General advice from liver expert

[rose_gal]

My liver was damaged when I contracted glandular fever 12 years ago and my partner has a bad liver from hepatitis C. We both experience similar symptoms that we have not been able to fully understand although we have done a great deal of reading and research over the years.  You may be able to help.  

What causes the pain when the liver is particularly upset (after a toxic insult or physical pressure)?  Things like bending over or breathing deeply or putting pressure on the right side rib cage can lead to severe symptoms (fatigue, brain fog, irritability, jaundice, liver pain).  Why does this physical pressure upset the liver and why does it take so long to recover (sometimes weeks)?  

I would really appreciate being referred to a resource which fully explains the physiology and biochemistry behind the symptoms of liverishness and, more specifically, why pressure on the liver has such a devastating effect.

Many thanks,

Rose

[Thomas D Schiano, MD]

please check out the American livef foundation or the AASLD websites.

[Thomas D Schiano, MD]

clearly one can have right sided abdonminal discomfort when anything upsets the liver such as straining, drinking alcohol, etc. i think the other sypmtoms may be due to HCV itself which can flare at times.  patients can often predict when the HCV viral load goes up by having ian ncrease of such symptoms.