Also lostonrye, yes I have had an endoscopy and I do have esophageal varcies, but thankfully I have never experienced any bleeding with them., A few questions that I hope you can assist me with:

will my esophageal varcies eventually bleed?

how bad is child pugh A?

Hi again child pugh is a category used in the UK for rating liver damage in the USA the scale is different and I don't know how it relates to the UK system

As A is a well functioning liver B is less so C I think would be compensated.
And maybe in need of going on the transplant list

As you are A it means at the moment your liver is functioning well
that's called compensated
i/e despite any damage it is doing its job.
Did you ask you doctor for a prognosis ? I know they can be very vague and not really tell you much

Most people get an ultrasound scan every 6 months and blood tests
you should try to attend the next scan which will look at the shape and structure of the liver and measure the spleen which may be
enlarged.

I don't know anything about the cause of your liver damage infections especially Hep C is a major cause as is drinking too much Alcohol over a long period

keeping blood pressure under control is important I swim and exercise which helps
I eat a high protein diet and avoid salt as it can cause water retention and bloating

Hopefully some others on this site will have more things to tell you about your particular condition

if you have any particular questions just ask I have no medical qualifications so I can only post the things I am fairly sure of

Which you may have gathered is not simple with Cirrhosis
on the plus side the liver has a tremendous ability to heal itself
I like you though it was a death sentence when i was diagnosed
But that was 6 years ago and I have never felt better

Keep well
Regards
Lostonrye .

Not everyone with cirrhosis develops all the symptoms and effects of the disease. Hopefully, you won't.
Also, you should ask your doctor if you are a candidate for transplant.

Best of luck.

Well, telling the full story, I originally had NASH and was ordered to lose weight. I did, losing 110 pounds with diet/exercise. After I was cleared of liver issues I took that as carte blanche to party in college. My drinking career was heavily every weekend for a year, and in hindsight not a good thing. During my drinking I had blood drawn twice checking kidney/liver and it was normal both times, doctor telling me I'm fine, which made getting sober harder. It doesn't help when damn near every young person drinks.

People get confused when I say "NASH" and "I drank" in the same breath so I figured I should explain.

Hi lostonrye, I have splenomegaly (enlarged spleen) as a result of my portal hypertension, my hepatoligst said that some point in the future I should be considered for a transplant. But my hepatologist said that I would need a new liver within the next 40 years (but he said that 2 yrs ago)

Craig,
Hopefully you got some answers and feel welcomed by all of us! Cirrhosis is not always a death sentence and eating right, taking vitamins, and staying on top of all your doctor appointments is crucial in being proactive in your disease. I hope you have checked out Craig's website by now. A lot of us are members there too. There is also another great support site, MDJunction.com. There might be several people who have PiZZ like you. Is it genetic?

My husband has Cirrhosis (newly diagnosed). He had bleeding varices and ascites. However, he is doing better now so even getting those things, you can still pull through and recover!

Keep your liver as long as you can and love it dearly! In forty years, they might be able to grow livers from skin cells. Technology will be more advanced and their might even be a cure for Cirrhosis by then. Who knows? The possibilities are endless. Keep positive and enjoy each day as the gift that it is. Hang out with your friends, enjoy music and good food and fellowship!
Kristy

Yes alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency is a genetic conditon, this genetic disease can cause liver damage (fibrosis,cirrhosis) &/or lung damage (emphysema).

Hi Craig yes part of the ultra sound procedure is measuring the length of the spleen as you probably know.

So do try to get the scan done next time,

As for time prognosis it not just straightforward say you have maybe forty years before a transplant may be needed.
You then go back after say 10 years and the estimate would still be forty years if your liver is still in the same state

Doctors told me they usually give patients a 5 year guesstimate
if the liver is functioning well

and depending on age they may say after 10 years well you are more likely now to die of something else Cancer heart attack etc-

I am also diabetic and keeping an eye on glucose levels is a pain
I take Metformin tablets to try and control high glucose.
If your diet is and eating is out of control it can cause blood glucose levels to be too high so you should ask to be tested
with OGTT or hbA1c just to rule out diabetes.

As one of the others on here said they are making progress all the time and hopefully some kind of treatment other than transplant will become available sometime soon
If you do visit Craig's site he did have a good article explaining portal hypertension
I think if they though bleeding was likely they would have carried out the banding procedure I guess they believe the tablets should help reduce the pressure enough,

Regards
to Liverpool
Lostonrye

I see my hepatoligst on 25 October so I will ask him to check if I have diabetes, thanks for all info lostonrye. Have you known people with cirrhosis who have lived a long time??

Because I always think that its going to kill me, also is cirrhosis a painful death?

Craig,
I know you are concerned with bleeding from your esophageal varcies.
You have a right to be concerned, thats why you need to make sure you get your CT scans on time evrytime.
The propranolol you are taking is key in keeping the pressure down.
Also some sort of heartburn medication, to keep the irritation down.
If you are concerned with pain, The time mine bled, I felt no pain.
Things you need to watch for.
Black poop.
Tiredness, I'm not talking fatigue, I'm talking the type of tiredness and makes you want to lay down and sleep.
Vomiting blood.
Low blood pressure combined with high BP.
All of these are some of the signs of bleeding.
Keep something in your wallet to alert any doctor, just in case of an accident or any emergency with a list of meds you are taking and the fact that you have enlarged esophageal varcies.
Now for me.
After my initial beeld.
I've have had mine banded 3 times.
Now I'm off the propranolol, and just need to do a follow up in 6 months.
Good luck.
Sammy

Thanks for all that info and symptoms Sammy, Its just scary knowing that it could happen. but does eveyone who has cirrhosis bleed?

Hi again if the blood flow through the liver is being restricted due to scaring the pressure in portal vein will increase
if you imagine a hosepipe and restrict it at the end the pressure will increase in the rest of the pipe.
This in turn puts pressure on the veins in the stomach

Not everyone with Cirrhosis suffers from this by any means but its always a possibility.

Have you had any councilling from a psychologist or psychiatrist
Having such a medical condition has mental health issues and
although its good you have joined this site for some general info
Your should be getting some kind of support for the mental health issues this disease causes especially given your age

I know its not something everyone thinks will help but maybe a good way to get things sorted in your own mind
The mental anguish can often be worse than the physical systems at least when first diagnosed

Regards

Thanks for your advice and support, I will ask my liver specialist about counseling, and hopefully I can regular sessions.

Hi Craig,

Not to worry about your cirrhosis I know serveral people that have either an auto immune problem, NASH, or like me a blood transfusion that caused our cirrhosis.

I too am new and found great information from the responses that I have been reading and everyone appears to be so carrying and willing to help with information and support.

1. I did not have ascities until I had my splenic embolism in February.

2. From what I understand not everyone has esophageal varcies.

Keep the sodium low and drink lots of water.

I just read that you are taking propranolol, I was taking it along with my diuretics (spiralactone and lasix). It was causing severe hair loss. Are you on diuretics?

Hi there. My son is also 19 and he has cirrhosis from an unknown cause. He has had varices banded 4 or 5 times? The last time being Oct 09 I can totally relate to how you feel about the topic of varices. My son always has the thought in the back of his mind. He tries to be like his buddies.. but none of them truly understand the "hugeness" of what he has. He has compensated cirrhosis and he's doing well. Although he also has insulin dependent diabetes and that has proven to be the bigger challenge lately. My son has a habit of caring about health for a limited time- Like when I am nagging! -- then he falls back into his routine.. not always eating the healthy way. It scares me knowing that he's not always taking the best care- I worry that this may encourage decompensation??... I don't even know if its possible... but how does anybody really know? Most docs wouldnt have figured either yourself or my son would have any cirrhosis! My son even had a bone marrow biopsy when they were trying to get some answers by a process of multiple testing for various possibilities. We are lucky to have had his varice banded and not had to deal with a bleed so far. I would rather NOT deal with that fear.
As for the other complications you mentioned- we are lucky so far not to have to deal with them!
Let me say- that alot of research has been done by myself- to understand, investigate, and predict future events... but sometimes knowledge can scare the heck out of you! So, don't make yourself worry, I just about went nuts in the first year just trying to get an understanding-- and I wasnt even the patient!
It took me a long time to realize that cirrhosis was on the outer area of the liver and also within the liver as well.. this is why the portal vein gets restricted and then why the blood backs up into the spleen.... the varices form from blood actually detouring and sometimes not passing through the liver all together.. which can lead to other issues... Its so much to think about! But what I found was that you can't keep stressing about it... you have to take care of the things you know.. seek advice from your doc... keep track of stuff... be good to yourself and hope for the best- Also remember you are not alone in this!... everybody on this site has been touched by this disease in one way or another..

If you don't have a medical bracelet that states your condition and complications of it.... GET one. its a precaution worth taking!

Staying ahead of things and keeping a list of appointments, procedures done with date, blood test results, your own thoughts and ideas to ask doc. are a few good things that can help you as the patient feel like you have things organized so docs can always leaf through. Also if you get an explanation and are still unsure- ask for clarification.

Sorry I could go on for hours.... but have to get to sleep..
Talk to you again soon- stay well!
Mare