Aa
back from the liver doctor
Been to the liver doctor twice is 7 days, started my husband off on 200 mg of spironolactone and 40 mg of furosemide a day for the ascities, But took him off the 40 mg propranolol , Then we go back 7 days later. But because its a liver clinic there are two doctors, So this time we see the other doctor, she drops his spironolacton to 100 mg , and the furosemide to 20 mg a day, Because my husband has lost 16 lbs in 6 days . And i asked her about the propranolol and she wasnt sure why the other doctor took him off so she went and asked him and he couldnt remmember because he never put it on my husbands chart makes no sense .. So hes not on the propranolol. Then I asked her about the water pills and his moderate kidney problem she said it would be ok > Then we asked about his meld she said it was at 14,. And also about his sleeping habits she said it was because of the ascities he sleeps days and awake nights, Also he is in pain because of the belly button hernia he has, She sais there was nothing she can do because his platlets ate at 42. Anyway she said heres paper work get blood tests done and see you in a month,,, hes not on any list for transplant.. Anyway that was my day of confusion,,, Just wanted to know is this the way its suppose to be ,can any one be honest cause the doctors are not,, oh ya the brusing is awfull, Im just going though this alone with him and I need to know whats going on thats linda
Hi they took blood test again I will have to wait till jan 19th to go back to my family doctor for those blood level reports , I will compare them at that point and if I see any type Of change I will tell the doctor that I know and I want him to explain them to me.They dont remmember my husband, visit by visit they look at the test relults when he gets there thats it,,As for changing doctors theres just know where else to go so we have no choice.. And you metioned about latctulose and rifaximin hes not on either of those,, Memory well sometimes I see a difference but not always. He does get a little confused, but he stays in the house doesnt even take the dog out any more. Anyway thanks for the information I will keep yous up dated, ,As for the speedo its -10 here way to cold lol,,,,Everyone take care thanks again and merry xmas and happy new year talk again soon linda Be Well
Merry Christmas Linda!
Nothing you said makes me think the doctors are lying to you.
One doctor drops his Spironolacton to 100 mg , and the Furosemide to 20 mg a day. 16 lbs in 6 days is very fast fluid lose. Too much dosage of diuretics can damage the kidneys and cause other symptoms so the dosage should be adjusted per patient.
A meld of 14 is too soon for transplant. But I think he needs to be watched closely as your husbands symptoms are quite bad. Symptoms and MELD do not always coordinate exactly. My MELD at last measurement was 18 and I have minimal bruising, Ascities under control, HE mostly under control etc. That he sleeps days and is awake at night is usually due to hepatic encephalopathy. Your husband should probably increase his dose of lactulose and perhaps rifaximin. Does he also have problems thinking clearly, poor memory, poor concentration, and poor coordination? Do his hands shake if he tries to hold them out like he is trying to stop traffic? It not it could be the discomfort of ascities that keeps him for sleeping properly.
I also have a belly button hernia due to ascities. I do not have any pain but then again my abdomen is not bloated either.
She said there was nothing she can do because his platelets count is 42,000. Yes operations are dangerous for those of us with decompensated cirrhosis and low platelets can cause excessive bleeding especially if his INR is high. Since he bruises easily I would guess that is the case. So I have learned to live with it. It is not a big deal, at least for me as I have no pain and it is not Speedo time here in Northern Cal. haha
Merry Christmas to you both. Let's hope 2011 is a good year for all of us.
hectorsf
Nothing you said makes me think the doctors are lying to you.
One doctor drops his Spironolacton to 100 mg , and the Furosemide to 20 mg a day. 16 lbs in 6 days is very fast fluid lose. Too much dosage of diuretics can damage the kidneys and cause other symptoms so the dosage should be adjusted per patient.
A meld of 14 is too soon for transplant. But I think he needs to be watched closely as your husbands symptoms are quite bad. Symptoms and MELD do not always coordinate exactly. My MELD at last measurement was 18 and I have minimal bruising, Ascities under control, HE mostly under control etc. That he sleeps days and is awake at night is usually due to hepatic encephalopathy. Your husband should probably increase his dose of lactulose and perhaps rifaximin. Does he also have problems thinking clearly, poor memory, poor concentration, and poor coordination? Do his hands shake if he tries to hold them out like he is trying to stop traffic? It not it could be the discomfort of ascities that keeps him for sleeping properly.
I also have a belly button hernia due to ascities. I do not have any pain but then again my abdomen is not bloated either.
She said there was nothing she can do because his platelets count is 42,000. Yes operations are dangerous for those of us with decompensated cirrhosis and low platelets can cause excessive bleeding especially if his INR is high. Since he bruises easily I would guess that is the case. So I have learned to live with it. It is not a big deal, at least for me as I have no pain and it is not Speedo time here in Northern Cal. haha
Merry Christmas to you both. Let's hope 2011 is a good year for all of us.
hectorsf
In Canada you can get care that uninsured people here in the States cannot. So the medical insurance should not be a problem, right? Meld scores can vary from day to day. I would try to find out if your hubby can get in to see a transplant doctor. Platelets of 42 are very low and with ascites and varices along with his low counts, he really needs expert care.
Hi Linda,
Sorry to hear of your hubby’s illness. I don’t quite know how the member above determined that your husband might not receive a transplant; perhaps I’m missing something, and he’d like to elaborate a bit.
Obviously, none of us here can determine how ill your husband is; for right now, you’ll have to accept the MELD score assigned to him, unless you can take him somewhere else for another opinion.
As I understand it, the MELD score grades from a low of 6 through 40; with 40 being the most ill. If hubby’s score is indeed at 14 as you report, he likely wouldn’t be listed for transplant here in the States either; I think they begin considering that around MELD 15 or higher. There are other criteria involved; MELD score isn’t absolute, so you need to discuss everything with his doctors to go over his own personal needs.
Here is a link to the transplant center I used to manage my HCV; if you browse through, you’ll get a rough idea of what is required for transplant here in the U.S. Again, criteria vary, so your situation might be considerably different than what you read here:
http://www.cpmc.org/advanced/liver/patients/topics/transplant.html
Good luck; personally, there’s nothing you’ve mentioned above that *I* see that might prevent him from receiving transplant in the future, other than he will likely have to progress further yet. Keep up with his doctors, and try to help as best you can, where you can.
Good luck to you both,
Bill
Sorry to hear of your hubby’s illness. I don’t quite know how the member above determined that your husband might not receive a transplant; perhaps I’m missing something, and he’d like to elaborate a bit.
Obviously, none of us here can determine how ill your husband is; for right now, you’ll have to accept the MELD score assigned to him, unless you can take him somewhere else for another opinion.
As I understand it, the MELD score grades from a low of 6 through 40; with 40 being the most ill. If hubby’s score is indeed at 14 as you report, he likely wouldn’t be listed for transplant here in the States either; I think they begin considering that around MELD 15 or higher. There are other criteria involved; MELD score isn’t absolute, so you need to discuss everything with his doctors to go over his own personal needs.
Here is a link to the transplant center I used to manage my HCV; if you browse through, you’ll get a rough idea of what is required for transplant here in the U.S. Again, criteria vary, so your situation might be considerably different than what you read here:
http://www.cpmc.org/advanced/liver/patients/topics/transplant.html
Good luck; personally, there’s nothing you’ve mentioned above that *I* see that might prevent him from receiving transplant in the future, other than he will likely have to progress further yet. Keep up with his doctors, and try to help as best you can, where you can.
Good luck to you both,
Bill
hi we live in canada and this is the medical were not getting ,, I have read up on ESLD , and im just confused cause , I asked the doctor the percentage of his live cause he had a ultra sound 2 weeks ago and the doctor says its not bad,, what are they talking about, he has adema, ascities, low white and red cells, bruises for no reason , sleeps alot diabities has gone crazy, portal hypertension,, varisies who knoes thenk god he hasnt had any bleeds yet,,, Im just confused on the meld score beeing 14 I thought it had to be alot higher for end stage,, any more help ,, answers would be nice ,,, thanks again I just want answers thats all
I'm sorry about your situation but the truth is, your husband is going thru ESLD and his chances of getting a liver transplant are very slim. His chances of getting better at this point are extremely unlikely. Have you talked to the doctors about the "reality" of your husband getting a liver transplant? Have you googled ESLD?
Linda, it sounds as if your hubby is at end stage liver disease. Are you going to a clinic because you have no medical insurance? Your husband should be seen by a transplant team. Perhaps one of the transplant patients who post here can tell you more. I'm not sure if transplant centers will list people with no medical insurance. Transplant is a very expensive thing. I'm sorry you are going through this.
Have an Answer?
You are reading content posted in the Hepatitis C Community
Learn about this treatable virus.
Getting tested for this viral infection.
3 key steps to getting on treatment.
4 steps to getting on therapy.
What you need to know about Hep C drugs.
How the drugs might affect you.
These tips may up your chances of a cure.
A list of national and international resources and hotlines to help connect you to needed health and medical services.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.
Herpes spreads by oral, vaginal and anal sex.
STIs are the most common cause of genital sores.
Condoms are the most effective way to prevent HIV and STDs.
PrEP is used by people with high risk to prevent HIV infection.
