets are about 70,000 and we are told that they should be between 130,000 and 400,000.  We were also told that until they drop below 50,000 its not considered emergent.  He also has severe leg pain and brown discoloration on his legs.

Has anyone experienced any of these issues?  Are there any supplements that might help?  Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[Gordo1977]

I used to encounter memory fog as well as fatigue after treatment with peg-riv.For memory fog i began taking blueberry leaf extract, acai berry and N-A-C a powerful antioxidant. When the body begins to accumulate to much toxins it begins affecting the brain which caused memory fog. For fatigue I take ginsana ( ginseng ).These supplements seem to help me with these symptoms. The only thing im having trouble with is liver inflammation.

Hope this info helps

Gordo

[Trinity4]

It sounds like your husband has cirrhosis and may be suffering from hepatic encephalopathy.  It is caused by accumulation in the bloodstream of amonia (ammonia) that is normally removed by the liver.  Blood tests (ammonia levels) can assist in the diagnosis.
Lactulose, an oral laxative, can be given to patients with cirrhosis to help cleanse their bowels. Sometimes an antibiotic is needed to accompany the lactulose.

Diet is also important.  Avoid salty foods, salt in cooking, and salt at the table. Anything that tastes salty (such as tomato sauce, salsa, soy sauce, canned soups) probably has too much salt. . Fresh foods usually are a better bet than processed foods.  Go easy on meats, especially red meats, which are high in sodium.

Above all, your husband should be consulting with an experienced GI or hepatologist.

Trinity

[HectorSF]

Yes, it appears that your husband may have cirrhosis of the liver. Cirrhosis is defined as a scarring process where liver cells are replaced or destroyed and are unable to function.

Unfortunately if he has advanced cirrhosis his symptoms will get worse over time until he is unable to function and take care of himself. He will need to be hospitalized now and then because some symptoms of advanced liver disease are potentially fatal. He needs to be under an experienced doctor as soon as possible to help him to manage his symptoms. He also needs to know that many drugs will be toxic to his liver. No alcohol and no NSAIDs such as aspirin, ibuprofen. He should only take Tylenol but in limited amounts. He also needs shots to make him immune to hep A and B. And a flu shot. So many things that only working with a doctor can provide.

* You mention severe leg pain? Do you mean cramps? It usually indicates a electrolyte imbalance which is common with liver disease.
* brown discoloration on his legs. Could it be bruises caused by bleeding over the skin. This is caused by low platelets which causes blood to clot. There is another blood test, INR, which measures how long it takes for the blood to clot.
* extreme exhaustion - fatigue caused by liver disease
* mental confusion - hepatic encephalopathy.
* Low platelet count - A common indicator of cirrhosis. low platelets – less than 100,000 is a concern (Platelets are cells involved in blood clotting.)

"We were also told that until they drop below 50,000 its not considered an emergency".  Who ever told you that is plain wrong. And if a doctor, I would get away from them as fast as possible. You don't want that person treating your husband. AS they don't have a basic knowledge of liver disease. As Trinity said, you need to have your husband see an experienced gastoenterologist or hepatologist ASAP. Advanced cirrhosis is called End Stage Liver Disease. This is a very serious disease that will in time be fatal. I am sorry if this shocks you but that no one has told you this before is a crime. I am telling you this in hopes that you will realize how serious this is and waiting any more for treatment is going to put your husband through unnecessary suffering. I know this because I am suffering with advanced decompensated cirrhosis myself.

Not having medical insurance while having hep c is a dangerous strategy. Unfortunately if your husband has advanced decompensated cirrhosis he will need a liver transplant in the future in order to continue to live. A transplant can cost a million dollars and he will need to take medicine for the rest of his life which can cost up to $6,000 per month just after the transplant. The meds will be reduced over time but there will be many blood tests and scans for the rest of his life.
He needs to get insurance somehow unless you are millionaires. If he is still working maybe he can get it though work if they don't exclude him for having a preexisting condition or if he is disabled he can apply to Social Security which after 2 years of disability will allow him to get Medi Care. But in the meantime I don't know what you can do unfortunately.

Other signs of cirrhosis: Note that not everyone has all these signs.
* Itching
* Easy bruising from decreased production of blood clotting factors by the diseased liver.
* Edema and ascites - bloating of legs, feet and stomach.
* Bleeding from esophageal varices - vomiting blood or black stools
* Liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma) - Needs to have sonagram or CT scan every 6 months

I hope that by some chance I am wrong about this but unfortunately your husband's symptoms are some of the things I experience myself. I am getting listed for a liver transplant as there are no other options when the illness progresses this far.

Keep us informed about what happens. There are others on this forum that are or have suffered through the same illness as your husband. Although we are not doctors who are the only people that can help your husband we can tell you are experiences and how we have managed to continue living with this illness.

Best of luck to you both.
Hecctorsf

[rpmyers]

Thanks for your responses, they are all very informative and helpful.

RPMyers