I am so sick and about to give up...

[hoardinggordon]

(This is written by my son as I am not computer literate and he is. He will be writing as if I were typing it myself).
I am 74 years old. I have cirrhosis of the liver brought on by excessive alcohol use. I have long since abstained from its use but the effects are going to be with me the rest of my life.
I am having problems getting decent medical care here in my hometown and I am looking to the internet for help in figuring out my situation.
I am very sick and I am failing fast. Although the doctor (my primary care physician) says that I should be recovering, I am quickly losing the fight.
I do not want to die, but I don't want to live if I have to be sick like this for the time that I have left.
Please help!

Cirrhosis of the liver. I asked the doctor for a MELD scale diagnosis and he stated that it is a low number but would not risk further statement. It is my understanding that a low score is good.
Doctor Findings:
The liver appears mildly enlarged with a vaguely nodualr contour ecogenic throughout. No focallesion identified. The portal hepatic veins show antegrade flow. The gall bladder shows no evidence of wall thickening or stones. Small polyps are present. The common duct measures 43mm in diameter. The right kidney is unremarkable. The abdominal aorta is not abnormally dilated. Minor amout of ascites is noted.
No hepatitis and no liver cancer is present.

Atrial fibrilation mild case - cannot take medication because it interferes with my liver medications

I have a feeling that it could be my medication that is making me stay sick. But I dont have a medical degree and I am afraid to just quit taking my meds.

I am not able to take any of my heart meds because they are said to have interactions with my (more important) medications?

I checked on drugs ******* and nearly all my meds have moderate interactions. Not so hard to imagine that my illness/symptoms are exactly what the side effects are from the meds that I currently take.
I dont know what to do.
I have travelled from my hometown to a nearby city (Redding, California). My hometown, Eureka, California is so bad that I cannot even get my medical records and test results forwarded to the seemingly “good” doctor in Redding.

Here is my current condition and symptoms:
I am very weak, I can barely walk. I get up and get dizzy. Nearly fall.
I am tired most of the time.
I have no appetite. I eat very little.
I am constipated if I do not take the Generlac.
I have a runny nose and that is a RUNNING NOSE. This is a recent development. Last month or so.
I am anemic even though I take iron.


Current Medications and Dosages

1. Generlac 10gm Oral Solution
2. Hydrochlorothiazide 12.5 MG Oral Tablet
3. Pantoprazole Sodium 40mg Oral tablet delayed release
4. Potassium Chloride Crys ER 20 MEQ Oral Tablet Extended Release
5. Propranolol HCI – 10 MG Oral Tablet
6. Spironolactone 50 MG Oral Tablet
7. Synthroid 50 MCG Oral Tablet
8. Temazepam 15 MG Oral.Capsule
9. Vitamin B-12 CR 2000 MCG TBCR
10. Vitam D3 2000 UNIT Oral Tablet
11. Ferrous Sulfate 325 MG Oral Tablet
12.  Folic Acit Tabs

This is his son now... I think that the meds are killing him. I am so frustrated.
Since he started taking the pantroprasole (protonix) he has really gone down hill.
I dont know what to do. We need help!

[Sarah1949]

When I was originally diagnosed with cirrhosis 3 years ago I was told I only had 2-3 years to live. They were wrong. However, I was living in a very tiny town in the middle of nowhere and the doctor really knew next to nothing about cirrhosis and I was given a bunch of meds similar to your list. I finally drove 4 hours to the "city" to see a specialist and he took me off a lot of the drugs explaining that I simply was not that sick. I'm not saying quit your meds by any means but I am saying you need to see a specialist. Hector's recommendation to see the specialist in Eureka is an excellent one but if you have a way to get to San Francisco I would do that. I used to live in Redding and would not trust a doctor there to know enough to help. Your only other option for a large medical center is Portland and the care you would receive in SF is much better. I live in Portland nowadays.
I wish you the best and hope you can get into SF. Take care now.

[Livelife777]

So sorry that you are not feeling well.  Must agree that's a big list of meds and sometimes when combined problems can arise.  I do hope that you take Hectors advice and get an honest assessment of what's going on.

As stated, when you have liver disease sometimes these meds are metabolized differently and need to be monitored as progression could change the dosage.  Especially true for a drug your on called Synthroid which does require bi-yearly bloodwork to check for deviations in the dosage.

Please know we are here should you have further questions or concerns.
There is no reason to feel so ill, should your only modifications be med related.

You do at this time need to be seen for further evaluation.  There is no reason to suffer needlessly when help is available for you.

Best to you
......Kim

[hepcandme]

That is a whole lot of medications to be taking for sure

I am not a doctor - just a patient with cirrhosis but I think Hector has given you great advice

You need someone on your team who is going to look at the big picture and see how this can be more effective

It's good that there is no Hep C or cancer. That's really good news actually.

I wish you luck on finding a competent doctor who can make your life less pain-filled and with fewer prescriptions to monitor and interact with one another

Hope you feel better soon!

[HectorSF]

Hello and welcome.
I'm sorry to hear that you are having so many issues.

If you only had cirrhosis we could discuss the various options for managing it. But you have multiple medical issues beyond cirrhosis which is beyond our scope of knowledge of advanced liver disease and cirrhosis. What complicates things more is that you are taking meds and an iron supplement which can make your liver disease worse and cause you to have more symptoms.Plus a number of these meds may also have numerous side effects or interactions that can be worsened by having cirrhosis which can interfere with the metabolization of these meds.

I think you hit the nail on the head when you pointed out the lack of good quality healthcare where you live. You have multiple medical conditions that need to be addressed and there must be a balance so that treating one condition won't worsen another one. Just based on your cirrhosis you need to see an expert to assess fully the extent of your liver disease and what you can do to prevent any further damage to your liver.

I would suggest you get connected to one of the major hospitals here in Northern California where they have the medical expertise to help someone like yourself.

CPMC Sutter Health (California Pacific Medical Center), whose main hospital is located here in SF, has a regional office in Eureka. They have a liver specialist in Eureka who can do a proper evaluation of your liver disease and help you manage it. Should you need further care they can connect you up with their folks here in San Francisco.

Please give them a call and take that first step in managing your liver disease and feeling better.

CPMC
Adil S. Wakil, M.D. (Hepatologist-liver disease specialist)
Liver Disease Management & Transplant
2367 Harrison Avenue
Eureka, CA 95501
707-445-9015

Make sure you bring all of your medical information to the appointment such as you have listed about plus all of the meds and vitamins you are taking so the doctor can be fully aware of your current condition and treatments. He will do any further testing that he needs after this.

Let me know how it goes or if you have any problems.

I wish you all the best.
Hector