stage 4 or endstage liver cirrosis lifespan

[jr1963]

what is lifespan on endstage liver cirrosis? my wbc 2.0, rbc 4.0,platlet 50.ggt147, tbili 2.1i have portal hypertension,portal vien is 2.3cm diameter, dilatated,enlarged heart (New),,thank you jr 1963

[mikesimon]

Thank you for sharing your inspiring story.
I wish you well.
Mike

[alive677]

I was diagnosed with end stage cirrhosis in 2007 due to bleeding and severe edema in my lower legs(ascites)I at that time continued with my alcohol consumption,and did not take the medications perscribed,In 2008 The bleeding returned.I forgot to mention that in 2007 a TIPS was placed in my portal vein.When I returned to the hospital in 2008 due to the return of the bleeding ,lower limb ascites and a crippling bout of encepholapathy.It was also determined that I had a staff infection running rampant throughout my body.The TIPS had oclosed.I was put on huge doses of introveneous vencomiacin to battle the staff.at the same time the TIPS was redone.When I returned from the hospital to the halfway house(social not correctional)I was weak.but I had quit my drinking and began taking diuretics,lactolose,folic acid,iron and multivitamins daily.I have not bled since.I have had no bouts of encepholapathy.I continue taking the same medications,minus the lactolose,my digestion has returned to a healthy process,I see my gastroetnerologist every 6  months,I also do abdomnal ultra sounds and blood work every 6 months,I have been working out at the gym for the last 14 months 3 times a week(real workouts)I have dropped 70 pounds and have entered college.I have no symptoms and I will soon be taken off the diuretics.At the begining of all of this I had accepted that I was going to die no matter what I did.Thank God that I was wrong!!Getting help with my alocoholism was what saved my life.I would not be here today to post this comment if I had not entered a rehab program.I am now a member of alocoholics anonymous and I implore that anyone that is facing a diagnosis of end stage cirrohosis,STOP DRINKING GET HELP THERE IS HOPE.

[tallone64]

they told my friend he was a 15 on the scale of 40 and he has all the late signs and has 4th stage with hep-c he has been sober for 1 year and a few weeks now out of his whole life,what do you think?

[toni605]

My mother is at stage 3 she is refusing food she said it hard for her to swallow, and up heaves. What can I do her PCP is not helpful, would like to find her another Dr. that is more experienced. any advice?

[mikesimon]

Thanks for your insight. I didn't know that cirrhosis could improve in AIH patients.
Mike

[Thomas D Schiano, MD]

cirrhosis can be reversible when it is caused by different conditions, such as autoimmune hepatitis, HBV, etc.  With HCV 40% of people will develop complications within 10 years of diagnosis.  Some people may live very many years without ever having a problem.  however, even in the setting of early cirrhosis there is the chance for the development of hepatocellular carcinoma, probably a cumulative incidence of 2% per year.

[mikesimon]

You wrote:
"(because that just means that scarring is present and you can't really get rid of scar tissue)"

Something has been on my mind for some time now.
Cirrhosis is basically an architectural or histological state of the liver. As you said, it's scaring. It has been shown that successful treatment of HCV(hepatitis c virus) in cirrhotic patients can result in an improvement in liver histology. It can go from cirrhosis to advanced fibrosis and, in fact, the liver usually improves one stage and often more than1 stage with successful treatment of HCV. I have ample support for this statement.
I wonder why histology often improves with the eradication of HCV but we don't see this in any other disease - as a rule. The rule used to be that once you have cirrhosis that's it -you will always be cirrhotic. That is no longer true in the context of HCV. I question whether  this phenomenon could be attributable to the interferon and/or ribavirin and, if so, would those drugs improve histology in patients with cirrhosis due to other diseases. After all, it is scaring regardless of the underlying disease.
Mike

[KjFlicka]

Hey jr, with the exception of the enlarged heart, I was also end stage with cirrhosis with very similar bad portal vein, high bilirubin, etc. I am still obviously stage 4 (because that just means that scarring is present and you can't really get rid of scar tissue), but I am no longer in end stage at ALL. The end stage is I think based on the Childs-Pugh (??) and has more to do with what symptoms you're having like encephalopathy, jaundice, portal hypertension, varices, etc. I am now Stage A (no symptoms at all) and my life expectency is very normal, long.... something else will kill me first. So, I just wanted to let you know this isn't the end of the world. As bad as it is now, it really can get better.

Nicole