Fatty liver???

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VeeDub75
VeeDub75 Posts: 13
in Introduce Yourself
Hi everyone! I'm pretty new here. I've been using the site for a couple weeks now, and it has made it SO EASY to keep track of everything! I was diagnosed a couple months ago with fatty liver, and also have high cholesterol which I have had for years. I tried in the past to watch what I ate to control my cholesterol, with no success. After the fatty liver diagnosis, I was told I needed to watch my diet and exercise. I then talked to a nutritionist, about the same time I found this site. Since the diagnosis, I had lost 11 pounds prior to using this site. So now I am hoping to use this site to continue. I am hoping that by dieting I will get the fatty liver under control, and after talking to the nutritionist, I am hoping that the things that I am now doing differently will also help my cholesterol. Anyone else have these conditions?
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Replies

  • tytaniafairy
    tytaniafairy Posts: 11
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    Yes I do . I just found out too . I'm truly scared with everything I have read plus I've been having abdominal pain in the upper right region too. I am on a low carb low sugar low fat diet as well...
  • EvaiTryst
    EvaiTryst Posts: 695 Member
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    I was diagnosed with one of those a few years ago... ick
  • VeeDub75
    VeeDub75 Posts: 13
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    I have routine bloodwork for my cholesterol (taking meds for that, which I had always worried would mess up my liver), and my liver function numbers came back elevated, that is how they found the problem, I didn't have any symptoms. Had a liver ultrasound that confirmed it. Monday I go in to recheck my bloodwork to see if there is any improvement. I sure hope so. I think I am doing ok on the diet, lost a couple more pounds, and have been watching the fat, cholesterol, and getting more fiber. And I bought a treadmill this week. So when I get that home, I can start working on the exercise part by walking a couple miles a day. Really hoping it works. Hope you are able to make some progress too!! It is scary, but by the sounds of it, it is not impossible!! Hang in there tytania!!
  • jcpreader
    jcpreader Posts: 16
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    Hi

    I just got diagnosed with a fatty liver. Mine is alcohol related. I'd been through a tough time and turned to too much alcohol and didn't eat properly, got very stressed etc. I put on 21/2 stone and became very bloated. It's been 7 weeks now and I have completely cleaned up my diet with no alcohol, low fat, low sugar etc. I've got to go for a scan later on this month and also see my doctor again on Friday.

    It gave me a massive shock! If there is anything I can do to support anyone else let me know.
  • tytaniafairy
    tytaniafairy Posts: 11
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    I have routine bloodwork for my cholesterol (taking meds for that, which I had always worried would mess up my liver), and my liver function numbers came back elevated, that is how they found the problem, I didn't have any symptoms. Had a liver ultrasound that confirmed it. Monday I go in to recheck my bloodwork to see if there is any improvement. I sure hope so. I think I am doing ok on the diet, lost a couple more pounds, and have been watching the fat, cholesterol, and getting more fiber. And I bought a treadmill this week. So when I get that home, I can start working on the exercise part by walking a couple miles a day. Really hoping it works. Hope you are able to make some progress too!! It is scary, but by the sounds of it, it is not impossible!! Hang in there tytania!!

    Thank you !!! Yes it was quite a shocker . I gained 20 pounds since Jan and this is why it has gotten worse I guess .
    I'm trying to manage with diet . I'm having major upper right abdomen pain too.
    But when I go to the er they treat me like I'm a hypochondriac . My Dr read there tests and the ultrasound and said I have
    Fatty liver . They did not even mention it in the er before I went back to my Dr .
    So I really don't trust going back there ever . I'm losing my faith in medicine and Dr . I'm thinking
    Of asking my Dr to refer me to a specialist . I'm really scared. Been having nightmares . Can't sleep. So I'm exhausted .
    I'm only glad to know I'm not alone . I actually walked 30 minutes yesterday and did 16 minutes of aerobics
    So today I'm sore lol does Anyone have Amy success stories ? Thank u dear you hang in there too!!@!hugs
  • cscheiern
    cscheiern Posts: 45
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    I was also having pain in the right side for about 5 years now off and on. At first they thought it was my gall bladder but then said no. I had another ultrasound last year and the Gastro Dr. said my liver had some fat but didnt exactly say fatty liver. He told me not to lose any weight ( he thinks im too thin) and just keep excersizing like I have been. I take a liver supplement from the heatlh food store but can it go away? or is this a forever thing? I havent had it rechecked recently. I do notice a difference in pain levels depending on what I eat--less fat is better.
  • daoc1972
    daoc1972 Posts: 92 Member
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    Thank you !!! Yes it was quite a shocker . I gained 20 pounds since Jan and this is why it has gotten worse I guess .
    I'm trying to manage with diet . I'm having major upper right abdomen pain too.
    But when I go to the er they treat me like I'm a hypochondriac . My Dr read there tests and the ultrasound and said I have
    Fatty liver . They did not even mention it in the er before I went back to my Dr .
    So I really don't trust going back there ever . I'm losing my faith in medicine and Dr . I'm thinking
    Of asking my Dr to refer me to a specialist . I'm really scared. Been having nightmares . Can't sleep. So I'm exhausted .
    I'm only glad to know I'm not alone . I actually walked 30 minutes yesterday and did 16 minutes of aerobics
    So today I'm sore lol does Anyone have Amy success stories ? Thank u dear you hang in there too!!@!hugs

    I was diagnosed a couple of years ago with fatty liver after elevated liver function came back on my annual. You can't fix it in a few weeks, just like you didn't gain 20 lbs in a few weeks. Take your time and don't stress out. Do everything you can to turn things around.

    My Dr. did not recommend any medication, just diet & exercise (nixed alcohol & shellfish). My Dr. monitored my liver function once a month for about 4 months. When my levels came down sufficiently, I was monitored once a quarter. In the meantime, I was trying to get pregnant and was worried. I must have done something right, because I have a healthy 8-month old napping in the other room and as far as I know my liver is OK, too.
  • tytaniafairy
    tytaniafairy Posts: 11
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    Thx. Yeah I know but reading some horrible stories online have frightened me into taki.g it seriously
    Thank you so much . I'm watching everything I eat . At least I know u had it and you made it through it . It gives me hope !
    Bless you !
  • gingerjen7
    gingerjen7 Posts: 821 Member
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    About five years ago or so I was diagnosed with Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease. However, the doctor said about 97% of the population has this disease and most don't know it because there are rarely any symptoms or complications and not really any treatment. NAFLD has nothing to do with being fat; it's just that fat accumulates in the liver and there's not much you can do to get rid of it. He told me my cholesterol levels were good but if I exercised more I could raise my good cholesterol. The only reason I found out about this is because I had blood work done to test for H. Pylori when I got my ulcer (they were negative; turns out I got it the old fashioned way: stress) and my liver enzymes came back elevated. They ran me through several more blood draws (one repeat, one repeat with fasting, one repeat with fasting and no pain relievers for a week prior) and then an ultrasound (which revealed an oversized spleen which no one cares about despite the fact that I get pain there) just to tell me that I have a disease which has no symptoms and no treatment and which almost everybody has. Awesome.
  • VeeDub75
    VeeDub75 Posts: 13
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    I've been reading it is pretty common. And in many, many cases reversible with diet and exercise. My nutritionist says low fat, low cholesterol and eat more fiber, and more whole grains, and try to stay away from sugar substitutes (they are not as great as they claim to be). So, I'm giving that a shot. I have pretty much stopped drinking soda, but then I did that before having talked to her. You hear so many stories about sweeteners these days. Honestly, since I have been watching what I am eating, I realize how bad I was eating before! Try not to let the internet scare you. I have read some good stuff and bad stuff. You read a lot of bad stuff on the internet, and when you are already worried, that doesn't help a great deal, other than to stress you out more. Try not to let the stories on the internet worry you more tytania, and ask your doctor if they can refer you to a gastroenterologist. The one I went to ran a BUNCH of bloodwork to rule out pretty much any other problems that I might have had before having me have an ultrasound. Diet and exercise are really the only treatments available for this, and it can take quite long to fix, but it can be done, or so I have read. Good luck everyone!!
  • tytaniafairy
    tytaniafairy Posts: 11
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    I've been reading it is pretty common. And in many, many cases reversible with diet and exercise. My nutritionist says low fat, low cholesterol and eat more fiber, and more whole grains, and try to stay away from sugar substitutes (they are not as great as they claim to be). So, I'm giving that a shot. I have pretty much stopped drinking soda, but then I did that before having talked to her. You hear so many stories about sweeteners these days. Honestly, since I have been watching what I am eating, I realize how bad I was eating before! Try not to let the internet scare you. I have read some good stuff and bad stuff. You read a lot of bad stuff on the internet, and when you are already worried, that doesn't help a great deal, other than to stress you out more. Try not to let the stories on the internet worry you more tytania, and ask your doctor if they can refer you to a gastroenterologist. The one I went to ran a BUNCH of bloodwork to rule out pretty much any other problems that I might have had before having me have an ultrasound. Diet and exercise are really the only treatments available for this, and it can take quite long to fix, but it can be done, or so I have read. Good luck everyone!!
    Thank you sweet pea !@!! I'm worrying myself into the ground . Been having horrible upper right pain when I sit .if I stand I'm fine. When I sit it feels like there is this pinching pain and lots of discomfort . I told the Dr on.the phone this today and he said there are mo symptoms of fatty liver so it had to ne something else . So I'm kinda freaking.out thinking there is something.else wrong as well even though my recent cat scans and ultra sound only revealed fatty liver . Ugh this is so frustrating but thank you so much for your support ! Hugs
  • Dex16
    Dex16 Posts: 4 Member
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    I had it a few years ago, but I was able to reverse it with diet, exercise, and meds. My doctor took a plastic shopping bag made a fist and pushed his hand through the bag, then he said that is your liver coming out of it's casing. It was a complete wake up call because I was probably only 15-20 lbs overweight, but my cholesterol was about 260. We first tried diet and exercise to lower it but my good chol. went down and the bad stayed the same...so I went on lipitor 10mg for 2 years. Im now in the 100s for my cholesterol level off the lipitor and my liver is in check. :)
  • kingscrown
    kingscrown Posts: 615 Member
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    Yep fatty liver here too. Found it while they were ultrasounding my gall bladder. Said my gall bladder was fine which it was not and was removed last year. I wasn't told to do anything about the fatty liver. BUT with having my gall bladder removed I lost 10 pounds and thought why not keep the trend going.
  • fleur_de_lis19
    fleur_de_lis19 Posts: 926 Member
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    About 2 years ago i had issues with pain in the upper right quad, and they did an ultra sound and said that it looked like i had a fatty liver. I stopped drinking as much and since ive lost 20lbs, the pain hasn't come back yet. Just continue to do what your doing and im sure everything ill go back to normal ;)
  • MrsKTillman
    MrsKTillman Posts: 35
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    Im in the middle of this "scare" also... and its fustrating!!! I was told when going over tons of bloodwork for WLS that my live was high... so next week wednesday i go in for a liver scan. The Dr tried his best to scare the crud outta me... gave me nightmares for a few days. The truely fustratig part is im already planning on WLS to drop the weight to correct this... what more can i do?????? after a few days of readingup on FLD.. i have the feeling that the Dr tried to put the fear factor in me for no reason.. this is such a commen thing that so many folks have. OK enough o the whining... sorry its been a down kinda morning. Anyway. im here , im doing the food tracking and im trying hard to adjust to a high protien low carb diet... hoping to kick off the wieght loss and lose a few pounds before surgery in Jan/Feb... i would LOVE a few more friends.. maybe someone in the same boat as me to help me stay on track and help me tweek my diet. The Doc also has me on Biolean right now.... anyone else tried this?
  • ghodgett
    ghodgett Posts: 4 Member
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    I also have a fatty liver. Please share your stories with me..
    I am 67 yrs. old...had breast cancer in 1994...and have had a fatty liver since.., but have not truly stayed on a diet to help it..,Please share your stories. I need help...Just retired from school...to be a caregiver to my husband with pancreatic cancer....I miss my job....and ...it has been hard not to graze all day...
    betty
  • kramalicious
    kramalicious Posts: 143
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    I had a diagnosis that the doctor thought was this. That was years ago and all has been normal since then. What I did do was to get a book written by a woman doctor on the liver (got it at the bookstore, it's probably on Amazon). It scared the you know what out of me. Now I am eating clean and losing weight and go back to the doctor this week, so will update.
    Get a book on liver disease and it will show you where you are, and how to help yourself.

    I spent many sleepless nights waiting until the next set of numbers came back normal, after I read the book. Educate yourself on liver disease and make all the lifestyle adjustments you can.
  • Nana_Booboo
    Nana_Booboo Posts: 501 Member
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    My aerobics instructor has this diagnosis and she keeps all her meals to 500cal or less per doctors orders. I don't know anything about the diagnosis but She's spoke of it for years. She's doing really well and her cholesterol is down.
  • VeeDub75
    VeeDub75 Posts: 13
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    What liver supplement are you taking? I've read a few things about Milk Thistle begin good for liver. Though I have not tried it.
  • VeeDub75
    VeeDub75 Posts: 13
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    I was also having pain in the right side for about 5 years now off and on. At first they thought it was my gall bladder but then said no. I had another ultrasound last year and the Gastro Dr. said my liver had some fat but didnt exactly say fatty liver. He told me not to lose any weight ( he thinks im too thin) and just keep excersizing like I have been. I take a liver supplement from the heatlh food store but can it go away? or is this a forever thing? I havent had it rechecked recently. I do notice a difference in pain levels depending on what I eat--less fat is better.

    What liver supplement are you taking? I've read a few things about Milk Thistle begin good for liver. Though I have not tried it.

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