I'm looking for a whizz--bang hepatologist - Someone with the brilliance of a Dr. "House" (as in the TV series).
Last summer, I fell profoundly sick. Impossible fatigue, upper right quadrant bloating, bouts of generalised itching that would wax and wane, and the gratuitous pale stools, dark urine, and flatulence - but no noticeable jaundice. Time to see the Doc (and straight away), as I was certain I had one of the "heps".
Dr. appointment scheduled - and symptoms had gradually improved by then - (basically save for the itching and on and off feeling of "hepatomegally). So the hep screens came back neg (a, b, and c), and the labs looked ok save for ALT of about 150. Follow up scheduled. Next labs, looked ok again - save for high ALT (about 96 that time), so more tests ordered: I was tested for many esoteric diseases - autoimmune hep, hemachromatosis, wilson's, etc. - and my ceruloplasmin was 1 point low - so next came the 24hr pee test: it looked ok - and at that point, I scheduled a follow up appt to see what was happenning. ALT was still up, so next an ultrasound scheduled - and the results reviewed and looked ok, so no (apparent) sign of obstruction, primary biliary cirrhosis, or primary sclerosing cholangitis. Next in my saga, a biopsy was ordered - and with a wilsons dry copper weight test. The biopsy came back showing no marked cirrhosis, it did show a bit of steatosis, and my copper was at appx 60ug per g (but for the last 4 months I had been popping about 400 mg of zinc daily to the point of nausea and avoiding chocolate, shellfish, nuts, and other high copper foods - so I *may* have skewed the result down).
SO, as of today, my energy has largely returned, I also have linked a mild but lingering pre-existing problem to all of this (which I never gave a lot of thought to when it all cropped up about 5 yrs ag) - where I would have bouts of what I thought "gastritis" or maybe gall stones - causing mild upper right quadrant bloat - but it would come and go last a week and be in hibernation for a couple of months, that, and I would occasionally notice a mild itch on my arms - and attributed it to an allergy - but now I think that "whatever I have" these were early warnings/manifestations. Presently, theres still the lingering on and off itch, and the random "bloat" around my liver/spleen, and the occasional slightly darkened urine. I too have a bit of a gas problem (seems to be independent of what I eat). I have noticed sodium seems to make the itch more pronounced about 90 minutes after consumption. I also have noticed one newer symptom and thats a bit of random and transitory sharp pain from around my liver area (like maybe a stone moving?).
ANY brilliant docs out there that may have a clue? did my ultrasound miss something in my bile ducts??? might I have Hep C (which im told is sometimes hard to find) ? ANY thoughts? Your help would be greatly appreciated
Sincerley,
"Jack"