Fatty Liver Disease anyone?
diabetesdieter
Posts: 47 Member
Hi All, when I was diagnosed two 1/2 months ago, my dr ran blood panel. My liver enzymes were 3-4 times normal. My doctor thought I might have fatty liver disease. Fast forward to this Monday. I go in for surgery. They run another blood panel. All my numbers came back in the normal range. I know I have been eating better and losing weight (even my fasting was 87...lol...with meds).
Anyone else have experience with fatty liver or elevated liver enzymes?
Anyone else have experience with fatty liver or elevated liver enzymes?
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My liver enzymes were elevated when I had my labs done in December. I had an ultrasound of the liver, which showed no enlargement, no masses, and no fatty infiltrates. I go for labs tomorrow, so hopefully they will be back to normal.0
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I hope yours are normal too! It was a big relief for me. I think there is some relationship between liver issues and pancreatic issues. I'm not sure which comes first, but better levels means better health!0
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My liver enzymes had typically been elevated since I was a teenager due to a fatty liver.
Last summer I started and stuck with a LCHF diet and my liver enzymes have been consistently in normal range aside from a week long cruise where a bit of alcohol was inbibed.1 -
My liver enzymes had typically been elevated since I was a teenager due to a fatty liver.
Last summer I started and stuck with a LCHF diet and my liver enzymes have been consistently in normal range aside from a week long cruise where a bit of alcohol was inbibed.
How can a low carb, high fat help a fatty liver? It seems counter intuitive to me. But, then again, I get high lipase blood levels because of chronic pancreatitis, so to combat that, I take pancreatitic enzymes. Is it the same kind of thing?
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Yep, my endocrinologist put me on a VLCD (very low calorie diet). It basically cuts out a large amount of carbs so that my body is forced into burning the visceral fat for fuel instead of getting the energy from what I eat.2
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judyvalentine512 wrote: »My liver enzymes had typically been elevated since I was a teenager due to a fatty liver.
Last summer I started and stuck with a LCHF diet and my liver enzymes have been consistently in normal range aside from a week long cruise where a bit of alcohol was inbibed.
How can a low carb, high fat help a fatty liver? It seems counter intuitive to me. But, then again, I get high lipase blood levels because of chronic pancreatitis, so to combat that, I take pancreatitic enzymes. Is it the same kind of thing?
Being in ketosis burns fat for fuel. I've dropped about 45 lbs so far. I did a Dexascan last October which measured the visceral fat. I hope to do another scan this summer to see how much it's dropped.
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So much I don't understand, but am doing my best to learn.0
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judyvalentine512 wrote: »So much I don't understand, but am doing my best to learn.
I hear that. I keep learning new things all the time. These forums have helped a bit.0 -
I have NAFLD too. I will be getting bloodwork soon. I am curious to see if they have gone down since I have lost 25# so far this year.1
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@RalfLott - Your timing is good. I've been struggling lately. I hit a low of 246.4 after adding Intermittent Fasting, but running into issues waking up at night after an hour or so of sleep and then over eating carbs to get back to sleep. Naturally that's halted my progress.
I'm still off the Metformin and my blood sugar during exercise is staying at normal levels so that's positive. I've lost inches and am in clothes I would have previously worn another 20 lbs lighter than I am now.
Tonight I had an epiphany that perhaps my blood sugar may be going too low after falling asleep. That would account for the carb cravings and/or the restlessness I sometimes have when I get back to sleep.
So, I'm not sure if I need to change how I approach Intermittent Fasting, though the insomnia issue started for me after dropping the first 30 lbs.
I've tried 16:8, I've tried 24 and this past week or so I've tried 36 hour fasts. I'm thinking it's clear I need to get/stay in ketosis consistently and see if that will help. I was in ketosis for most of the first 40 lbs so not sure if that's the solution either.
I've tried sleep hypnosis, kava and other supplements and even Ambien, but hasn't prevented me from popping up awake after an hour or two. It's not happening every night, but most nights. Sometimes staying up until 1 am helps, but then that affects my overall sleep, which I am missing.
If anyone has suggestions, I'm definitely open.
Chris
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@cdebracy - That sounds awful! Insomnia is the worst.
I am way of of my element with this puzzle, and I don't think I'll be able to offer anything you haven't thought of already... But just in case:
I'm now on 1500mg of name-brand Glucophage XR (much easier on my system than generic Metformin). 1) taking 500mg right before bed, 2) avoiding both carbs and a lot of protein in the evening, and 3) generally eating low-carb have pretty much stabilized my night and morning BG levels and allowed me to get a decent night's sleep.
What do you think might be pushing your BG lower after you fall asleep? It would be interesting to know what your BG levels are when you wake up at night and then again in the morning.
Have you tried eating something low-carb before bed, like a hunk of cheese?
How have your liver enzymes been ?
Any thoughts about checking hormone levels - insulin, plus ghrelin & leptin (hunger & satiety hormones)?
Good luck with the insomnia battle. (Keep us posted, eh?)0 -
@cdebracy - FYI, just ran across this thread on insomnia and LC:
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10419565/insomnia-worse-with-reduced-carbs0 -
@RalfLott - Thanks. Some of this I'm already trying and there are some supplements I want to order based on that.
I'd been in trace ketosis for a good 4 months with my initial weight loss and didn't have sleeping issues. IF can give you extra energy, which I have experienced, but I didn't start that until April, so November to April has to be something else.
I've thought I could be looking to sabotage myself as I've never lost this much weight and kept it off for this length of time, but that's not resonating much for me as my attitude this time is geared towards a new way of living, not a temporary diet that I'm going to stop and given the couple of plateaus I've hit, I could have used any of them as an excuse to go off completely, but I've no interest in doing that.
My wife thinks she should just chain me to the bed...1 -
Well, you have a good attitude and plenty of patience and determination. But it must be tough when you're working hard to identify underlying health issues and find a solution and you're losing sleep in the process.
Your wife may have ulterior motives.... but what if happens if you don't get up and snack, but instead try to ride it out? I assume you're able to do this, since you're doing long fasts. ??
Hang in there!
PS Have you looked through the LCD Launch Pad?0 -
@cdebracy - Here's a fascinating and informative interview with a sleep scientist by Dr. Rhonda Patrick:
https://youtu.be/VhMjrWlWhLU 0 -
Well, you have a good attitude and plenty of patience and determination. But it must be tough when you're working hard to identify underlying health issues and find a solution and you're losing sleep in the process.
Your wife may have ulterior motives.... but what if happens if you don't get up and snack, but instead try to ride it out? I assume you're able to do this, since you're doing long fasts. ??
Hang in there!
PS Have you looked through the LCD Launch Pad?
There are a number of nights I've been able to ride it out. The last 2 nights when I woke up, I just ate 2 strawberries and went back to bed. That seemed to do it. There are times it's better, but when I go off, I really go off.
I will definitely check out the video and check out the launch pad.0 -
I have had PBC -- Primary Biliary Cholangitis -- for years, but it developed into the final stage, primary biliary cirrhosis, about two years ago. Of course, cirrhosis is known as the disease people get from drinking too much alcohol, but I don't drink it. I can't stand either the smell or taste of any drinks with alcohol -- even wine.
Having PBC, I have elevated liver enzymes.
They still don't know what causes PBC, and while Father was not, to my knowledge diagnosed with it, I believe he had it, based on my knowledge of the disease. PBC is known to be passed down through families.
Either a lot of its symptoms are the same as those of diabetes, or all the people I know of who have PBC also have diabetes. Strange disease.1 -
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I have a fatty liver too0
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i also have fatty liver disease... first diagnosed back in the '80s when is was in college and drinking very heavily and merely obese, so i stopped... the liver function function got down to the normal range... added few hundred pounds and lightly drank... and sure enough had issues.
fist number are from apr2014 (highest weight) second from jan 2017 (130pounds lighter)
alt 199 - -- 73
ast 97 --- -- 40
alp 146 -- -- 77
gct 127 -- -- 73
bilirubin 0.9 - --- 0.4
nearly all of them are now in the "normal range" albeit on the high side though.1 -
i also have fatty liver disease... first diagnosed back in the '80s when is was in college and drinking very heavily and merely obese, so i stopped... the liver function function got down to the normal range... added few hundred pounds and lightly drank... and sure enough had issues.
fist number are from apr2014 (highest weight) second from jan 2017 (130pounds lighter)
alt 199 - -- 73
ast 97 --- -- 40
alp 146 -- -- 77
gct 127 -- -- 73
bilirubin 0.9 - --- 0.4
nearly all of them are now in the "normal range" albeit on the high side though.
Great progress! Your liver would be purring, if it were a *kitten*....0
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