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Liver failure progression

My father has been diagnosed with cirrhosis 5 years ago and he has been confined for several times already. Undergone blood transfusions, fluid was also removed from his lungs (1.5 liters I think) and has undergone endoscopy. He also has ascites. But just recently, I have noticed that the whites of his eyes turned to yellow so we go back to his doctor for a check-up but before that I remember him having a diarrhea. His doctor increased the dosage of his diuretics and scheduled him for blood test and ultrasound. I asked his doctor why his eyes turned into like that and he said that my father’s liver is starting to fail. I don’t know why I’m feeling this way but I felt quite unusual when I saw his eyes turned into yellow. I mean, he’s been through a lot before but having his eyes turned to yellow seems like a different thing. I’m scared that the end is getting near :(  Oh my! Can someone share their thoughts? By the way, my father used to drink alcohol but after he vomited blood 5 years ago, he stopped drinking. He is also diabetic and currently injecting insulin but it was also noticed that the level of his blood sugar never goes down (after his eyes turned to yellow), he feels dizzy when he sits and couldn’t walk for a distance or stand for such a time as he feels that his knees are weak.
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Avatar universal
Everything is now over to my Dad. He already passed away last December 22, 2016. It was really heartbreaking but I assured him that I can face everything ahead so that he can rest peacefully.
I’m currently at my work when my mother called me to go home right away as my father is already staring into space and keep on reaching into something.

When I got home and looked at him, I burst into tears and asked “Is this what you called coma?” I keep on crying looking at his eyes that are already shut and there’s no body movement at all! But he can still move his tongue but words aren’t coming out; it seems like he wants to tell me something but he can no longer do it. My niece told me that he could still hear me so I told him everything that I needed to say to him. I even asked him if he wants to stay at home or go to the hospital and he needs to stick out his tongue for confirmation – he choose to stay at home.

It didn’t last for an hour since I got home and my father already stopped breathing. He did not grasp for air that hard; it just stopped and I told myself that “He is gone already” as his left hand falls gently towards my back.
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Avatar universal
Hello flyinlynn,

I have confirmed from his doctor of the liver that the fluid buildup in his stomach is not yet for draining. Actually he was just confined last Dec.9. It was supposed to be a check-up only but when he was seen by his doctor, he said that my father looks pale and there's some imbalance on his face but I couldn't recall what it is called. Actually, my father is also complaining about the severe pain in the left part of his head and I really think that it was painfully as his tears were flowing already. His creatinine level was high also so we are referred to doctors for kidney and neuro. He undergone CT scan and nothing worrying has been found out.

In the hospital, he has been given Tramadol for his head pains, there was also Albumin which can help him urinate more, Furosemide also, then he was advised to take Nephro ½ can per day, Iberet for Iron, the usual Lactulose, Vitamin K, and there’s also Metrodinazole.
He did not undergone blood transfusion as it will only contribute to his fluid buildup so he was just injected with Recormon, a medicine used for the treatment of anemia.

He can still stand and walk that time. I just have to accompany him to the CR and assist him.
But when we got home, he couldn’t stand and walk on his own. He is also losing his appetite.
There’s also a day wherein he got a fever and got chills or got chills only but we can’t bring him to the hospital as he refused. But thanked God that he was able to surpass those and his temperature went back to normal.

One thing that I have noticed also is that his hands are a bit shaky now because his signatures are not firm. There’s also an instance wherein he forgot how to finish his signature! But after a few tries, we has able to figure it out.

Whenever he experiences so much pain and stress on not being able to get up on his own, he is already giving up and wishing if his life could end already. It is a very heart breaking situation but I need to be strong for him.

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Sorry to read all this is your father on the liver transplant list? Unfortunately with advanced liver failure to live much longer with any quality of life it sounds to me that he will need to have a liver transplant to survive. I am not a doctor or any type of medical person you need to be working closely with his doctors.
Avatar universal
It took me a while to get back to this site. My father got admitted last month due to elevated and unstable level of blood sugar.  We are in the hospital for almost a week and his doctor for diabetes did not say much on what is the cause of his unstable and high sugar level. What his doctor did was to adjust the amount of insulin being injected to him based on the monitored sugar levels.

His doctor for the liver gave him a Rifaximin along with his usual meds. I wasn’t able to talk to his doctor directly as our schedules didn’t fit in but based from my mother, the doctor said that there’s no significant changes to the liver of my father - it’s still the same.

Now, my father keeps on saying that he wants to get operated because of his hernia that is getting bigger. I couldn’t agree to him with this matter as he has ascites and diabetes making the operation complicated and to add also that he’s old and has a weak body.
His tummy is now big and not getting smaller even though he is taking water pills and also has Lasix.
Because before, when he took Lasix, his tummy is getting smaller, but now, it is still big like a pregnant woman. When you touched his tummy, it is soft.
When I looked at him, he is a man with big tummy on a thin body and it’s really heartbreaking.

He is also saying that he has difficulty in sleeping and he is awake most of the night. But when I look at him during the morning, he is asleep.
Also, just last night, he is complaining pain around his tummy. When I touched his tummy, it feels a bit warm but when you touched his legs, it doesn’t feel warm like his tummy.

I have also remembered that we are being asked by his doctor for the liver if my father can still recognize people and not getting confused or something like that. And we said yes, in fact he still know the full name of his doctor.
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2 Comments
It sounds like he will need to have his ascities (the fluid in his stomach) drained. It also sounds like he is developing HE (hepatic encephalopathy). He will need to see his doctor to be diagnosed and set him up to have his ascities drained and also to prescribe medicine that can help with his HE. One medicine is called Lactulose is reduced amoniacin the blood by increasing bowel movements. It is a sweet tasting syrup medicine. The dose is adjusted as needed so the patient has about 3 soft bowel movements a day this helps remove the ammonia from their blood and reduce symptoms of HE.

Sorry to see all the problems your dad is having.

Best wishes to you and your dad.
Ok I see they have him rimfaximin that is a medicine for HE the sleep changes are called sleep reversal and is a common symptom of HE.

The fluid in his stomach can become infected this is a serious condition it is called Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) which is an infection of ascitic fluid without an apparent source. Manifestations may include fever, malaise, and symptoms of ascites and worsening hepatic failure. Diagnosis is by examination of ascitic fluid.
Avatar universal
GM Rea_laine - My sister is an alcoholic.  Her ESLD and cirrhosis is due to being a life-long drinker.  6 yrs. ago, we realized she was in trouble, although she wasn't officially diagnosed until Jan. of 2011.  At that time, she entered the hospital with an excess of 100 lbs. of fluids, jaundice, ascites, edema, portal hypertension, low blood platelets (she needed many transfusions at that time), muscle wasting, and HE.  (Hepatic Encepalopathy).  She spent 11 days in the hospital and was sent home with strict orders never to drink again.  She managed this, along with a good diet and exercise for about 2 yrs. and then she relapsed.  She stopped and started a few times during these next few years, but the progression was triggered and she was recently hospitalized again and they pumped 75 lbs. of fluid from her.  She was also diagnosed with CHF, cardiomyopathy and a-fib and recent stress tests for her heart show some necrosis in her heart somewhere. (all due to portal hypertension from cirrhosis).    (She will see her cardiologist soon for the exact results.)  So, you see that this disease of cirrhosis progresses - but each case is different.  The rate of progression is different for everyone too.  Many succumb before the 6 yr. mark.  With my sister's latest health developments, this puts her in a real health danger.  Because she still has low blood platelets, she is not eligible for many procedures that may help her heart to pump better.  She has to be managed on a "system basis" - meaning what system is more important that the other now? And the medications have to be selected according to what her body can manage because her liver cannot process medication  anymore.  It becomes a real problem and only the most experienced doctors can really help manage this disease.  It is a runaway train now.  It is difficult to watch the deterioration.  My sister even says she is not ready to die yet, and she never admitted to having a terminal disease before.  She is worried.  She cannot do much these days, as her heart is not good now.  She sleeps a lot and has to do things in spurts as her energy allows.  Then she passes out.  This sounds a lot like your dad.  There is no "time limit" on them now, but we must ask how much more the body can take?   I've been through death a few times before with my loved ones, and my advice is that we love them and comfort them.  They will feel the love we have for them.  Please keep us posted.    
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I feel pain upon reading your sister's story. And yes, what we can do is to let them feel that we are here for them and we love them.
How is she now?
Avatar universal
Hello Rea_laine - I feel there may be a few things going on with your father.  Since your dad was diagnosed with cirrhosis 5 yrs. ago, his liver disease seems to be progressing.  Does he see a liver doctor?  I am also wondering if he may be suffering from congestion in his lungs or around his heart if he had to have fluids pumped.  Could he have congestive heart failure?  This would happen if he has portal hypertension, which he probably has if his cirrhosis is progressing.  Maybe his doctor will suggest he see a cardiologist.  This would be important to find out why so much fluid is in his chest.  This would also explain why he is so weak.  If the heart is not pumping properly, then he will feel week.  I am wondering too if he is low on platelets if he had to have transfusions.  This would explain weakness too.  In advanced cirrhosis, platelets become low because there is no blood flow from the liver to the spleen to release platelets properly.  This would cause anemia.  Doctors can manage all these conditions if he gets with a doctor knowledgable in cirrhosis.  Your dad will feel more comfortable, but he can't be cured unless he is eligible for a liver transplant.  But, too many other co-morbidities would make him too weak for any surgery.  I'm sorry for all this grim news.  My sister is in the advanced stages of cirrhosis, and this is what my sister is going through too as her cirrhosis has progressed too.  She's was diagnosed over 5 yrs. ago.  (six years this January), but I know she had it before an official diagnosis.  Please keep us posted.  
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Hello fanofhawks, Mind sharing what you sister has been going through? Is she a fighter?
The transfusions, removal of the fluid in the lungs, and endoscopy happened in a different year from the time his cirrhosis was diagnosed 5 years ago. What happened to him just recently is a diarrhea followed by yellowing of the eyes or yellowing of the eyes followed by diarrhea (not so sure what happened first), there’s too much fluid build-up in his abdomen that’s why his diuretics has been increased and he was able to pee but his urine was dark but his abdomen is now a bit soft as to what it was, and he can longer walk again for a distance. Now, I got bothered with his yellow eyes due to liver failure and since it is a failure what I’m praying is that it wouldn’t progressed that fast and that he wouldn’t suffer that much too.
We will check on with his doctors once we got back to the hospital because he has one for each – cardio, diabetes, lungs, and liver. What we haven’t done yet is the blood test and ultrasound as he wants to lessen first his fluid build-up in the abdomen as he’s having difficulties with it :(
He also has a hernia that’s bothering him for a year already but we opted not to have it operated because of his ascites and diabetes. What I’m praying is that it wouldn’t get strangulated. My tears are about to burst now but I choose not to. I have to be strong for him.
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