Cirrhosis Support Group

Sometimes the information seems confusing. One doesn't have to have high blood pressure to get varicies,as Rob4support said. This is kind of like another kind of blood pressure,described as Portal Hypertension. It has to do with as craig said the blood not being able to pass properly through the liver,so it looks (the blood) for another route,and where ever in the body there is a weak spot,which is usually the stomach or throat area(I simply can't spell the right name),or amazingly new to me,even the brain. My hubby has moderate varicies,no bleeds in the stomach and esph. and the doctor put him on Nadolol(SP??). Which I think,is a blood pressure med. So as I can tell,everyone that answered is correct,including you Rob4support. Never clam up ,we need all the input we can get,so my 2 cents is no more important or nor more correct than yours Rob. Sooo,please don't clam up :)

Oh, I forgot, vitamin K deficiency will lead to varices bleeding and other problems. A blood test will determine whether vitamin K is deficient.

Craig

At this point I'm probably just saying what the others have said, but my doc told me I have them because the blood that normally goes to and from my liver can't do that normally and since it has to go somewhere...thus the varacies. For now I only have them in my esophogus (sp?). I also take blood pressure meds and was told when exercising not to go too crazy because that's probably what caused my first bleed in the first place (had I known of the problem...then again it would have happened eventually). I also had a terribly slow clot time so now I take Vitamin K (thanks to Craig for that reminder because it's such a teeny tiny pill I often forget to mention it.)
Take care all and God bless,
CA

This site is the best. Everyone's input is important and just the fact that people do respond to questions and concerns, and all from different perspectives, is what makes DS a gold mine! The more you know, the better questions you can ask, and the better care you will get from your doctors and nurses.

My doc says Alchohol makes them bigger and more able to burst. High blood preasure makes them ache. The vascular system is weakened, the walls of veins are made thinner by the virus. They are weak spots that swell and burst under high blood preasure.

Touch wood i still do not have varisies.I have had Poral hypertension ( High blood preasure in the Portal vein,)Taking nutrients from the stomach to the Liver.)causing massive preasure throughout my whole diggestive tract. Oh i feel nausius just at the thought. Rest is a good cure for most of it i find.

Nasty little boogers they are...... I had varicies banded in 07 and again recently..... there really is no way to predict there occurence.... I do take propanolol to help but.... blood flow throught the liver is retricted and will look for the path of least resistance...hence varicies.

I can't speak for everyone but most people here have got it dialed. My husband was recovering at a quick pace until they placed him on a vigorous physical rehab routine and took him off of lasix. It was only a few days before variceal bleeding occured. The "good"(if you want to call it that) thing about esophageal varices is that through endoscopic treatment they can be treated if monitored regularly. I would always be cautious though when it comes to too much strenuous activity. Be healthy but do not over work yourself. Not to be "gloom and doom" but you can develope a rare form of varices called anorectal varices which can not be treated at all and even a "tips" is a 50/50 at improving this condition at best. See CraigC's advice about diet and vitamins, take it easy(not lazy), and see your hepatologist or g.i. on a REGULAR BASIS.

My doc told me I had esophageal varices. I take propranolol too. Never really had a problem with bleeding at least not as far as I can tell. I did read something about avoiding heavy lifting or carrying heavy loads. That can cause stress which leads to bleeding.

I had 14 esophageal varices, my hepatologist just sent me in to have them banded. It's an esopagoscopy, done out patient and the ones that are banded never come back....new ones can pop up....so to speak.

But take your BP pills....especially drugs like propranalol that specifically lowers central venous pressure.

Good luck, follow orders...unless we get a transplant, we can only treat symptoms....b-t-w portal hypertention is an increase in the blood pressure of the liver veins.