Re: Ammonia levels

>







  
  
    
      
 
      
      
Advertisement
      
    
    
      

      
      


=4)
  {ts=window.location.pathname+window.location.search;
   i=0; Tv=0; while (i=4)&&(agt.indexOf("mac") -1))
{  document.write('');
     document.write('');
}
     else if (bV>=3) {document.write('');
        document.write('');}
}
if (bN 'Microsoft Internet Explorer')
document.write('');
// -->




      
    
  
  


  

  




  
    

      
        Welcome
        to ....
    
    
    
      
    
  


  
    
Questions in The
    Hepatitis Forum are being answered by doctors from

Henry Ford Health System, consistently ranked one of the best hospitals in America.




  



Subject: Ammonia levels

Forum: The Hepatitis Forum


I am wondering if ammonia levels are always associated with liver function.  I am probably somewhat in denial here because I have a husband that is end stage and I am sure that I know what ammonia levels indicate in someone with cirrhosis.  Maybe if you can just say the words to me it will help.  I had ammonia levels of 50 the first time I was checked.  I was experiencing problems with getting lost when I was driving and confused other times.  Can't remember my PO box number, names numbers are difficult. Spelling is becoming quite challenging for me.  The next time I got them checked my ammonia was at 127.  Haven't gone back to have it checked again.  Anyway I guess I am just looking for more information about this subject.  I am not on any treatment as of yet for this due to lack of insurance.  But how high does your ammonia level have to be before seeing coma?  Just curious.
Thanks for you time.
Kendall




Dear Kendall:
Thanks for you questions.  I can imagine just how concerned you are by your situation.  I understand you ammonia is elevated and you are having symptoms of confusion and forgetfulness.
First and foremost, to answer your first question, elevated blood ammonia levels are almost always due to liver disease.  There are some unusual circumstances in which someone can have an elevated ammonia and a normal liver.  If you do have a history of liver disease or reasons to believe your liver is damaged, I suspect your elevated ammonia is from liver problems.  
You ask some questions about how high the ammonia has to be to give a coma.  As you appreciate, as the liver fails, ammonia and other chemicals can rise in the blood and give confusion and lethargy.  We call this hepatic encephalopathy.  If hepatic encephalopathy is severe, patients can go into coma.  Surprisingly, the level of the ammonia does not always correlate with the severity of someones hepatic encephalopathy.  Some individuals tolerate high ammonia levels with little confusion whereas others will have severe problems with only mildly elevated ammonia levels.  
I think the most important thing for you to realize is that hepatic encephalopathy is a serious complication of advanced liver disease.  If this is what you have, you really need to be under the care of an experienced physician and do the things she/he suggests.  If you are candidate for liver transplant, this should be considered now.  Most importantly, if you have been prescribed medication for this condition, it is critical that you take it.  Most of the medications we use to treat hepatic encephalopathy are effective and inexpensive.  You absolutely do not want to let the symptoms get to the point of coma because you could well die.
I hope this information is helpful to you.  Good luck with your situation.  If you have additional information or questions, I would invite you to post the material to MEDHELP or to contact us directly at Henry Ford [phone]. We have an active group of liver specialists.
This response is being provided for general informational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice or consultation.  Always check with your personal physician when you have a question pertaining to your health.  





Thankyou for your honesty.And yes I have cirrhosis from Hep c. Over 20 years out and realize it's serious.  I appreciate your response and will continue to work towards getting medical help.  Once again thankyou.
Kendall









Follow Ups:

[a78shana]

A related discussion, HEP C AND AMONIA (ammonia) LEVELS was started.