Can you reverse Cirrhosis?
 

Is this a good place to ask about health? I've been drinking since I was 15. Heavily for the past decade. I know have liver problems. I am going to UCSD (medical center) in AUG. I had Ascites and Jaundice in OCT 2015 and in hospital for a week. I went back to drinking Sad I felt so hopeless because the doctors weren't helping, they were making it all worse by not following through with treatments as they said they would. It was scary but no excuse to drink.

Anyways, I stopped drinking 15 days ago. Now I am trying to repair my liver on my own since I don't see any specialists until AUG. I was also diagnosed with Colitis & Epilepsy years ago, been bed-ridden. My blood is so low, I can't stand long and my energy is gone, that's just the tip of it all.

I take milk thistle and am under Doctors care (even though they haven't been helpful in seeing me when I need them and they don't have answers) Ive been though so many doctors so I know I have to help myself. I research alot, but I would like to hear what you do to help your liver bounce back, if it CAN. Has anyone come back from liver disease or cirrhosis? If so, how?

I need some new ideas or inspiration on health. Esp. the liver. I am not seeking medical advice, just personal experiences would help me out alot, maybe some encouragement, too

So happy you are here!
 

Okay, Kiddo...So, unless I'm reading something incorrectly, you have not been diagnosed with cirrhosis, yet on your profile you say you have it. Let's not jump to conclusions.

We addicts are paranoid and we always jump to the worst possible scenario. You were diagnosed with ascites (not cirrhosis) and you were jaundiced (a problem, but still not cirrhosis). Your liver is impaired without a doubt, but you have taken the first step to correct it and that is to stop drinking.

I'm not a doctor, but I am an avid reader and I know that the liver is an amazing and incredibly resilient organ although it takes a bit to recover. Drink lots of water, take good care of yourself and make sure you eat right. You have been depriving your body of essential nutrients all these years while drinking and your body craves those things essential to keep it healthy.

Congratulations on your sobriety. You've come to the right place.

Welcome!

My release papers from critical care listed Cirrhosis and liver disease, and referral to UCSD Liver Specialists for further tests...my Critical Doc said to prepare for a liver transplant. I am not one to read into things, I usually take doctors with a grain of salt because well, they have not been too helpful yet. I have a couple that were great compared to the other 20some. Staying sober is proving easy part of this journey, I am consumed by liver everything now :) I do tons of research and reaching out for stories of survival. Thank you for the encouragement <3 I'm glad I found this site and appreciate your feedback

If you've been researching a lot then you know cirrhosis is basically dead liver cells. That can't be reversed. It's good you stopped drinking. Do you have a plan in place to stay stopped? If a Dr told me to plan on a liver transplant I'd take that very seriously. You're in a life or death situation and if you do need a liver transplant they're not going to do it unless you've been sober for a good, long time.

Thanks for the reply. So far I am in support groups to help. Drinking is farthest from my mind and physically I did not suffer anything from not drinking anymore, just more energy. You have to be 6 months clean to be put on the transplant list. I am staying hopeful and positive. Caring for my body better than ever esp. wo the alcohol. It is serious; day 15 sober now and moving forward <3 Just to find some stories of recovery from liver troubles would be helpful at this point, I'll keep seeking more

Welcome SF

Actual cirrhosis is not reversible. Liver damage is.

The best thing you can do is not drink. Eat healthy and low fat.

I'm sorry for what you're going through. I hope things go well in August .

Welcome to SR.:-)

Hi StarFire, welcome!

Hi StarFire :)

There's a couple of things Doctors bring to the table that we can't - one is an outside perspective and the other is expertise.

No matter how many hours we clock up on Google it's not the same as years of medical school, internship, residency and experience with diseases, treatments and patients.

If you're concerned please go see your Dr - ask them these questions.

If you really can't get in til August, even after expressing your concern, then maybe you need to see another doctor?

D

I hope you can get the help you need, and soon. :) And stay sober, no matter what. Take good care of yourself. :hug:

Good to hear that you've embarked upon sobriety. Fifteen days is a terrific start.

Anyone who is concerned about the care they receive should ask for help from a hospital's patient advocacy programs to help with coordination of care. There tend to be people who can help patients navigate the system, which can be huge and bureaucratic.

Here's more info from UCSD: https://health.ucsd.edu/patients/pat...s/default.aspx

Welcome! I had a family member with cirrhosis-my heart goes out to you. I hope you can continue to stay away from alcohol, and hopefully your prognosis will be good. Take care!

Cirrhosis is the final stage of liver damage and isn't reversible. I would for sure stop drinking all together, start going to AA and also addiction counseling, so you can show your docs that you are serious about your sobriety, and your life. Transplant is really the only option at this point.

Welcome to SR, StarFire! As others have said, don't jump the gun. It's hard to imagine you have full blown Cirrhosis if the doctors haven't spoken to you about it. Maybe you do, maybe you don't. You really need to have a clear, tell-it-to-me-straight-doc conversation to see where you stand.

We're not doctors but in broad terms liver damage can be healed while cirrhosis generally can't be. No matter what the diagnosis though it's crucial to stay sober! Even if your liver can be mended it won't heal if you don't stop drinking. And generally they won't do a transplant on an alcoholic that won't stop drinking; it would be a waste of an organ that could save someone else.

Don't panic! What's done is done, worry about saving your life and getting on the right track.:grouphug: