Worried about this liver problem?

[armygirl54]

I HAVE BEEN SUFFERING FROM SERVERE RIGHT SIDED UPPER QUANDARANT AND DEEP SIDE ACHING PAIN, SOMETIME GOES TO THE BACK AREA FOR 2 MONTHS. GASTEROLOGIST HAS PERFORMED 3 CT SCANS OF THE ABDOMINAL. 1ST CT (9/21/06)NO CONTRAST (BARIUM) IMPRESSION:HEPATIC STEATOSIS,CHOLECYSTECTOMY. 2ND CT (9/29/06)(BARIUM) IMPRESSION:NO EVIDENCE APPENDICITIS, ENLARGE LIVER 19.5 CM. 3RD CT WITH CONTRESS BARIUM AND INTRAVENOUS CONTRAST IMPRESSION:DIFFUSE HEPATIC STEATOSIS.WHEN COMPARED TO CT (5/9/03) IMPRESSION:MILD HEPATOMEGALY AND FATTY INFILTRATION OF THE LIVER. BLOOD TEST LIVER AST,ALT,AKK WERE ALL NORMAL RANGE BUT AT THE HIGHER END.MY WHITE BLOOD COUNT HAS BEEN RISING SINCE 2002. START AT 9.1 (2002),11.0 (6/2006) AND 12.6 (9/2006). I HAVE HAD A COLONOSAPY (CLEAR)(10/2006). ESOPHAGUS HAS BEEN TESTED ONLY FOUND MY ACID RELUCTS. KIDNEY STONES HAS BEEN CHECK ALSO (CLEAR)MY GALLBLATTER HAS BEEN REMOVED. MY DILEMMA IS THAT THIS PAIN IN GETTING WORSE. I AM ON PAIN MEDS BUT I JUST WANT TO KNOW WHAT SHOULD I DO NEXT. DOCTOR DON'T THINK FATTY LIVER IS A PROPLEM. I REALISE I NEED TO LOOSE WEIGHT BUT IN 2003 I WAS 40LBS LIGHTER AND THE FATTY LIVER SHOWED THAN TOO. I AM AFRAID THIS COULD GO FURTHER LIKE CANCER OR SOMETHING. I HAD A FRIEND WHO DIED IN 3 MONTHS AFTER THE SAME CITUATION AND HER LIVER BLOOD DID NOT RELECT HIGH UNTIL 2 WEEKS PRIOR TO HER DEATH. CAN YOU HAVE A SERIOUS LIVER PROBLEM EVEN IF BLOD TEST DON'T REFLECT IMMEDIATE HIGH LEVELS. SHOULD I INSIST ON A LIVER BIOPSY? ANY SUGGESTIONS WERE I CAN GO NEXT.

PREVACID 60 MG
LASIX 20 MG
TOPROL 50 MG
QUIAPRIL 20 MG

[arnold2benton]

It is one the silent killer disease so take the proper treatment by the expert doctor.

Silent Killer Diseases

[Kalio1]

apparently you didnt even read the posters statement that they have already been diagnosed with fatty liver, which haappens to be a very serious liver condition and which happens to cause cirrhosis.

Obviously, that is why I say it is a liver issue, the poster was diagnosed with a liver issue. I guess fatty liver is another condition in your mind that isn't a big deal even though fatty liver is at epedemic porportion in our country and one of the biggest health issues we face today. There is no known treatment other than lifestyle changes like improved diet and exercise and loing weight. if you have this diagnosis it is imperative you act fast and remain diligent so you can reduce it.

You really need to educate yourself and at least read what the poster said before you spout off.

Fatty liver is NOT a disease to be ignored, it can and will get worse. Fat accumulting in the liver is a major health issue.
These patients ALSO need to monitor their disease ( like Hep C patients need to) closely and use strict adherence to their
lifestyle changes because it can progress rapidly.

You seem to labor under the mistaken impression that liver problems make themselves obvious to the patient and they DO NOT, often they do not make themselves obvious with symptoms until the situation is already critical.

You feel fine, then suddenly you dont. The truth is, you felt fine but your liver problem was slowly increasing and damage was occuring "under the radar" this is the method of "silent killer" diseases.

Some people who have had hep c for many years get lulled into a sense of complacency with their disease and fail to properly monitor it, this can be a fatal error. Biopsy is the ONLY true measure of liver damage or didn't you know that? You seem to feel you are in the magic "it wont happen to me" category and that can be dangerous to your health.

People with a diagnosis of fatty liver who do not heed the doctors advice of changing their habits and losing weight face increasingly dramatic liver related health issues caused by this fat accumulating in their livers which causes CIRRHOSIS.

[gobipuba]

Kalio,  Stop diagnsoing everyone with liver problems!  if they get checked out fine, but you always assume that it is the liver that is causing probs.  If tests run show that fine, but you seem to always want to gravitate to the liver.  Why is that?

[Kalio1]

ur latelets look GREAT. That is a very good sign. Good luck at the doc.

[armygirl54]

My Platlet count is 324 on 10/23/06. It has been rising since 2002 when it was 287. 2003 it was 293 and on 9/23/06 it was 317.
I have not had any hepatitis test. I thought my Doc and I discuss that last time but he didn't order them. I see him tommorrow so I will ask. Thanks

[Kalio1]

Yes you can have liver problems and not have highly elevated enzymes. A percentage of people don't get "elevated enzymes" (even people with cirrhosis) plus reading enzymes is a subjective thing. Say for instance you "normally" had enzymes in the teens or 20's and they are reading in the 50's, so still "normal" and not "high" but the question is, what is normal or high for you? I have been told that your scores should not be over 25. Period. Did you see your results yourself? What was your platelet reading? The doctor might ignore such a spike in enzymes, but it could be important. Some people can have cirrhosis and not have significantly raised enzymes. Clearly they are showing these liver issues on your results. There are trials going on with the Fibroscan maybe you could  participate in, it is a new scan that is a "noninvasive" biopsy technique. Some say still inferior to a needle biopsy, others disagree. You can learn about it at echosens.com. Do you have other symptoms? An excellent liver friendly diet of top notch nutrition and regular exercise are a must and are the only "treatment" for this. There are some "natural" remedies that might be helpful. You don't want to ingest any liver toxic things like alcohol. Medications should be taken with caution. Have you been tested for hep b and c? Be sure and ask the doctor if you have been tested for both if you haven't already. I'd see a Heptologist if I was you. You can be thin and have fatty liver, it's about genetics and diet from what I understand although it is far more common in heavy people.