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Newly diagnosed liver disease

Hello.  My 55 yr. old brother's abdomen, feet and legs swelled up horribly.  He refused to go to doctor, but when he did he could barely walk he was so swollen.  He has been diagnosed with fatty liver disease and possible stage A cirrhosis due to alcohol abuse.  He had an ultrasound and all of his blood work has come back normal two different times.  My concern is that he was put on a diuretic for the edema.  He lost all of the fluid except for the abdomen.
I had noticed his face and arms were getting very thin even when he was so swollen in his lower body and before the diuretic.  Now that the edema is gone except for the abdomen, he is so drawn and thin.  He is thinner than I have ever seen him.  He looks so frail but with this abdomen that sticks out a foot in front of him and is hard as a rock.  The doctor has him on a sodium free, low-fat diet.  He asked the doctor if he had cancer because he is losing so much weight but doctor said no. Does anyone have any advice for him?  He is having one drink a day which is great for him. I feel he is in a depression.  He looks so sad and is so uncomfortable with this huge belly.  
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Avatar universal
Thank you so much for your help and taking the time to reply.
Helpful - 0
446474 tn?1446347682
Does anyone have any advice for him?

In a word, stop drinking.

"He is having one drink a day". He is making e his liver disease progress from bad to worse. He is injuring his liver every day he drinks. By drinking he is defeating any treatment the doctors are giving him. Unless he stops drinking he will not be listed for a life-saving treatment. He is the only one who can make the choice if he wants to live or die. His drinking has cause his liver disease and he is continuing the process He needs to be total free of alcohol. He should get into AA as soon as possible or whatever he needs to do to stop drinking. As long as he continues to drink he is slowly killing himself.

He is losing muscle mass because of his liver disease and his poor diet as an alcoholic. If he continues to drink he will only get worse. I am sure he has already been screened for cancer and will need to be from now on as liver disease caused by alcohol makes patients more prone to liver cancer than healthy people.

"He had an ultrasound and all of his blood work has come back normal two different times. " He has early cirrhosis and if he stops drinking he could possible recover from his liver disease.

"He looks so sad and is so uncomfortable with this huge belly." His belly is full of fluid. This condition is called Ascites. Should the fluid get infected it could be life-threatening.
The only way he has a chance of it resolving is the stop drinking.

Good luck to you and your brother.
You are in a very difficult position as you have no control over what your brother decides to do. He he decides to die there is nothing you can do about it as every patient has the right to refuse treatment or ignore treatment.

"Alcoholic liver disease usually occurs after years of drinking too much. The longer the alcohol use has occurred, and the more alcohol that was consumed, the greater the likelihood of developing liver disease.

Alcohol may cause swelling and inflammation (hepatitis) in the liver. Over time, this can lead to scarring and then cirrhosis of the liver. Cirrhosis is the final phase of alcoholic liver disease.

Other important factors include:

Alcoholic liver disease may be more common in some families
This disease does not occur in all heavy drinkers
You do not have to get drunk for the disease to develop
Women may be more susceptible than men
People who drink too much, too often do not get enough healthy foods and nutrients. Poor nutrition may make liver disease worse.

Acute alcoholic hepatitis may be caused by binge drinking (five drinks for men, four drinks for women). It may be life-threatening."

"The most important part of treatment is to stop using alcohol completely. If liver cirrhosis has not yet occurred, the liver can heal if you stop drinking alcohol.

An alcohol rehabilitation program or counseling may be necessary to break the alcohol addiction. Vitamins, especially B-complex and folic acid, can help reverse malnutrition.

If cirrhosis develops, you will need to manage the complications of cirrhosis. You may need a liver transplant."

Symptoms vary based on the severity of the disease. They are usually worse after a recent period of heavy drinking.

Symptoms may not be present until the disease is advanced.

General symptoms include:

Abdominal pain and tenderness
Dry mouth and increased thirst
Fatigue
Jaundice - turning yellow
Loss of appetite
Nausea
* Swelling or fluid buildup in the legs (edema) and in the abdomen (ascites) when cirrhosis is present
Weight loss
Skin changes include:

Abnormally dark or light skin
Redness on feet or hands
Small, red spider-like blood vessels on the skin
Yellow color in the skin, mucus membranes, or eyes (jaundice)
Abnormal bleeding:

Bloody, dark black, or tarry bowel movements (melena)
Nosebleeds or bleeding gums
Vomiting blood or material that looks like coffee grounds
Brain and nervous system symptoms:

Agitation (being stirred up, excited, or irritable)
Changing mood
Confusion (encephalopathy)
Periods of decreased alertness or awareness
Hallucinations
Impaired short- or long-term memory
Pain, numbness, or tingling in the arms or legs
Problems paying attention or concentrating
Poor judgment
Slow, sluggish movements
Other symptoms that can occur with this disease:

Breast development in males
Light-headedness or fainting, especially when rising to standing position
Paleness

Alcoholism - The following organizations are good resources for information on alcoholism:

Alcoholics Anonymous - www.alcoholics-anonymous.org
Al-Anon/Alateen - www.al-anon.org
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism - http://www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohol-health
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration - www.samhsa.gov

Hector
Helpful - 0
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