Cirrhosis Support Group
Cirrhosis is a consequence of chronic liver disease, most commonly caused by alcoholism and hepatitis C. Ascites is the most common complication of cirrhosis and is associated with a poor quality of life, increased risk of infections, and a poor long term outcome. Liver damage from cirrhosis cannot be reversed, but treatment can stop or delay further progression and...
What is the best over the counter treatment for nausea and vomiting for a liver patient? My husband has been throwing up all day and cannot keep anything down. He continues to drink power mixed with pedialyte and is snacking on crackers. He was able to eat a small bowl of jello and chicken noodle soup. Im worried sick and he continues to tell me its just a bug. But how can I be sure its nothing more serious! Please help with any suggestions. Thank you!
Usually, along with the vomiting and nausea, a patient with pancreatitis (common in liver disease patients) will elxperience a dull ache that just won't go away and will often times go from the abdominal area (just behind the belly button) and path around to the back. Sometimes, the pain is also in the back itself. Also, gall stones are common (it was one of my first symptoms when I was originally diagnosed with cirrhosis). A gall stone or more can leave the gall bladder and travel into the pancreas or liver and block one or more of the vital ducts there. That is also a dangerous situation and should be ruled out asap.
If the doctor at the ER did testing to rule out pancreatitis or gall bladder stones, and your husband is vomiting and nauseated, that doctor should be willing to prescribe something for his symptoms. If he did not rule out those two things, he should then tell your husband to come back in and do a simple blood test that will tell if there is pancreatitis going on. The suspicion of gall bladdler involvment should be enough for the ER doctor to order an ultrasound to find out if he has stones and where they are.
There are meds that can be taken to actually hinder the formation of stones (I have been taking Actigal or Ursodiol for years now and haven't had any more trouble from my gall bladder that was "full of stones".......Those meds usually don't cause any problems in the liver disease patient.
It makes me nervous when an ER doctor fails to rule out those things that could be dangerous for a liver disease patient. They are usually not educated in the field of hepatology enough to do much more than order blood tests and ultra sounds to actually diagnose or rule out liver disease. They are not well versed in the "treatment". That is why they tell patients upon release from the ER to do a follow-up with the family physician as soon as possible. Then, the family doctor will take the findings of the ER doctor and decide if more testing is in order or, usually, a referral to a doctor well versed in the treatment of liver disease and associated disorders.
I wouldn't hesitate one minute going back to the ER and tell them that I have symptoms that won't subside and ask that they do tests to find out what is causing the nausea and vomiting. Long term vomiting can be very dangerous as a patient usually becomes dehydrated after a while and that can cause all sorts of other issues to arise. At least, an urgent phone call to your family physician explaining the symptoms and findings of the first ER visit is in order. Something you just don't wait around for to see if it will pass on it's own. If it is pancreatitis, it most likely won't "get better" on it's own.
Hugs and prayers to you and your hubby;............CarolLentz