end stage liver disease-constant sleep-depression

[Kasha Belle]

58 yr.old male w/end stage liver disease. Sleeps,w/not bathe,all personal hygiene stopped, eats only sweets,junk food, abstained from drinking 2 yrs.ago when a kidney removed b/cause of cancer.Is taking Dilaudid, precribed by Dr. for 2 yrs. for nurapathy.W/not go out of house other than to pick up presecription from Dr.Has isolated from friends & family.W/not cook, clean, just exists day to day. I am care giver, but not wife. I believe the dilaudid is a problem,contributing to condition. Wht is normal for someone w/this condition. His last lab work was "normal".His blood pressure is elevated currently.

[NYgirl]

While Dilaudid is a very strong narcotic...it sounds like this is severe depression in this person (which the Dilaudid surely isn't helping). If he is seeing a doctor who is not concerned with any of these issues it seems very abnormal to me.

Having "end stage" liver disease...does this mean there is no hope for transplant or anything? Is that why he has given up?

It really sounds to me like a psychologist is needed, very much so. If someone is that depressed that they have stopped caring...perhaps a stint in a hospital or something and medication might help. But I guess he'd have to care enough to go...and that is the big catch 22 with depression.

Sorry I don't have any sage words of wisdom but I would talk to the doctor directly if I was you.  Just prescribing Dilaudid certainly isn't going to help anything.  Is there a separate issue that is causing him pain? Our livers really don't have any nerve endings and while treatment and some side effects or symptoms can be painful.......it seems to me that the D is really causing more harm than good.

[Kasha Belle]

Just how tired are you with your liver condition?
Too tired to function on a day to day basis?
Can you work, walk, live your life on a day-to-day basis?

[chcnme]

Hi Kasha.  Sorry to hear he's going through this.  ESLD can be different for each patient depending on how diseased their liver is.  Some might be able to still function relatively OK and have the diagnosis of ESLD and be candidates for transplants;  others can be totally bed-ridden with poor prognosis for survival and not considered candidates for transplant, and (I hate to say it) they can get to the point where they are biding their time. It's not unusual for patients who have reached this point to totally withdraw from friends, family, etc., and want to give up.  Their hygiene becomes bad  because they have no energy.  I hope he's not to that point (but it does happen.)  I don't know what tests you're talking about being "normal",  but some tests  (liver tests) can be "normal" (and he can still have a very poor prognosis.) Were you placed in the home as a caretaker for him?  Has a doctor said he's terminal or that he won't get better?  ESLD can be painful.  Pain management sometimes requires drugs like Dilaudid.  Do you think perhaps he is not in severe pain or that he doesn't need something as strong as Dilaudid? (I'm just trying to get more history so we can have a better idea of where he's at.)  Can you give us some more?  But to answer your questions anyhow, ESLD can get to the point that one cannot function, has no energy, sleeps all the time, doesn't want to bathe, doesn't care, etc.  It's very sad.   BUT -- he may not be there yet :)  On the other hand, people who CAN still function with ESLD can be terribly fatigued and depressed and CAN get help - so - more history if you care to give it.  

[LvdByGod]

HI, God Bless You for what you do for him...

there is a really great support group on the web for those going through end stage liver disease and there loved ones... you must sign in but its free. they have a great number of articles there and alot of folks walking the same path as yourself and your friend... it is a very special place just like this one... you will find alot of folks going through the same sort of situations as you and your friend...

He is very blessed to have you, what a wonderful person you are!!!!!

here is there address...

http://forums.delphiforums.com/liverfailure/messages

[babylou786]

my mother have liver cancer and the only thing she do is sleep she is 99 years old and the doctor told me it's nothing that can do for her,no treatment because she is to old.so i just set by the bed and pray.she is not in pain so i just want to know by her sleeping is that keeping the pain away.