SURVIVED HEMORRAGING VARICIES HEP-C

[BIOPHIL]

The doctors banded 6 bleeding varicies and gave me 2 pints of blood.(I had lost 6 pints!)
Now I wonder, what is my prognosis, my liver enzimes are relatively low (55 and 80) protein normal , Enlarged spleen. I believe I can get well, and would like to believe that herbal and natural treatments can help me to reverse cihrrosis, but I am afraid its a dream. I am a 46 year old white male wth genotype 3a.

[BIOPHIL]

And by the way, my platelets are at 100.

[LvdByGod!]

hi biophil, gosh i'm so sorry about the varises...that must have been very scarey...i am 3a too with enlarged spleen and beginning cirhosis...i just had my endoscopy and it was thankfully negative for enlarged varises...i'm so sorry about yours...

if you have hep c and cirhosis the herbs are not going to help you...you would need the hepc treatment of interferon and ribaviron...type 3a has a good chance to clear and only a 6 month time on treatment if all goes as desired with clearing it...first we need to get rid of the cause of the attack on our livers (the hepc) and then we can think about herbs to help reduce the inflamation (inflammation) and fibrosis...but herbs can not keep up with the constant damage that the hep c is dishing out...so you really should think seriously about going on treatment while there still is some healthy tissue left in your liver for survival...

hope this helps...if you want to talk more i would be glad to try to help if i can...

sandi

[LvdByGod!]

phil please try your question at the site listed below also...you must sign in but it's free...there is alot of info and people going through end stage liver disease over there...people here are mostly just on treatment for hep c and may not be able to give you what you're looking for...there are some here though that have been through both treatment and end stage...and even transplants. but do check this site out too...i really think it will help you know where you stand...the people there are really kind also...

DELPHIFORMUMS LIVERFAILURE SUPPORT GROUP:

http://forums.delphiforums.com/n/main.asp?webtag=liverfailure&nav=start&prettyurl=%2Fliverfailure%2Fstart

[Honey15637]

Lvdbygod has excellent advice and I totally agree.  Don't let the hep do anymore damage to your liver and get to the source.  Treat and stop the virus.  This is a great place for information and others that are 3's treating now.  Good Luck to you!

[mikesimon]

Your situation is quite similar to mine. I had a major bleed from varices in January 1995. I lost 4 units of blood and also required transfusion. Unfortunately for me the physician injected my varices with a sclerosing drug rather than banding them and I had to repeat that procedure every two weeks for a total of 6 treatments. They call this obliterating the varices and it worked for me but banding is the preferred approach. After I was through that preocedure I tried herbs, meditation and diet. I may have slowed the progression but I didn't avoid a liver transplant which I had in June 2000. In 1994 interferon treatment was not considered an option for a cirrhotic patient but today some physicians will attempt treatment with interferon and ribavirin. My advice to you is to try to find a doctor willing to treat with these drugs. Frankly I believe your hope of reversing your cirrhosis with herbs etc. is a dream that has little to no likelihood of success. While cirrhosis is a negative predictor to erradicating the virus your genotype 3 is a positive predictor and you may have a shot at clearance if you start soon. A platelet count of 100 is low but I don't believe it will preclude you from treatment. Of course you would have to be monitored closely and have a doctor who is not timid about continuing treatment with a low platelet count. After transplant I treated with interferon and ribavirin and my platelet count got down to 26,000 but I was allowed to continue. As a matter of fact the transplant team never even mentioned my platelet count. Of course, these people are used to seeing this stuff and don't get too alarmed. I imagine your physician has suggested being evaluated for transplant but if you haven't been so advised I would suggest that you inquire about that. Even if you aren't approved to be listed as a candidate for transplantation at this time you may find a doctor willing to treat you aggressively - or get a referral to one who is experienced in dealing with advanced liver damage resulting from hepatitis c. I wish you good luck. Mike

[mikesimon]

You're reaction is normal. No one wants a transplant. And your feelings of anger and denial are not crazy. But you must start to reconcile yourself to the fact that this varceal bleed signifies a very serious medical condition which will not be corrected by diet and/or herbal supplements. I tried liquid thymus with no discernable improvement and, frankly, I suspect it is a hoax. Presently interferon and ribavirin is the only proven treatment for chronic hepatitis c. There are new drugs in the pipeline but they are probably at least 2 years away from being available and that's in all likelihood a very optimistic view. While it would be great to have a  doctor who demonstrates a caring attitude I would much prefer a doctor who is willing to 1) treat you with your low platelet count and not discontinue if you your platelets drop during treatment 2) administer procrit for possible anemia associated with a low red blood cell count due to ribavirin and/or neupogen for a low white blood cell count associated with interferon rather than reduce dosages of either treatment drug 3)use maximum doses of ribavirin and 4)extend treatment duration if appropriate. I believe these are the key ingredients to maximize your chances of erradicating the virus. As far as a transplant is concerned I wouldn't accept that as unavoidable. I would try to stay positive until there is no indication that treatment may work for you. I suppose the best approach is to keep all options on the table while pushing to get treatment as sson as possible. I wish you peace of mind and the best of luck. Mike

[BIOPHIL]

I am surprised how many kind responses I have gotten here. End stage site, hmmm as in "end of the line?" the only reason I worry is because I have young kids, otherwise I am not really afraid pf the end of the line thing.
I live in NYC and have a columbia liver specialist for a doctor, yet I am not crazy about him... My next apointment is in 2 weeks and it has been 3 weeks sice he saw me last. I want a doctor who I feel cares about me and I dont think he does.I think five weeks is a long time between apointments and he could only get me in at this time.

I am angry to find myself here and I do not want a transplant
I want my own Liver, dammit.I really do not trust allopathic doctors even though they saved my life, they make so mush money from the transplants, from the drugs, etc.

Question= Has anyone here gone on a raw food diet? tried medicinal mushrooms to boost immune function?How about liquid Thymus extracts? I feel better since starting the mushrooms (cariolus versicolor, reishi and cordiceps).
maybe I *am* dreaming, should I see if my doctor will put me on peg and rivarin, should I try to get him to do that?

Again, I am almost in shock and denial so I thank you Strangers for taking the time to try to help me sort this out.

[LvdByGod!]

biophil, mike is dead on with his comments...the varises are usually from portal hypertention and an enlarged spleen causing the pressure of the blood in the viens to engorge them to the point of bursting open...

the reason i said endstage is that the people at that site i mentioned are going through the exact same things...a lot of folks here are not that advanced in liver damage although several are...and you can treat with cirhosis...have you had a biopsy to find out exactly what the damage in your liver is?

it is probably a later stage of liver disease...but "end stage" only your hepatologist can tell you for sure if you have advanced to...so please don't waist your time with herbs...you need real medicine and a qualified and skilled dr...who is really good at managing patients with cirhosis and complications...

please let us help you by being your friends...between us and that site i gave you...you should have plenty of support to help direct you...

carring drs don't always mean intellegent drs...it's great to have both but i find the more they know the less "caring"...sad to say...so i am making sure my dr is up on the latest greatest hepc cirhosis management...it would surely be nice to know they care too...but just make sure they do "manage" the disease correctly...that means frequent visits and blood tests and attentive to the changes that happen...remember just go to the hospital if anything happens and you feel the need...some things require immediate attention...

do you want to post your blood numbers? perhaps we can help see how advanced you really are...

did you go to the site i mentioned? it is really good too...

my prayers are with you and your family...i know this news really stinks...i'm so sorry, but if you want to attack this the best way try to get rid of the virus so it stops attacking your liver...herbs will not do that at all!!! my best to you...remember the tx is nasty but it has to be to kill the virus...after you get rid of the virus you can use the herbs to help your liver recover from damage...the herbs simply do not kill the virus or keep up with the damage caused by it...

[BIOPHIL]

Thank you all again. My goal is to have better platelets by the time I get my next bloodwork done. Now my wonderful liver specialist has pushed my appointment forward 3 more weeks and can only see him sometime in June.

I have my bloodworks somewhere. the two 'famous ones' were  asl & the othe one  48 and 89 or so. platelet 100. Right now I have a belly Ache. the doctor gave me prevacid to mitigate the upset stomach. I did not take it until tonight.

[BIOPHIL]

Thank you for your advice. I will try to find my bloods and post them. Albumin was right exactly at borderline bet normal and "not Normal" Billirubin was within normal.I have unfortunately an inguinal hernia,(I feel like a mess).

Someone like me cannot deal with "failure" of Any type. Yet I am failing or rather Am being failed by my body.

[LvdByGod!]

biophil, i'm sure hoping you have time to turn this around...the liver is an amazing organ...when can you do treatment for the hepc? i'm praying for you phil.

[BIOPHIL]

I  just spoke to my "Liver guru's" Perky yet thoughtful asistant.
she is intelligent and knows her stuff but my problem is that there are 2 and a half months between interviews. He must be a very busy guy.