I have fatty liver...worried about it progressing to NASH/cirrhosis

[a14]

Around the end of November I was diagnosed with fatty liver disease after a routine blood work check showed elevated liver enzymes and a follow-up ultrasound showed fat around my liver. I haven't worried about it too much since then because I was initially told that it takes a long time to progress to NASH (non-alcoholic steatohepatitis) and only does so in a small percentage of people. I was simply told by my doctor to lose 5-10% of my body weight and the condition would reverse on its own. Now, the thing is, I didn't follow these orders yet for a couple of reasons. First, the week after my blood test, I lost eight pounds and thanks to my HA had to know that I could gain it back to be sure I wasn't wasting away from cancer or anything like that. But second, right after my diagnosis, my mother, who actually was suffering from cancer, began to decline and ultimately died three weeks ago. I was so deeply depressed the entire time that her illness began to worsen that I did not have the emotional well-being to diet and exercise.

Now though I'm beginning to panic and wonder if my condition hasn't advanced to NASH, which would mean I'm at the pre-stage for cirrhosis which is utterly terrifying to me. I haven't gained weight, but neither did I lose it, and since around Christmas I've been having a gentle, dull ache under my right rib constantly. My HA had me freaked out about liver or pancreatic cancer for weeks on end since then...but I refused to google anything as I've been trying to resist indulging my HA. Tonight though for the first time in two months I did google something, wondering if I had neglected my real liver issue due to my mental catastrophization of my problem...and sure enough, I managed to get myself frightened again, because all reputable sources say that the first stage (fatty liver) has no symptoms but the next stage (NASH) can cause discomfort under the right rib if the liver is swollen and inflamed. The sensation is described as dull and without any pattern...sounds just like my issue, and unlike most HA problems, this corresponds with something that I do already have. Now I am absolutely freaking out because if my right side pain that never ever goes away is NASH...that means I'm on the fast track to cirrhosis  My mom just died of liver cancer. I absolutely can't handle the possibility of having a liver problem right now. I am going to pick up exercise again tomorrow and try to control my diet even more than I already am. But if I have NASH and it is advancing this quickly it may not be enough.

If any of you who have dealt with fatty liver can help me with this I would appreciate it...the internet is filled with misinformation and people using half-truths about medical conditions to sell snake oil. It feels like this forum has more reliable medical knowledge than some actual medical forums.

[vardnas]

Mmkay, couple of things. First, there are definitely folks on here who have dealt with fatty liver, so hopefully they will chime in here.

Condolences about your mom—that is a rough thing to go through, losing a parent, and I can empathize.

Now ... you were diagnosed with fatty liver at the end of November, so like only two months ago now? Do you really, honestly think that your condition would have progressed to NASH in only two months? Think again. I don't know how old you are, but liver disease just does not progress that quickly. As far as the pain in your right ribs, well I think you're adding together two things that aren't necessarily related and coming up with catastrophe. That pain could be anything. Pain resulting from inflammation and/or enlargement would bring with it a plethora of other symptoms, I'm sure. There's NO WAY a lack of immediate action on your part to lose that weight would have caused your condition to progress in such a manner. That right side pain could very well be muscular or back related. I had that, too and, combined with some nail symptoms, was convinced I was in liver failure—I wasn't.

I don't mean to sound insensitive but you mother just died of liver cancer, and now here you are, only several weeks later, fearing the same thing. Mmm, I'm not sure that's a coincidence. Neither is the fact that today is the day you decided to google your condition and now you're scared sh*tless.

Listen, do the work the doctor has put forth to you and lose that weight. 5 or 10 percent is not a lot. Also, not meaning to sound condescending, but try and find someone you can talk to about your mom's passing. That's kind of a big thing and the better you can process it now, the better off your anxiety will be. My dad died in 2005 but I didn't reach out to a therapist until 2011, and I wish I'd done it sooner.

[lawkcrabb]

When I had a CT scan my doctor told me I had a fatty liver.  He said it is caused by poor diet and nothing to worry about...that it happens to a lot of people.  He told me the same thing, lose weight and eat better.  If you had liver problems you would have jaundice and pale colored stools.  I think you are okay...work on diet and exercise and take a deep breath.  You have been though a tragic time, heighten HA is to be expected.  Sorry about your mom...

[kjoyce]

So sorry to hear about your mother...

I've also been diagnosed with enlarged fatty liver. I am thin and don't drink and my diet isn't too bad so I was really shocked with the diagnosis. I am now taking some supplements that are supposed to help the liver to get back to normal.
Try not to worry. It's a very common benign condition and it's totally reversible!

[a14]

Mmkay, couple of things. First, there are definitely folks on here who have dealt with fatty liver, so hopefully they will chime in here.

Condolences about your mom—that is a rough thing to go through, losing a parent, and I can empathize.

Now ... you were diagnosed with fatty liver at the end of November, so like only two months ago now? Do you really, honestly think that your condition would have progressed to NASH in only two months? Think again. I don't know how old you are, but liver disease just does not progress that quickly. As far as the pain in your right ribs, well I think you're adding together two things that aren't necessarily related and coming up with catastrophe. That pain could be anything. Pain resulting from inflammation and/or enlargement would bring with it a plethora of other symptoms, I'm sure. There's NO WAY a lack of immediate action on your part to lose that weight would have caused your condition to progress in such a manner. That right side pain could very well be muscular or back related. I had that, too and, combined with some nail symptoms, was convinced I was in liver failure—I wasn't.

I don't mean to sound insensitive but you mother just died of liver cancer, and now here you are, only several weeks later, fearing the same thing. Mmm, I'm not sure that's a coincidence. Neither is the fact that today is the day you decided to google your condition and now you're scared sh*tless.

Listen, do the work the doctor has put forth to you and lose that weight. 5 or 10 percent is not a lot. Also, not meaning to sound condescending, but try and find someone you can talk to about your mom's passing. That's kind of a big thing and the better you can process it now, the better off your anxiety will be. My dad died in 2005 but I didn't reach out to a therapist until 2011, and I wish I'd done it sooner.

I think that the reason why I think it could progress so quickly is that, thinking back, I also had a blood test back in March that showed slightly elevated liver enzymes, though not as elevated as they are now. So to me, that indicates that I've had this longer than the time from diagnosis...who knows how long. I was bad and googled, reading horror stories of people whose fatty liver progressed from the benign stage to NASH within months of diagnosis, and other people whose condition progressed even though they lost weight and their liver enzymes went back to normal.

I know that a lot of fear is because of my mother, and I'm trying to tell myself that every day. I initially developed HA when she was diagnosed and now that she's gone, cancer and especially liver issues are in my mind constantly. It's kind of miraculous that I waited this long to google...I held off for the past two months and that's probably a record for me since I first started experiencing HA. You're definitely not being insensitive or condescending to say that I need a better outlet for my grief and that there's no coincidence that I'm fearing these things right now. Those are just truths. It's my failing that I can't trust my doctor and that I have fell back to old habits.

I do feel better after reading your reasoning, I will try to stay calm for now. I was just momentarily stricken with terror by the thought of having liver failure in my late 20s...I am beginning an exercise and diet regimen and will be purchasing some supplements, and I am just going to try to trust the common notion that this is reversible with lifestyle changes. Thank you so much for your response.

When I had a CT scan my doctor told me I had a fatty liver.  He said it is caused by poor diet and nothing to worry about...that it happens to a lot of people.  He told me the same thing, lose weight and eat better.  If you had liver problems you would have jaundice and pale colored stools.  I think you are okay...work on diet and exercise and take a deep breath.  You have been though a tragic time, heighten HA is to be expected.  Sorry about your mom...

Just curious, have you had any follow up bloodwork since your diagnosis? Are there any signs that you've managed to reverse the condition? I would certainly be interested in your personal experience with this problem.

So sorry to hear about your mother...

I've also been diagnosed with enlarged fatty liver. I am thin and don't drink and my diet isn't too bad so I was really shocked with the diagnosis. I am now taking some supplements that are supposed to help the liver to get back to normal.
Try not to worry. It's a very common benign condition and it's totally reversible!

Thank you for your response as well...I was shocked too, although I am somewhat overweight with a family history of diabetes so in retrospect I am less shocked. I am glad to hear that you have a positive outlook for yourself and wish you the best. I am going to begin a supplement regimen in addition to diet and exercise and hopefully those things together will ultimately return my liver to normal before more harm can be done. What supplements have you decided on, by the way? I am likely going to go out tomorrow and purchase some choline, Omega-3, milk thistle, taurine, B6/B12/Folic Acid, and Lecithin. It sounds like a lot, but these are the ones I have most commonly seen recommended and if it's necessary, I'll definitely do it.

[sassparella]

You've been told that it takes a long time to progress and only does so in a small percentage of people. Both of those things should reassure you that you're fine. You only had a US two months ago so it won't have turned into NASH yet. Follow the doctor's advice and lose the weight and get healthy, it's the best thing you can do right now.

Also very sorry to hear about your mother.

[kjoyce]

My doctor recommended Ornithine suplemment for the liver and Ive been taking it for the last 2-3 weeks. The discomfort on the right side has gone now but I'm not sure if it's the supplements or me being a bit more relaxed...
I've also bought milk thistle as I heard from many people that it works wonders! I am going to start it soon.
Please, try not to worry. YOu will be just fine! 

[lawkcrabb]

I haven't had any follow up blood work...my doctor was not at all concerned and it doesn't bother me at all, so I have just started moving and eating better knowing that the combo of the two will help my liver lose weight too!

[a14]

You've been told that it takes a long time to progress and only does so in a small percentage of people. Both of those things should reassure you that you're fine. You only had a US two months ago so it won't have turned into NASH yet. Follow the doctor's advice and lose the weight and get healthy, it's the best thing you can do right now.

Also very sorry to hear about your mother.

I am trying to take reassurance in that, and I thank you for reiterating these points to me. I am now committed to a diet and exercise and am hoping that I see some results from this...the only thing worrying me now about NASH is the fact that I already had elevated enzymes when I received my diagnosis. Elevated enzymes are a sign of cell damage which would imply inflammation, and things that I've read tell me that inflammation doesn't happen until the NASH stage. Can you or anyone else tell me if this is true or not? Thank you again for your response.

My doctor recommended Ornithine suplemment for the liver and Ive been taking it for the last 2-3 weeks. The discomfort on the right side has gone now but I'm not sure if it's the supplements or me being a bit more relaxed...
I've also bought milk thistle as I heard from many people that it works wonders! I am going to start it soon.
Please, try not to worry. YOu will be just fine! 

I purchased some milk thistle today along with some lecithin, B complex vitamins, and fish oil, and I'm hoping that this in combination with diet and exercise will help to cleanse my liver. Maybe I too will stop feeling the sensation on my right side if I see results and get more confident that I can fight this. Let's certainly hope so. Best of luck to you in your treatment plan and thanks!

I haven't had any follow up blood work...my doctor was not at all concerned and it doesn't bother me at all, so I have just started moving and eating better knowing that the combo of the two will help my liver lose weight too!

The fact that doctors don't seem to be concerned is interesting considering the doom and gloom I read on the internet...maybe it really is something that doesn't progress frequently. Surely 20%+ of our population isn't ending up with cirrhosis as they age, but who knows...hopefully our treatment regimens work out for us both.

[lawkcrabb]

I think that a lot of things we read on the internet are worse case scenario... at least that is what I have found by googling!

[a14]

After all of the reassurances I was starting to feel better but tonight, I decided to palpate the spot on my right rib where I have the stitch and something feels like it's "popping" when I push on a particular spot Is this a sign of an enlarged liver? I sure hope that my liver hasn't swollen from this to such size that I can feel it with my bare hands 

[a14]

Okay, so I've had some up and down days, and I'm hoping if anyone here can please put my fears to rest...I've read so many medical journals saying that 5-10% of people whose fatty liver has progressed to NASH get cirrhosis within five years. I spoke with my doctor a few days ago, though, and he said that it can definitely be reversed with diet and exercise. Again, I don't even know if I'm at NASH stage yet, but just the thought that if I was, I would have even those chances of having liver failure and hepatocellular carcinoma......it feels like the death clock is ticking over me  I'm already dieting and exercising because I'm desperate to reverse this, but considering that my HA would already freak out over something that I might have a 1/10 million chance of having, I just can't handle numbers like that. I've been really depressed over this...need to know that things WILL be all right if I can reduce the fat and inflammation in my liver or this is going to wreck me. I just want my life.