Everyone is different in their response to HE is the person under the care of s doctor? Are they taking lactulose enough to have 3 soft bowel movements daily? Is this person in a hospital?
Yes having difficulty communicating is a symptom of HE caused by cirrhosis.
Because the advanced liver disease of cirrhosis causes the liver not to be able to perform its important job of cleaning the blood ammonia can build up in the blood stream. When this blood with high amounts of ammonia reaches the brain this causes the symptom of Hepatic encephalopathy called HE for short.
HE encompasses a range of symptoms depending on the severity of the condition, so symptoms can vary widely from one person to another.
Symptoms may begin slowly and gradually get worse, or they may occur suddenly and be severe from the start.
Mild to moderate symptoms of HE may include the following mental and physical changes:
Mental
Mild confusion
Short attention span
Forgetfulness
Mood swings
Personality changes
Inappropriate behavior
Difficulty doing basic math
Physical
Change in sleep patterns (like sleeping during the day and staying up at night)
Difficulty writing or doing other small hand movements
Breath that smells musty or sweet
Slurred speech
More severe symptoms of HE may include these mental and physical changes:
Mental
Marked confusion
Severe anxiety or fearfulness
Disorientation regarding time and place
Inability to perform mental tasks such as doing basic math
Physical
Extreme sleepiness
Slowed or sluggish movement
Shaking of hands or arms (called “flapping”)
Jumbled, slurred speech that can’t be understood
In the most severe form of HE, people can become unresponsive, unconscious and enter a coma.