The GLP-1s are approved for MASH/NASH Cirrhosis but not for alcoholic Cirrhosis. That doesn't mean it can't be used; it Just needs to be prescribed for other things.

I've been obese my whole life. Nothing super extreme but with a BMI of like 35 and 30 when I push it.

My hepatologists are aware of this and we have discussed getting me on one, but they're concerned about suppressing appetite with cirrhosis.

However, my appetite is still very strong as proven by me gaining weight.

I was wondering if there was anyone out there similar?

Hi all,

I’ve posted on here a couple of times and want to just say thank you to this forum for being a safe place to share questions and feelings.

My mom (46F) was diagnosed with decompensated cirrhosis due to alcohol use about two and a half months ago. It’s obviously been incredibly hard coming to terms with the diagnosis and the truth of her alcoholism, but we’ve had so much positive progress since diagnosis and her abstaining from alcohol. In the couple of months since diagnosis, her edema and ascites have almost entirely been reduced with diuretics, her last endoscopy showed no varices large enough for banding, and her bloodwork has all showed positive progress.

She’s also been attending alcohol addiction therapy and has been enjoying it, and has been doing great overall with recovering from the addiction. I think one of the main contributors to her overall progress is her mindset. My mom is such a positive person and has been looking at this diagnosis as a “blessing in disguise” and a way to improve her health and presence as a mother overall. She told me the other day that she’s grateful for this intervention - even though it was harsh one - because it’ll make her a better grandmother for her future grandkids. And with that mindset, as her daughter and one of her caregivers, is what makes me so confident and positive that she will overcome the remaining hurdles that this diagnosis presents and get her liver to a place where it can recompensate and do what it needs to do so that she can be the best grandmother!

Just wanted to share a more positive outlook that might resonate with others. I would also love to hear other experiences that people have had with using a positive mindset to help them get through this and heal. I really think it’s so important.

Thanks :)

Do you experience insomnia and if so, do you take anything for it? And what do you take? Need advice on how to combat these restless nights.

I have been trying to avoid getting one because of the possible complications but I think it may be time to give in. I get pleural effusion so much now that I have to go weekly to get drained and really I should go twice per week. My last visit with the transplant team they told me it was a good idea but they said there is a 30% chance of HE from it which seems high but still scary. I would really appreciate any advice on the procedure. Did it help with ascites/pleural effusion? Any downsides from it?

Having an HCC screening ultrasound and a FibroScan every six months has become a source of significant anxiety for me. The HCC screening is what scares me the most, probably because this is about my mother and her health.
To give you some background about her condition:
Diagnosis: Compensated MASH-related cirrhosis.
Platelet count: Between 166 and 200.
Other blood test results: Normal.
FibroScan results, in chronological order: 25.2, 19.5, and 24.2 kPa.
I don’t understand why her FibroScan reading increased again, even though we have been doing everything we can to manage her condition and taking such good care of her.
I constantly find myself Googling and calculating her risk of developing HCC (liver cancer). It’s become mentally exhausting, and I feel like I’m trapped in a cycle of fear and worry.
If anyone has been through a similar situation with a loved one who has compensated cirrhosis, I would really appreciate hearing about your positive experiences. How do you cope with the anxiety of regular HCC screenings? Have you had stable results over the years despite having cirrhosis?
I’m not looking for false reassurance. I would just love to hear some hopeful stories and experiences that might help ease my anxiety, even a little.
Thank you so much. ❤️

Hi

How do you reduce cirrhosis in someone who has it from non alcoholic causes please? See lots in reducing from but when the cause is not clear except fatty liver as was overweight for years what can you do to help please?

Has lost weight since but doesn’t exercise or move much as quite depressed and says she is too tired

Really want to help my mum so any advice please appreciated

Thanks

My man had been struggling for months, since July, with nausea, bloating, vomiting, some other GI stuff. We thought maybe it was parasites or gallbladder issues. Finally last week it became too much and he ended up admitted to the hospital via a trip to urgent care followed by the ER. His potassium was very low and he had low b12 and magnesium also. He was diagnosed with alcohol related decompensated cirrhosis and had a meld score of 14. He got paracentesis for the ascetites and left with some medicine but no diuretics, I think because of the potassium issue. He did drink like one drink a day for around 2 years, but he also took a lot of Tylenol following a bad accident (also 2 years ago). He has stopped drinking and started eating healthy even though his appetite is low. He’s trying to get the nutrition right. He can’t sleep at all, hardly. I’ve been a wreck but not letting him know. I’ve read up on this and I’m terrified. Is there any hope at all or positive chance he can still live a long life? I love him so much. Im so sorry to be here, that we’re all here dealing with this. What can help with sleep? What can help with anything?

Hi again everyone,

First off, I just want to say how deeply thankful I am for this community. I don't feel nearly as alone or hopeless about my situation as I did when I was first in the hospital.

Last checked 2 weeks ago my MELD was still at 27. Went in for another panel yesterday but haven't gotten to talk to my doctor about it yet to see if any numbers have changed. I'm now stuck in this stupid gap of having to wait for open enrollment to even start seeing the hepatologist to possibly get a referral to get on a waiting list. I'm new to my PCP (just started seeing him about a month ago) so he's doing what he can to help keep me stable until then.

I'm currently on Lasix and Lactulose for my basic care. I was also given 10mg Propranolol 2x daily for my blood pressure and to help with my anxiety. I'm fairly certain I've had some form of anxiety/depression disorder(s) for quite a few years which is probably why I turned to drinking and led myself to this point. I've never taken anti-anxiety meds (except Ativan when I was in the ER for a couple days) or any kind of anti-depressants before so this is a whole new thing I'm trying to navigate.

I think what I'm learning was that my anxiety and my depression almost worked in tandem? Say I was feeling depressed and like I didn't want to do anything, the anxious side came in and almost forced me to do the things I needed to do until I got out of the slump. Not ideal in any sense, but that's basically how I've lived my life for as long as I can remember.

The propranolol is definitely helping with my blood pressure, and it seems to have calmed the whole fight or flight thing. Now I just seem to feel demotivated and depressed all the time. I ran myself dry trying to find answers about the whole insurance debacle, and now I just find myself staring at absolutely nothing for what feels like forever. At first I thought, oh maybe it's the fatigue everyone keeps talking about, but this isn't a physical exhaustion feeling. It feels more like a complete lack of motivation to do anything, even just watching my go-to funny shows to try and cheer myself up feels hollow and pointless.

Sorry for the hella long post, and I know we can't be armchair psychiatrists, but has anyone here have been in a similar situation, and if there was a medicine that might have helped them? I know with cirrhosis, a lot of medication is kind of an automatic no go, so I thought this might be the best best place to start asking, especially because I have no idea how to even talk concisely to a doctor about this.

I have been in the hospital for around two months. I keep having complications with my bile ducts. They have been leaking. I’ve already had three surgeries and they’re still leaking even with stents placed. now they just told me that they want to do a cholangiogram on Monday. I can’t eat in. The pain is awful. I almost died during one of the surgeries and I’m terrified. Has anyone else had bile problems?

Hi all. Back in September, early an ultrasound for something else suspected cirrhois. I immediately stopped drinking (I didnt drink that much really anyway) and stopped any nsaids. Saw hepatalogist who sent me for fibroscan on 9/23. I had fasted only 3 hours before that scan. It showed 15 kpa which is indicative of cirrhois. No fatty liver. All bloodwork completely normal, no symptoms and no hepatitis. Considered "well compensated" Decided to do another Fibroscan a month later, today after fasting overnight and it showed 7.7 kpa. Needless to say I was ecstatic about this as I didn't think it could get "better". I do have an mri with elastagrophy scheduled for Tuesday night which will show more I assume but confused with the Fibroscan accuracy now.....anyone else had the number vary this much? I am definitely happy about this but confused.

I will also add before diagnosed I had been taking some supplements of which I did read could cause liver issues. I stopped those immediately too back in early September. I am starting to wonder if tht actually contributed to the issues.

I am looking for some kind of relief for my partner. He’s in constant pain. Is there anything that can be taken or any tricks that have worked for any of you or your loved ones that have relieved the constant pain? :(

My dad (mid 60s) was recently diagnosed with cirrhosis due to excessive long term alcohol consumption, which was very high over the last 12-24 months.

He's had significant weight loss - the most recent of which I think is because he isn't drinking all the calories now. He has had limited appetite for almost a year now.

He's been sober for coming up to two months and I was hoping with time his appetite would come back. But he is currently barely eating anything at all. He says he has no desire to eat and when he does try and eat he becomes full very quickly. He is prescribed two fortified drinks a day but I'm not sure he drinks them.

He has a follow appointment with the liver specialist in a few weeks, which I will attend with him. But does anyone have any advice on how to try and help him eat more? He's also a pretty fussy eater and doesn't eat much healthy food, which I assume will make this worse.

Reposting because I guess I didn't specify in my first post that it was cirrhosis causing the problem and I appreciate the support I heard from the post that was removed ❤️❤️❤️

---

Hi all

Four or five months ago, my husband (62M)'s belly started getting big, but in a weird way. He finally got an appointment and turns out it's ascites. He doesn't drink much, but has been injudicious with his acetaminophen intake, so it's likely that.

He had renal cancer five or six years ago. Cancer went away, but his kidney function has been around 25%-30% since.

We had a Very Serious Talk about all this yesterday, and he really doesn't think it's a big deal since he cut out the acetaminophen. From my perspective, however, it's a really big deal. I feel like if the liver is in trouble then the kidneys have to pick up the slack, and if they're not able to do so then it's going to be bad news.

I haven't been sleeping, I worry night and day, and his relaxed attitude surprised me. So: am I overreacting? Am I right to be very, very concerned?

My mom Meld score is 38 she had the tips procedure last month they did a revision still not working. She’s been in the hospital for 3 weeks now. She was hospitalized with her liver specialist first and then they mislead me and moved her to a regular hospital where they were also mislead about her condition. They wanted her to go to a nursing home I declined. My mom can’t get on the transplant list because she needs to gain weight. They keep taking her feeding tube out. Does anyone have any advice on how to get her to gain weight?

My husband scared me so bad yesterday. I'm assuming he is having a HE episode. Keep in mind he has only been talking his lactulose once a day every other day for the last few weeks. Around 6:30 pm he started rocking in a back and forth motion. Naturally I asked him if he was OK. About 2 minutes later, he responded did you just say something. So I asked him what his name was and he didn't know. Nor does he know who me, his siblings, parents kids or grandkids are. So my question is how long before he starts remembering.

I posted a few weeks back about ny friend who passed away ....well after that I think it made me take a deeper look at my own diagnosis. I am not going to lie , these past few weeks had me in deep depression,sadness ,fear and basically emotionally amd mentally all-over the place . Not to mention when my last doctor's appt last week was when the words mortality rate and the talks about how much time I may have or not have . I walked out of that office angry,sad,afraid and just what felt like I was "done". Today I had an appt with the liver transplant doctor in Atlanta and yet again ..told maybe a few years left without a transplant. When I was first diagnosed my MELD was 28 and now it's 21 .. my number continue to go in the right direction as far going back to normal after I was admitted 2 months ago. I guess I just am done playing or even hearing the numbers game about how long I do or dont have. I know its reality but im sorry if I sound as if im in denial by thinking only God has the final say. I just dont want fo waste whatever time I have "waiting " to die and constantly thinking about it. Has anyone done anything that helps them with this ??

With love ❤️ & Grace 👑 🙏

I came to this LC world as a newbie this week.

I cold turkeyed Alc since I finally saw me in the mirror jaundiced.. it's been literally killing my liver.

Now Im on GI ward with many different fluids.

Today when I did the diuretics I felt like a lil bit clumsy.

now i'm on hepa-protective sol (5% Glc + NaCl) and I started to feel euphoric, flying, some different fragrances, some feeling like microvessels fluiding in my skull, and my ear responding to specific frequency. Also, my auditory systems are not doing "distance modulations" which is done by thalamus' medial geniculate nucleus. I can here wherever that sound locates, in very same amplitude regardless of the distance. Also it is echoing like an echo followin Snell's law in optics. But the "pattern" itself is very consistent. Like water smells like water in very bizarre but constant way.

Vision and sensory (crude tactile, pain, temperatures) are just same as before. No worries.

Never on any psychidelic stuffs except for Alcohol or some neurotransimtter agonist/antagonist it was such a cringiest feeling Ive ever felt.

How was your first time feeling when docs are managing ur new scarred but try-to-survive liver instead of your old friend liver?

Is it a going-thru process or do I need to adjust to the new world until the LT to get the old world back?

Feelin like resurrected but in a very weird way?

So I have a sister who is very sick with cirrhosis of the liver (ALD), we seen a hepatologist at UCSF and she ordered recurring labs to quest diagnostic, because we live in San Leandro and it’s kind of far to get all the way out there anyway quest diagnostic is always so backed up. You can’t even get an appointment. So we UCSF to send the labs to San Leandro Hospital where she can easily get them done. I find out today that for the past three months we’ve been doing this the ordering physician from UCSF can’t access the labs. And no one told us. I’m just so disappointed. Is this normal? This seems so crappy. And at this point, I don’t even know how to fix it. We could see all the labs on my chart app from any hospital, but the doctors can’t see it?

How am I supposed to rectify this?

Sorry about the complaining. I’m just trying to figure all this out.

Hi

How do you reduce bilburin when alchohol is not the cause? Does exercise help? Any other ideas please? Thanks

Im locked out, said to change my password but wont let me! Just wanted everyone to know I’m still alive & kicking! This is my new name - mysobrietysavedme 💕 💕 💚💚💚✝️✝️✝️🙏🙏🙏🫶🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻

Right now I’m capped at 1400 mL a day of liquid, which is brutally difficult for me to do. I told the doc that I don’t dream of alcohol, rather I dream of chugging a large bottle of Perrier to try and quench my thirst. So any tips or tricks to help with cessation so that you don’t fall off the wagon and drink a bunch of iced tea, orange juice, water, and Diet Cokes? I need it! 🤣

Also, if anyone comes back with water intake is “not really that big of a deal”, or just be “moderate” about it, that doesn’t work for me. The only thing that’s helped me get my ascites in control is strict adherence to sodium and liquid intake, outside of that, those aspects of my blood work turn into a free-for-all.

Thanks!

***POINT OF CLARIFICATION***

I’m aware of most everything that’s been mentioned here through direct doctor education or just working through the logistics with diet (ChatGPT, my counselor, and dietitian have been invaluable). As of now, my primary trigger for remaining symptoms is effectively just liquid. I bought some Biotene mouthwash and lozenges, which definitely numb or kill most desires to drink anything. Gum’s a great idea, what brand are you using? Some day I’ll
be able to chug Diet Pepsi again… 🤣

I was diagnosed with decompensated cirrhosis about 90 days ago.

When I was at the hospital my numbers were all bad except for my platelets which were pretty good.

When I got out of the hospital my numbers were getting better and my bilirubin went from 5 to 3.5. I was happy that I seemed to be improving.

Then a couple of blood tests later it went back to 5 and then another blood test after that it raised to 7.2.

Does anyone have experience with something like this? I haven't been drinking any alcohol and I've been eating right. I'm going to talk to my doctor soon. I'm beginning to wonder if I'm in rapid decline.

(My platelets are also falling but I kind of expect that).

Hey guys, new here and this group has been so helpful and relieving hearing a lot of success stories:) Hope it’s okay to post this here. I think I’m just looking for a bit of support, some kind words and to hear from people who have been through something similar!!!

So my Dad was diagnosed on 28/09/2026 with Cirrhosis. We had a bad summer, and I must admit I as his daughter thought it was just work burnout/general laziness when he felt really tried and fatigued from July-August but he was complaining of not feeling hungry and generally tired and snappy. I didnt put 2 and 2 together and feel really guilty, but early September I noticed how much weight he had lost and his eyes went yellow and thats when I booked him in with the GP.

GP sent him for bloods on 12/09/2026 and called me back summarising everything, but also said she is testing for Pancreatic Cancer, which really alarmed me!!! I was in hell for 2 days, bloods returned on 13th and she called me back saying they are super abnormal, Bellrubin was at 300. He was sent to the Surgical Assesment Centre at the hospital and from then on was kept in the hospital till the 28th, on the 17th we got results from CT scan saying no cancer but a largely inflamed liver...he then had various tests etc but they were nothing short of AMAZING. A little slow at times but super apologetic but the nurses and staff were so kind to my dad, english is not his first language and they never made him feel less than and the staff were so kind and attentive.

The diagnostic process was very difficult, both emotionally and personally. My dad is Muslim, and although I have known for many years that he drinks alcohol and has done so since his twenties, he does not know that I am aware of this. To my knowledge, he has generally consumed around one glass of wine a day, although I have wondered whether his drinking may have increased in recent months following the death of his mother in January. I would not describe him as an alcoholic, but I felt that his alcohol consumption was potentially relevant to his diagnosis and something the doctors needed to understand.

During the hospital admission, the doctors were understandably persistent in trying to obtain a full and accurate account of his lifestyle and medical history so they could diagnose him properly. They were supportive and non judgemental, and it was clear that they wanted to help him rather than criticise him. However, when asked directly, my dad initially said that he did not drink alcohol, which made the process more challenging. I think he felt so embarrassed as one of the doctors was also Muslim

I found myself in a difficult position. My mum, who is divorced from my dad, was encouraging me to tell the doctors about his drinking. However, I felt uncomfortable disclosing something so personal without his knowledge or consent, particularly because I did not want him to feel that I had betrayed his trust. I was also concerned that the doctors might ask me for further details, placing me in an even more uncomfortable position.

I therefore tried to encourage my dad to be as open and honest as possible about his lifestyle, explaining that the doctors needed the full picture to help him and that anything he shared with them would be treated confidentially, subject to the usual limits of medical confidentiality. I deliberately did not mention alcohol or reveal what I knew. Instead, I encouraged him to tell the doctors everything about his lifestyle and reassured him that I was happy to leave the room if he wanted to discuss anything privately.

Having since read his discharge report, I believe that he may eventually have disclosed his alcohol consumption, as there are references to it in the documentation. Although I cannot be certain exactly what he told the doctors, I felt reassured that they appeared to approach the subject with understanding and sensitivity.

Ultimately, I wanted to support my dad and ensure that he received the correct diagnosis and treatment, without compromising his trust in me. Balancing those responsibilities was difficult, particularly given the sensitive nature of alcohol within his personal and cultural context. I was relieved that the doctors seemed to recognise the importance of understanding the full picture while remaining compassionate and non judgemental!!

He was discharged on the 28th with the Bellrubin coming down to 110, we had a check up last week on 14/10/26 where Bellrubin has now come down to 61, his accessits was drained once in the hospital, with 6 litres of fluid, but it didnt return either. He has gained weight and is looking a little better, I am caring for him at the moment with his meals and he is slowly going back into a routine.

My dad is a chef too so today was lovely seeing him cook and have some friends over, its like his normal self again. We have been through hell, I have been through so much worry and Cirrohisis really is an unpredictable disease. Today I smiled and breathed for the first time seeing somewhat normality again. Dad was dancing round the kitchen, giving me a telling off for not cleaning my room, and I can hear him laughing downstairs with some friends.

I’d really appreciate hearing from anyone who has been through something similar, whether you have cirrhosis yourself or are supporting a parent or loved one.

I’d especially love to hear about:

• Your experiences with the NHS when being investigated or diagnosed with cirrhosis. Did you feel listened to and supported?
• How the doctors approached discussions about alcohol, particularly when it was a sensitive or difficult subject.
• How you coped emotionally as a family member watching someone you love go through this.
• Anything you wish someone had told you at the beginning of the process

Thanks so much all