Ankles swelled and full belly feeling

[GoofyDad]

HI all -

I'm 2 years SVR with early cirrhosis. I thought I was getting better, but now I'm much less confident. Over the past week or so I've had moderate fluid retention in feet and ankles, and also a full and bloated pressurized feeling behind the rib cage. A moderate meal produces the stuffed feeling of a Thankgiving dinner.

I should be getting more labs done soon, but the recent ones I have show low ast/alt, and good billirubin. Albumin has always been perfect, but hasn't been tested in a while. Platelets have been low at 115 for a while, but seem to be trending up - at 130 or so about ffourf months ago.

So - the question is, is this decompensation, and can that occur with reasonable looking labs? I'm in to see the doctor tomorrow-  but I'm with Kaiser now and that's not the best situation under these circumstances.      

[cajunldy]

Yes, that's it, just a cra**y old thyroid.  I will keep you in my prayers and happy thoughts your way.   Keep us posted and keep your since of humor going.

Good luck,
Cajun

[charm27]

Hope your feeling better.. Take it easy.

[Andiamo1]

Glad to hear that you are feeling better.  I see your sense of humor is returning!

Eric

[GoofyDad]

Hi Ya OH girl!  Do you mind posting you billirubin, albumin and platelet values? I'm curious to compare notes from my new tests when they're done.

Scratch: "load this forum" - LOL.

A half hour, huh? That seems like a long time. Do you know how I can get my adult internet content to play on the TV where the exercise bike is?

[scratchinghead]

Get on an exercise bike with a good book and just pedal away. Easy does it at first, just do 30 minutes a day. Not hard, not fast, just do it. Use the type that you sit back in.
Just 30 minutes, the time it takes to load this forum . . . .

[orphanedhawk]

Mine are swelling too but I'm convinced its the heat.
My fingers and ankles swell when it gets this hot so quickly.
Watch and see if they shrink when that fog comes rolling in.

[GoofyDad]

Thank agion to y'all.

Willing - I planned to get measurement od spleen... it went from 15 to 12 cm initially. Good pointer on the portal vein - will ask.

Scratching - Keep after me.. I need it. Just don't tell me hat plowing through a hot fudge sunday while watching err..... ahem... adult internet content doesn't qualify as excercise!

[scratchinghead]

I swear all these things are going wrong with me and my HCV is a runaway train and the I get back on a steady exercise regime and they all go away. I even sleep better. go figure, scratchinghead here.

[Lady Lauri]

When the discovery of a nodule on your thyroid is good news..... well that's just an odd feeling. ....................

LOL! True. Like my 'good news' 2 weeks ago.....
"it's pneumonia!".....as in my lungs look good otherwise, no lesions, tumors, blood clots after radiologist couldn't deciper the xray. Pneumonia....good news :)

GLAD their thinking thryroid versus the other things it could be. Post results when in, also curious to see how this turns out as your SVR 2 yrs., etc.

Be well!

[willing]

glad to hear you're feeling better - and sorry about the thyroid. The Dr's reassurances sound encouraging - hopefully they won't keep you waiting too long on the bx results.  Maybe I'm being foolishly optimistic but between the SVR and your aggressive anti-fibrotic regime I'd bet you're heading further from decompensation with every passing day.  On your upcoming US you may want to ask them to explicitly measure spleen and portal vein diameter - this  is more informative than a qualitative description and will give you something to compare with over time.

[GoofyDad]

When the discovery of a nodule on your thyroid is good news..... well that's just an odd feeling.

This pressure I had was not unlike what I took to be my spleen before treatment. It was oversized by seems back close to normal now. That pressure resolved soon after reaching UND.

This time, is was less severe. Based on some funky poo coloring, we're writing it off as a passing virus, pun intended of course. That pressure is gone and I have a slew of labs to do, and then most likely a needle biopsy for the lump.  

[orleans]

Good news for sure, considering the alts. I'm good, starting Alinia soon, then on the Bull I go, yehaw! jerry

[sldb]

Ive had that full feeling in my back before,came after eating too much, Hep said it was my gallbladder distending and causing that feeling, rt. sided pain came with it.

[merryBe]

both times my thyroid went wonky I gained 30lbs of water...and lost it once we got it back to normal...

I'm having the same probs under right rib cage, if iy's on your heart side...you need it diagnosed and treated  ASAP. Liver side could be lots of things,  thats why   you need to be seeing the hepatologist at Kaiser...

Kaiser I had issues with...its the only time I ever had to use the words "go legal" on a doctor.....he was a GP refusing to let me see an endocrinologist even though I have gladular diseases. SO  a word to the wise, if asking "nicely" doesn't work, a bit of legalese goes a long way towards them passing you to the proper specialist.
let me know what they find out OK....(my right side is hurting again too)
MB

[GSDgirl]

Glad to hear you are feeling better.  So did the doc say anything about the full feeling you have?  I am really interested because I have it also.  I had everything checked (stress test, ultra sound of the abdomen & another US of the heart area).  Supposedly everything was normal.  Not only do I have the full feeling I have the full fat look that I never had, I feel good at about 120 lbs and the last time on the scale I was at 136....I am 5'4" and that 16 lbs makes a big difference, gotta buy some new clothes LOL

Denise

[meki]

Well well - wonky thryroids 'R' us...

LOL!

good to hear.

Meki

[GoofyDad]

Things are much better today. Back from the Doc - he thinks negatory on ascites. Liver seems to be doing OK. Found a nodule on the thyroid - almost always benign, according to him. Will follow-up with more liver, thyroid, and auto-immune testing. Looks like it may indeed be the thyroid after-all.

Thanks for all your support.

[anise]

Hope you are feeling better.  I liked what you said about not exercising...if find I feel great when I exercise.  Take care Goof and good luck at the doctor's.

[GoofyDad]

Thanks for your kind and informative posts everybody. Things seem to be on the upswing, whether due to salt reduction, passing bug, or who knows what? I have a US scheduled for next week. That should tell more.

Elaine - my thoughts are with you and Nick everyday.

Jim - Thanks. I think the old ticker is OK. When I huffed up the steep SF hill to my heloptologist with hgb at 7.0, he actually told me that it was as effective as a stress test. Survival was a passing grade :)

Scratching - I'll admit that this little scare has me excersizing now, when I wasn't before....:(

Bug - I had no idea that swollen ankes were such a common problem. That's surprisingly comforting.

Lauri - Thanks for your kind thoughts.

Orleans - Thanks. How are you holding up?

FLguy - LOL. I worked the dump theory for a few days, but after front-to-back processing of a few loads, including a couple with corn markers, I know the through-chute is clearing all hurdles in a timely fashion.

NYgirl: Thanks for your encouragement.

[nygirl7]

I insist it's just a wonky thyroid. That's it. I refuse for it to be anything else on this earth. I have the wonky thyroid...it's another not fun but doable.   Something about hep and treatment really really wrecks our plumbing big time.....look how common it really is. Even a lot of the "liver pain" seems to be nothing but IBS.

So - that's what it is my friend. Nothing more. Nothing more at all. Cut down on the salt and take some Pamprin for the water retention...we women have to do all of that all of the time.

[FlGuy]

Very interested to hear the outcome but I'd guess that after two years your liver is much better than it was.  Not sure if you still are, but you still taking that littany of supplements?  If so, maybe there's a cumulative effect going on.  May try to reduce or eliminate some.  If I recall, you were taking (pre or post) biotics, lactulose and other stuff which may be affecting the 'ol plumbing.  Eating anything exoctic these days?  With your advancing years (I'm still older) sometimes the answer to what ails ya is a good healthy dump.  As to the swelling, you have been know to do some transcontinental air travel.  You staying put, in pressurized cabins, dangling from the Bay Bridge?

[orleans]

Keep us posted dude. prayers, jerry

[Lady Lauri]

He's 3rd on the list? Could be very soon?

Prayers always!

P.S. Does Orbitz clean up cr@ppy mouth too?  :)

[Lady Lauri]

I 'second' don't jump to thinking it's the liver, cirrhosis. It could be various things and hoping it's an easy to handle problem. Wonky thyroid sounds better!

Sorry your having problems and hoping the best for tomorrow.

LL