Alcoholic fibrosis .... still active?

[Smanda1]

Hi.  I am a female with a history of alcoholism ... quit drinking 4 months ago.  I recently had a fibroscan which showed 8.4 mild/moderate fibrosis.  My liver enzymes are good ... ALT 14, other enzymes in the low side ranges. GGT 34 however.  My query is that my bilirubin has been high consistently elevated over the last year or so ... 1.5- 2 x ul.  

My heptologist reckons that I don't have ongoing liver disease as normal enzymes and that with total abstinence my fibrosis should reverse, but I don't feel great. I have digestive problems (which started 2 months after stopping drinking - maybe coincidental blip); headaches, fatigue etc.  Also when the digestive problems started, it coincided with liver inflammation (not alcohol induced) when my liver was mildly tender to touch and could be felt in right shoulder for a week or so.  I had lft's one week after this inflammation died down and they were again normal ALT 19 (bilirubin 2 x uln)

[Smanda1]

That's funny  ... bless!  I have a six year old boy too.  

I can't believe you did that much liver damage in 4 years!  Life ***** (an americanism there.. we don't say that).  Are you an alcoholic too?  Actually ... my drinking was really heavy for only about 5 years too but I did really push it this last year - it's just madness ... I can't believe how irresponsible I was.

I've heard you can live for years and years and years with a cirrhotic liver as often it just stabilises and I bet there will be some breakthrough within the next ten years or so (please!)

My specialist has just written and said that my "digestive problems won't be due to my liver and that as my ALT and AST are in the low normal ranges I don't have any ongoing inflammation".  I so want to believe it but I just don't ... the specialist told me I hadn't drunk enough to cause damage and then I had the fibroscan and he was amazed.  Anyway .. we've all just got to get on with life .. tomorrow I might get knocked over by a red bus!

Take care of yourself ..

[KjFlicka]

Oh I'm sure my levels were off the charts, I just didn't really want to know because I already kinda 'knew', ya know? ;-)  

Yes, I hav also heard if you totally keep off the alcohol as you have been, your fibrosis could reverse. Maybe it is Gilbert's syndrome, but I bet, from your history, the elevated Bilirubin was from drinking and it should then come back down.

I am fortunate to not really have any predicaments any more!  Though the diagnosis was over a year ago and it wasn't pretty there for a few months, I'm doing fabulous now. Even at 'end stage' liver disease, my liver has miraculously healed enough to where it's functioning at pretty normal levels. Yay liver!

Nicole

PS. My 6 year old son just told me he thinks British accents sound like 'an evil mastermind'. I just thought it was so funny - quite obviously from the cartoons.

[Smanda1]

Hi thanks for your comments and sorry about your predicament.

I was diagnosed with a fibroscan.  The doctors said enzymes fine and nothing wrong with my liver but I knew it wasn't right so went to a specialist and was told then.  The specialist does reckon that the fibrosis could revert.  He didn't know about the bilirubin as it was normal on the results he looked at .... but the bilirubin has been high on and off for well over a year (with normal other enzymes) so docs think maybe have benign disease Gilberts syndrome.

Were your enzymes elevated ... including bilirubin?
cheers

[KjFlicka]

I hear what you're asking but it's just too hard to tell. The elevated bilirubin is a cause for concern as is the diagnosis of fibrosis. But you stopped drinking (good job!) and everything else is 'normal'.  The fatigue and digestive problems are reminiscent of liver disease and, from what I remember learning, fibrosis ins't exactly an early stage. I know you want to hear it's unlikely you have liver disease, but I'm not the one to ask that. I was 34 when I was diagnosed with cirrhosis after drinking wine for about 4 years. However, not everyone is as unlucky as me in the liver department. One thing I can tell you is that the docs I know say 6-9 months is the time frame to tell how well your liver will recover after abstaining from alcohol. So, in that sense, you've still got some improving to do, and who knows, maybe your bilirubin will normalize by then, too.

Keep up the no drinking and monitor your liver levels. How were you diagnosed with fibrosis?  Just keep a good watch and make sure your doctor does too.

Good luck!