Can My Liver Feel Pain? There is conflicting information about this. There are times when my liver hurts. The dull ache, or sharp piercing always grabs my attention. Fear is sure to follow, paralyzing fear.
Many say that our liver does not have any nerves that signal pain. So just what IS that twinge or dull ache that we feel? Even worse, what is the occasional sharp jab under my ribs on the right side? It could be many things. You wonder can my liver feel pain?
Our Liver can keep going even with lots of damage! If you have been having frequent pain, swelling, or brain fog, call your doctor. Do NOT ignore it. You may need to get meds, alter your diet, or make lifestyle changes. If you have any questions that you can’t find an answer to, let me know. I’ll help you find an answer.
What can cause your liver to feel pain?
Fatty liver, cirrhosis, or steatosis. Cirhossis, fatty liver, and steatosis can go together.
Think of it this way: With liver disease, fibrous bands chokes the blood supply. The foods you eat do not get used as well. So eating fat or sugar can cause swelling and presses against nearby organs, nerves, and surrounding tissue. The swelling can create a feeling of heaviness. The pressure CAN create a feeling of fullness and pain in the upper right near the ribcage.
Gas and bloating. This is almost too easy to figure out. It makes sense that when the colon presses on your liver after a meal, it could create discomfort. Gas can create sharp pains near the liver area before and after bowel movements.
Eating a heavy meal or greasy food. When I feel pain – right THERE. To me, it is an indication that I’ve blown it. Not life threatening, just a signal to STOP and think before I put something into my mouth. No matter how good it tastes or how tempting it looks, it is not worth it once the pain kicks in. There are good foods for your liver, and foods to avoid. Just be smart.
Alcohol. Binge drinking or long term alcohol may be causing pain and giving you a signal to slow down.
Check out my Youtube Video on Liver Pain below
Poor posture. Sitting in a hunched over position at a desk, or even in bed can put pressure on the liver, surrounding tissue, and organs. If your liver has hardened with liver disease, it does not “give” as easy. Sitting up straight can help. So can my yoga stretch youtube.
A true story: I had daily pain in my liver area for a couple of months. Scary-awful-reading-everything-I-could get-my-hands-on-and-worrying-about-it-way-too-much-kind-of-pain. I had come too far to have my liver fail now. I needed to stop and listen to my body.
Posture: I hunched over my desk while reading or writing at the computer.
Diet: A closer look at my diet made me stop and think. I was eating fast food. Laziness had crept in. A few students were bringing hot and fresh donut holes into my 1st hour class. I confiscated a couple like any good teacher would.
Exercise: I get in a yoga post and hug my liver. I even talk to it. When I was in liver failure, I would lay my left hand under my ribcage and tell my liver “Thank You for working so hard.” When in pain, I massaged it and told it I was sorry that it was hurting. You can laugh. It’s ok. I’ve outlived liver cancer, a death sentence and if you have had a climbing MELD score, you will try anything and everything.
I took a look at my diet, posture, and exercise and soon the pain was gone, and I was free of fear. I made minor changes for 2 weeks. I drank a protein shake and ate greek yogurt 3 days a week. Then I forgot about it. Literally, it never came to mind. A few weeks later, I realized that there was NO pain whatsoever.
Do I still have occasional pain? Yes. It is part of living with End Stage Liver Disease.
Can I control it? No. Not always. But I can relax and breath through it.
Can My Liver Feel Pain? I say yes. You may have some control. I hope this helps you if you’ve been worried about liver pain.
More than a diet, this 300 page ebook offers motivation, insider know-how and can help you live longer. $4.99 for Best Friends
Click here to buy or learn more.
Your pain free for now Best Friend, Karen:)
Check out my newest blog on Drugs that are safe with liver pain right here!
Symptoms, causes, and stages of liver disease
How much protein you need to keep your liver healthy
Good liver diet here.
For a complete list of all topics including esophageal varices and ascites start here?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPipZlRVzGc
Have you had pain in your liver area and been told that the liver does not feel pain?
I am not a doctor. To learn about Hep C and cirrhosis, stages of cirrhosis, pain in your rib or spleen, contact your doctor with any chronic or acute pain in your liver area.
Images via imaginationforsaleblogspot, yogajournal.com, yogaposeoftheday.com, buzzle.com
188 thoughts on “Can My Liver Feel Pain?”
Is your diet suitable for someone with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. I really wouldn’t call my self obese & have always had a good diet, never drank soft drink & have never had HepC. Still trying to comprehend how I have ended up with it. I read somewhere that medications can give it to you, have you heard that.
Deborah,
Indeed it is! When I look at a diet that supports a healthy liver, it means any liver disease. My cousin who looks extremely fit and healthy has fatty liver disease. She has eaten well for years and has it under control. Her advice helped me a lot in the beginning of my diagnosis. She is not sure how she got it either.. Her husband was stationed in Germany when she was diagnosed. They really didn’t pay much attention to it until she got back to the United States. She is doing really well and her damage is not growing at a fast rate. She eats really really well though to support her liver.
I hope you were able to get some ideas about how the liver processes protein. Any time you get liver disease, the results are pretty much the same. Fatty liver is hard to eat for. The liver is a Hard Working Organ is a good blog and so is the Protein blog. You can enjoy good food Deborah. Let me know how it goes for you. I’d love to hear ideas about how your diet works. OK?
Thank you for your comment,
xo Karen:)
Hello,
I am very much over weight, about 165 pounds to be exact. I was just told my liver was twice the normal size it should be. This was determined by MRI. I will be having a CT Scan conducted next Friday. Well, since I was told this new information, I have been extremely worried. I have a fatty liver. If I loose the weight will my liver be normal again, and shrink back to its normal size? However, my blood work was good. I have had high cholesterol and blood pressure in the recent past, but I have managed to get that under control. I am eating healthier food now and liver cleansing stuff to help improve liver function. I don’t know what to expect and can’t stop thinking about it. Do you have any advice? Please let me know.
Thank you,
Hello there! I am so sorry to hear. This must have been quite a shock. Yes, you can improve your health quite a bit. You can first of all start drinking water. Your liver is enlarged because it is fighting so hard to do the job it was designed to do. Everything we eat, drink, put on our bodies and in our eyes has to be processed by the liver. That is a huge enormous job for sure 🙂 If you are very serious you can look on here and find Karen’s liver loving recipes on the home page in upper right hand corner. You should stop eating any fast foods, red meat, fried foods. You should try to eat more veggies and fruits. I am sorry, I am not trying to should on you. Just trying for honesty here. I am not a doctor nor a scientist. I am a patient just like you with over 8 years of experience reading everything I can to survive. AHH, no drinking of any kind. I am not saying it will be forever but if you are serious no drinks. I have a friend who has fatty liver and she is only allowed one drink a year. So…you can see how serious it can be. You are fighting for your life and don’t even know it. Your liver, from what I have been told, can be damaged up to 80% gone before some people notice easy bruising, fatigue, confusion, red dots on lower legs, swollen ankles etc. Every morning I have a protein drink. I have cut out all meats except for fish and chicken. Well, I don’t often eat fish but if I knew what was good for me I would eat salmon twice a week 🙂 Please let me know how your biopsy went. I am interested, I do care, I hope to hear from you. Take Care Dee
Hi Karen, so glad I stumbled across your page!
I am (like you mentioned) full of fear & took to the net to find info & others who may suffer from the same symptoms.
I began having what I think may be liver pains just yesterday. It started around 2pm all the way until I fell asleep after 10pm. When I woke up this morning, 2 words hit my mind….My Liver!
Today I bagan having some sharp pains on both front sides below the rib cage. I am having a full feeling like you mentioned and feel bloated. I had a doctors appt yesterday to see an RA but that was bcuz I tested positive on the ANA test & the pain only began after i left the doctors office so I never mentioned it. However, I called first thing this morning & told the receptionist to make sure they test my liver function & enzymes & to tell the doctor what I’m experiencing.
He prescribed me a 7 day “test” supply of 5mg Prednisone.
What are the early immediate symptoms?
There’s more but I’m sleepy.
Thx for your reply!
Hi I would continue with the doctor you have. The symptoms of a liver problem can come on very slowly. If I were you I would wait for the blood work to come back from the doctor you just saw. Then I would go from there. You should have a liver panel done just to see if anything is going on. In order for the doctor to do that you might have to have more blood drawn. Many people find out they have problems after going to a rheumatologist so he may already be testing you for various problems.
It could also be that you have strained a muscle as there is one that runs from front to back, same level. Also our large intestine is very close as is the gallbladder. Good luck.
Thanks Karen! I just made an appt to see a Gastrointerologist next week. Will let you know what they say!
Hi there! I am so happy for you. we would love to hear how you are doing, warm thoughts, Dee
Deborah,
I know this is a rather old post, but I wanted to tell you that I have non-alcoholic fatty liver disease too.
Have you had your cholesterol checked? Not for being too high, but for being too LOW?!?
My total cholesterol has always been in the 80s. In the past few years I have been dealing with chronic pancreatitis and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Turns out I have a rather rare genetic condition called Familial Hypobetalipoproteinemia (FHBL). People with FHBL have to few betalipoproteins to chauffeur fat and cholesterol around their bodies. The fat, instead, builds up in the liver resulting in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
There is no cure, or drug, to treat it. All you can do is go on a low fat, low carb diet and exercise. It kinda sucks, but it sure as heck beats many things others are suffering from.
If your cholesterol isn’t too low, having FHBL can extend your life.
Get your cholesterol checked; you may be one of the rare and ‘lucky’ ones like me. 🙂
I’m so afraid …help me…
Glenda,
I’m think of how brave you are to reach out. I was right where you are dear one. So glad we connected and I sincerely enjoyed our exchange of messages last night.
It is good to hear your plans of going forward with your doctor visit. By getting lab work and seeking help, you have the chance to be free of Hepatitis C. Then you can focus on healing your liver and living out your future with your beautiful family.
All my love to you. I know you will keep in touch sweet one.
Thank you for reaching out. We are not alone best friend,
xoxoxoxoxo Karen:)
You know I’ve had this pain. It’s usually set off by filthy food. Greasy
Johnny,
Yes, I know dear. It is something we deal with… Fortunately YOU are eating well and living the lifestyle that helps to protect your liver. I do too! Even the little slip ups are just part of life on occasion.
The liver is amazing in the way it warns us when we push the limits too far by eating unhealthy. Some people continue to take big risks with their health with Hepatitis C. I know that you are smarter than that and am so very very proud to be your friend. It helps a lot to know that others are doing their best to make good choices.
Have an awesome week dear friend,
xoxo Karen:)
Is it possible to enjoy Scotch whisky and still maintain a healthy liver? I just love Scotch so much, I’m worried I’ll have to give it up. At the same time I don’t want to sacrifice my health for it. Just wondering what your thoughts are, thanks (this is a serious question).
Richard,
I have looked long and hard at this issue. It is really up to you and your doctor to draw that line. If you have cirrhosis, any alcohol can create fibrosis. I personally would not, but if you have hcv, it would even be more risky. I never drank even wine until my late 40s, and not much then, so it is not an issue. I do sympathize with you.
Some of my favorite recipes call for liqueur. I make a great tiramisu and some chicken dishes with brandy or rum. After thorough looking at it, I no longer even cook with alcohol. My liver is shot though and I have no wiggle room there. So I’ll never have german chocolate cake with baileys in the recipe again. Bummer.
The things we do for our health…
Go with your doctor’s advice on this one. He may approve. And thanks for stopping by.
xo Karen
Karen, you realize that when you cook with Alcoholic beverages such as wine or beer batter, you high sear it above 173 degrees Fahrenheit compared with 212 degrees Fahrenheit. This evaporates the alcohol and causes a “reduction” (google that term if you’re not familiar)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cooking_with_alcohol
For example, if you roasted a pork tequila roast at the temperature of 212 F for 2 hours, you’d be left of 5% alcohol content. Lets do some math
Tequila ranges up max to 60 to 70 proof (30-40 % alcohol) . Consider the amount you’re using to baste, which is usually a cup. That equates to roughly 2 full shots. A shots volume is 35 ml. Double that we come out with 70 ml. Calculate the amount left after basting (5% of 35 proof alcohol at 75 ML)
It’s less than a sip of beer.
As a high-end cuisine chef, I’d appreaciate it if you’d do some fact checking and researching before calling alcohol the devil
Hello there! Welcome. I think Karen is referring to drinking alcohol not cooking with it. You do make a good point and I will share this information. Thank you for stopping by, Dee
This makes me feel better.,I had to go to ER with Spleen & liver pain but ER dr told me after running tests that there’s no reason I should be hurting, I have end stage liver disease. I contracted hepatitis C virus from a blood transfusion in1969, have fatty liver & non alcohol cirrhosis. I wanted to tell the doctor “well I guess all the other doctors were lying when they told me it was not abnormal for my liver and spleen to hurt with end-stage liver disease” but I didn’t because she was young and very opinionated. And had terrible bedside manner. I’ve been dealing with liver disease 19 years. My husband & I have moved a lot so I’ve experienced so many different doctors from so many different places and they’re just as human as we are & they make mistakes too. so glad I found this article, I don’t feel so alone now:)
JoAnne,
I’m so glad you feel better. It’s validating to know that other people experience the same thing. One of the doctors at the transplant hospital is the one who told me about the different ways the liver can experience pain. I too had been told that the liver does not feel pain. Like you, I KNEW better.
It is easy to doubt yourself when you don’t feel well. The last thing we need is to feel belittled by someone who should be encouraging us.
There is no excuse for bad bedside manner. I’m prone to pop off and tell someone they are in the wrong line of work if they aren’t very nice. It sounds like you have had a lot of experience and use more wisdom than that. You are right, you know. Realize that doctors and nurses are just human too. Give them a little grace.
I love to hear from a new Best Friend. You are never alone hunnyo. If you ever need anything or have any concerns, keep me in mind. I’ll keep you in my heart and prayers. Okay!
xo Karen:)
thank you for such informative article:) and well i really need your help i suffer from this live pain! it’s a pain in the right side under my ribs and sometimes even under liver near the kidney and i made those tests cbc, urine, liver functions and kidney functions and everything seems to be fine! and i even got everything checked by ultrasound 3 times and tested my blood sugar and everything looks fine too! the doctor said it’s just colon gas as many doctors told me before because im stressed! i do have a lot of bloating and even postural problems which and im already working hard to fix my posture! and this pain comes sometimes when i do abs exercises and some certain moves so i believe it’s maybe muscles! but what do you think? do i have to make more tests ? i think this pain made me so hypochondriac 🙁 im 22, an athletic and two years ago i got really sick and took a lot of meds which made me think that my liver is damaged and that stupid thoughts keeps coming back on my mind 🙁 so please tell me should i stop worrying ??
Raul,
I’m glad that the article was reassuring for you! If your doctor has run all of the tests, then they have ruled out many things. I think you are wise to continue to ask questions and research. Pain is a sign that something is wrong.
It would be great if you discover that it is only your posture, or perhaps your colon like your doctor mentioned. Not to alarm you, but I had also reached a point where I felt like a hypochondriac! I kept bugging those doctors. I wish I had bugged them more and got the Hep C test. That may be the one test you could suggest to your doctor. The ultrasound is pretty revealing and would have shown any grave problems. That is good news.
I would continue to work on the posture and exercises. You are young and your body sounds very strong. Do you do any yoga postures? They may seem to be easy, but can actually stretch and work muscle groups that exercise does not. I believe I posted a youtube on the website about that. I plan on making one just for this reason, because that does seem to stretch the area around my liver and give relief.
I hope you will follow up with me and let me know what you found out.
Worrying? I always say that worry is when we are concerned about the future or stressed about the past. It is normal. We can try to be proactive about what we are doing this very moment. Do what you can about any situation. You are doing that! Let go of yesterday. Don’t move to tomorrow in your thoughts too much. It can rob you of the joy in this moment. You are alive, breathing, and taking care of your body.
Thanks for stopping by to comment. I always appreciate feedback.
xo Karen:)
Hi Karen,
I haven’t spoken to you in awhile. I was on the 12 week treatment, (trial), with Inf/Riba/ and Sovaldi, (stupid name). Anyway…this past week I received the 12 week post-treatment results, and I am supposedly “cured”. This blog is fitting because I still have all the same symptoms, (some more pronounced). I will be seeing a new, and better, I hope, doctor, in a few weeks, (if I can hold out that long). Just wanted to say hello and tell you that news.
Enjoyed the blog and video on the hand yoga – you should post a video on how to open the OJ in the morning 🙂
Hope things are well with you.
Wilson
Hi Wilson!
Soooo glad to hear you finished and huge congrats on the SVR! Now. Time to heal, right? It will be interesting to see how your liver enzymes do now. Are you having liver pain? What other symptoms are you having? Yeah. The hand yoga really works. I’m looking at a new keyboard too. If I make a video in the evening, I get fits of giggles. It’s just a funny thing to do. Are you talking about squeezing the OJ? You know me, I drink weird stuff. I’m on Pomegranate juice this week. lol.
It truly is great to hear that you finished and are getting that liver the rest it needs from the virus! What a miracle that crazy Sovaldi is! I don’t care what they call it! It works, right? xoxo to you dear one and keep checking in with me, KK? Karen:)
Hi Raul – and Karen and everyone…
I was positive I had damaged my liver from alcohol and vicodin. Many pain meds contain acetaminophen, which is very damaging to the liver… Combining the two is very risky.
I knew the exact day and time the pain started, what was happening etc. A very stressful day (in a long series of days/months) for me, moving elderly parents etc. I felt a sensation that later turned into pain.
Anyhoo, it was the first thing I mentioned when I got back to sobriety and had a physical. Lucky for me the nurse practitioner was able to diagnose (liver test came out fine): Acid. She prescribed zantac and I had to take it for several months.
I’m not sure of the anatomy of where bile is excreted into digestive tract, but it felt to me exactly how people describe liver pains. Of course, I had looked it up when I was self-diagnosing! She explained that I had a wound that needed to heal, basically an ulcer.
That’s it! I had been in a three-year relapse after 18 years of sobriety, so hadn’t had long, long term exposure to acetaminophen, but we should all be careful with aceteminophen. It’s added to painkillers to make it a little more difficult to get addicted, but looks like there will be some reform on that, because it’s a very dangerous substance in any quantity.
Watch your stress and fatty foods, of course… I really hope your pain turns out to be something benign like mine.
Laurel,
Acetaminophen is really hard on our organs for sure. My friends daughter had a back injury from a car wreck and took a lot for pain. In a few years her liver failed. That is how she died in the end. She got back on pills to relieve the pain and her new liver failed. At that time, I never dreamed that I had liver damage from the Hepatitis C virus.
The acid part intrigued me. I want to read up on it. One of my problems is stomach varices from portal hypertension. I take Omaprazole daily to keep stomach acid down. Not that I have problems, it’s just to prevent varices from bursting again. I am assuming you are referring to acid vs alkaline in your diet. It’s a subject that I’ve looked at for years, but even more so now.
Congrats on being sober now. It sounds like you are on track and helping your body heal. It’s never that easy, especially with the stresses of life. And yes, I watch those fatty foods girl! You know it! Thanks for taking the time to share. New information comes from friends helping each other. I really appreciate it!
Take care of yourself and keep in touch.
xo Karen:)
“I am assuming you are referring to acid vs alkaline in your diet.”
Yes, I forgot to mention that! Your stomach is supposed to be acidic, that’s why antacids (which are very alkaline) can work against balancing the stomach’s biology, and be very bad for one’s digestion problems.
Since I didn’t *know* I had acid, as the practitioner called it, I never took antacids! Very, very fortunate.
While I’m at it, I should also say I was self-diagnosing all along, and it took me so much longer to get the good news she gave me. I was very lucky to find one who got it right!
I don’t remember how I stumbled on this site – probably something to do with paternalistic medical professionals! I do a fair share of research on that subject, as I am interested in writing for advocacy, meaning better communication between professionals and patients.
I find people with serious medical problems to be especially brave and patient – on top of dealing with their own illnesses, they are often dealing with really technical people who sometimes aren’t very socially skilled.
This from Joanne said it all: “I wanted to tell the doctor “well I guess all the other doctors were lying when they told me it was not abnormal for my liver and spleen to hurt with end-stage liver disease” but I didn’t because she was young and very opinionated. And had terrible bedside manner. I’ve been dealing with liver disease 19 years.”
If that’s not the definition of patience, I don’t know what is, so kudos to you all.
Laurel,
I LOVE your heart. You are right on about people with liver disease or any illness. I have encountered some of the biggest hearted, stick with each other to the end folks on the planet through this website and my fb and google+ friends. My grandma was a nurse and I started out in nursing. Most people in the medical field are caring and compassionate. They’re just people like us with background knowledge and education regarding disease. They don’t have all the answers, but they try.
I posted your reply and took my sweet time about getting back. I’ve been a bit of a slug with down computer and now liver cancer. I’ve been cleaning up links and found this. PERFECT timings since I’m trying to be as alkaline as possible now with a cancer fighting diet. I didn’t know that about antacids. Good tip.
It sounds like you do a lot of interesting work. I’m glad we connected. This fall is different for me since I am unable to return to work till we get the whole cancer thing worked out. I had pain all night and am working on another pain blog. This is a popular one with readers because we live with it every day!
Thanks for stopping by!
xo Karen:)
Karen…thank you for your enthusiasm 🙂 The newest symptom is this weird sensation under my right backbone, like crawling, etc. Then there’s the usual k/nawing feeling in the liver area. (Also this nail condition that is referred to as Terry’s Half and Half, ever hear of it?).
Opening the Tropicana bottle was my reference, but after hearing a report on NPR that there is more in that 100% OJ than just orange juice, I may have to go the fresh squeezed organic oranges route. Can never be too careful, and I know it’s way better for me, (as are many things that can be improved on).
ps- How do I get my mug in that box?
Hope you’re doing ok.
Wilson
Good morning,
We have to stay enthusiastic don’t we Wilson? For real. I think we all need a good long massage. That crawling feeling is something I get too. I think it’s related to nerves. I’m jumping on this one quick this morning so I can leave for work. But I wanted to tell you that. I actually spent longer time in yoga this morning to try and tweak my back. Maybe a yoga video next. lol.
I gotcha on the oj. Let me think about the mug thang dear friend. Maybe it has to do with a google account? I have gmail and think maybe that is it. I hope your day is amazing…
Monday Monday. xo Karen:)
Wow! Thank you for being so honest and candid regarding your experiences. I have not been diagnosed with any disease yet, but, because of my heavy medication usage, I fear I am basically a ticking time bomb. I pray for you and all of the dear people that added to this informative, and actually inspiring, courageous post. We are all so fragile when it comes to our health, we never know when our time to fight for survival will come, but if, in the future, I get a chance to have an oppourtunity to fight a disease I would be greatful to have a “best friend” like you to lean on! 🙂
Chris,
I’m glad we connected. Your liver must be feeling it some pain, and I hope that this reassured you. It is a hard working organ and can keep going when we protect it. You are right! We just never know when tragedy will strike with out health. And you can always count on me to be your best friend. If you ever have a need, let me know. OK?
Lean on me,
xo Karen:)
My mom is suffering from chirrosis of liver but her test for hepatisis b And C r negative she was diganose with this disease 12 years back it is autoimmune disease but now liver is decompensated she want through banding in NOv 2013 . After that she got bleeding once in vomit and stool she was treated and sclerotharpy was done .She is okay now but sometimes get pains in stomach so she is is frightened of eating .We are under treatement of best gastero .What should i give my mother in whole day diet .When she will be relived from this stomach pain. She gets indigestion and goes for stool again and again. Can you help me she will be fine or not.
The liver pain can subside once it gets to a stage of being healthier. The very best advice I give for liver disease is to eat well. I have written a lot about low fat, healthy protein, bland fresh food, and eating small meals. Please read these articles! Click the “start here” button from the home page and also the recipes section.
You are wonderful to help your mother. It is very frightening to have such pain. Ask the doctor about an antacid that works in the blood stream. You can take them daily and it helps reduce stomach pain. It is hard to feel hungry when your stomach hurts.
For a quick note, this is what worked for me when I was at my worst: Oatmeal or whole grain cereals, toast, bananas, rice, sodium free vegetables and chicken. This helped me a lot and is still a big part of my daily diet.
Small meals work better and she can snack around all day to keep her stomach calm. The diarreah is something she could talk to her doctor about. I hope you get some good answers from the doctor. I also am hopeful that you gain some help from my advice. Always talk to doctor about her diet also.
My best to you dear one,
xo Karen:)
I’m a young single mum with hepc, the way i contracted it was so horrible I suffer ptsd from the rape, I can’t tell anyone I’m too scared, I’ve had pain all this year, I have a broken rib on the left side 7th rib down it could be that, but the pain goes to my left side aswell sometimes, and I think my gallbladder too, I’m so close with my doctor I’m scared to tell her because of judgmenthe, I made an excuse for a liver function test and it came back normal, I still feel like myliver is bad, and that I’ve left it untreated for so long now, I’m scared I’m near the end, would I produce a normal lft if my liver is chirrohsis I’m scared that’s the stage I’m at any help please
Oh honey, You’ve had a terrible time! I feel bad that you can’t even tell someone. You need to find a doctor who will help you.
1. A lot of the pain could be from the broken rib.
2. Liver function is great! That is a really good sign!
3. If you treat now, it will SAVE you from further damage.
Dear one, you are young and can be free of this. You can find someone to help with your child if you need it on treatment. Many young mothers have treated. The new drugs make it easy. Maybe you need to get some counseling. Is there a place where you could talk to a gentle soul who would help you find a doctor and a counselor? A pastor or priest maybe?
A lot of this low confidence is stemmed from the shame of rape. You have nothing to be ashamed of for that or the HCV. Help is available! Email me your city privately and I will follow up.
much love,
xo Karen:)
Hi Karen
I have pain in my right side for months now, somedays worse than other days.
I do have a problem with alcohol, I drink up to 16 beers in the evening before I go to bed. I am trying very hard now to take it slow and eventually want to stop completely, I feel that I am killing myself slowly and I still have young kids and a grand daughter that will be three 7 August 2014.
I havent been drinking since last Sunday and I must say that I do feel good during some days with more energy and stamina. I am a bad sleeper and I used alcohol to get me to sleep better just to wake up in the middle of the night lying awake for hours.
What is happening now is that I am so thirsty when I get home and even during the day that I drink up to 8Lts of water or soda if I have, I heard that this is also not good for my body and my kidneys might suffer now.
This pain that I feel gets worse as the day progresses, it is not too bad in the morning though.
What will be a good diet to follow to ease the pain in my side.
I have been warned by my doctor twice now that I have to stop drinking and about two weeks ago I went for a sonar on my liver and kidneys.
My kidneys seems to be functioning propperly, my liver is enlarged and the doctor told me that I do have a fatty liver too.
I havent gone back to my doctor that refered me with the results yet, too ashamed of myself, but I need to go back before it might be too late
Please help with all the info you can
Thanks
Hentie
Your post is very touching. I can see that you have faced your struggle with honesty. That is the first step. Let me share a personal story. My dad had alcoholic cirrhosis when my daughter was only 2 and was in a hepatic coma for weeks. He quit drinking and lived for another 17 years. That was a time of healing for all of us. A gift that he gave to me and to all of his other grandchilden that he had.
I’m so happy that you have traded the beer for water. That helps you to cleanse your body. It sounds like you are making sound decisions and will live a long life. Are you taking part in a 12 step or recovery program? I know the addiction is hard to deal with. You are doing it by will power. That is good, but maybe support can help. Reach out if you need it. Ok?
You sound young. What a wonderful gift you have been given… the chance to live a long life.
All my strength toward you in your future dear friend. I’m so very very proud of you. Thanks for the comments. I love the feedback. I write to “whoever” and it means a lot to hear your personal story of winning the battle.
Live long,
xo Karen:)
Hi again Karin
Thank for coming back to me with your lovely post
I am 49 and sometimes feels like 80 or more. Alcohol is my worst enemy, since my first post to you I failed a few times.
I am not familiar with the 12 step program and I am not in a support group
My son turned 18 twelfe days ago and did not stay around for me to spent time with him, he was very honest to me telling me what is the use of being around his father if he is always drunk and we dont get time to talk to each other. He traded me long ago for his friends and it hurts me that I did not spent enough time with him.
I married another lady after my divorse with my first wife and my kids were not happy with that. I started drinking after my divorse and things went downhill from there, this has been going on now for almost 6 years.
Winning this battle will be one of the greatest achievments in my life, I need support
Hentie
Hi Hentie!
Let’s not call it a failure. Let’s call it a set back, kk? And we all waller around in the mire at times in our lives It can be a muddy mess for sure. But once you begin to see clearly, it is easier to find your way out. Every day is a new beginning.
So you don’t think I’m just another chick who is typing out cheerful little notes, let me remind you about my dad. He loved his beer and went into a hepatic coma when he was in his 40’s. It was hard on us kids. Family ties were strained. But he quit drinking and lived almost 20 years after that. We watched him fight hard to stay sober, and he did.
I think a 12 step program can be a good thing. There are people who have been there and won the battle who can help you out. Email me your city and I’ll look up a group for you. I’ll check it and and give you the information. If you don’t wanna go, then I can also recommend some good books that will help you.
6 years is a long time. It’s your turn to make the rest of your life the BEST of your life,
xoxoxo Karen:)
I have to start by saying I loved reading this post and all of the comments!! I was diagnosed with fatty liver at 21 and I was not drinking before hand (I mean, I had tried alcohol but I didn’t see that as an issue not knowing I had fatty liver). Clearly after I turned 21 I drank and it was 3 months later I was at the doctor with all the typical signs you read about. It took several visits and tests; blood work (so. much. bloodwork.), sonograms and a biopsy which ultimately confirmed I had stage 2 cirrhosis. Apparently the fatty liver things had been going on for years and I had no clue. Because of my age the doctors I could tell thought I was lying about my drinking prior to turning 21 but it was the truth and the biopsy proved it. It took a total of about 8 months to figure all this out so to those who know something is wrong I say “stay diligent!!!”. Also, at the time I was 5’6″ at 168 lbs and was told to change my eating habits and lifestyle immediately if I didn’t want to “have a liver transplant by 24”. It scared the s*** out of me and I dropped to 128lbs in about 3-4 months. Now at 30 I rarely drink, could definitely be more diligent about eating better but for the most part do well and try to keep fit. I try to get my liver functions tested quarterly to make sure things are running smoothly, have had 2 biopsies and should be up for another next year. I too feel liver pain sometimes and yes it’s when I’ve slipped up and eaten something bad or had a drink. It’s all about maintenance and being in tune and aware of your body. It’s definitely not easy but you adapt. I’m so glad I stumbled upon this post! This is just fantastic to find people openly sharing these experiences!
Wow. Liver disease is so tricky. See, I am like you and never drank my first wine til I was 45. I had occasionaly glasses for the next few years. When my first doctor in the ER thought I was an alcoholic, my sisters were shocked because it was never my thing. Same with my diet. I ate fairly healthy most of my life. The months before my diagnosis, I had been on an Acai berry supplement drink and had also been eating a lot of Bleu Cheese. (High in sodium) I don’t mess with supplements, fat, or sodium now. It takes time to figure out what is causing your liver damage.
It’s sad that you found out so young, but it’s also a good thing in many ways. You can prevent further damage and know exactly what to watch for! You’re doing great on the follow ups and watching your P’s and Q’s. Some days I feel a little wah wah over it, but heck – what’s a donut hole compared to a healthy life?
I appreciate your comment. You just made my day. xoxo Karen:)
I ment broken rib right side I had pneumonia last year and was on prendisilone for 5months out of the year which has left me with lowbonedensity and lower right lung risidule scarring
Hay girl! I knew what you meant. Sometimes all get in a hurry and misspell or type it in wrong. I get you though. I’m a little concerned because now I’m on the transplant list and steroids are part of the drugs I will take to keep me from rejecting the new liver.
I hope you are feeling better and able to get out and enjoy a bit of your summer dear one. Post me a note from time to time.kk?
xo Karen:)
Hi Karen, I recently started having liver pains. I went to see the doctor and had an ultrasound done. As per my doctor I have inflammation of the liver. My liver enzymes were normal. I was taking the acai before this happened. I stopped taking it and I felt better. After a couple of weeks I decided to add the Acai to my smoothies and not I am having the discomfort in the liver area. I guess acai isn’t good for the liver. Maybe just for some. Hope you are doing well.
I’m SOO with you on that. The year my liver failed was when Acai was all the rage. I was drinking it, eating it, and even using supplements for energy. My doc took me off all the supplements I was taking.
You’re wise to see the correlation between the pain and I’m so glad you shared this information. Maybe it can help other readers!
Thank you! xo Karen
Thank you Karen. I appreciate your passion for helping others. God Bless you. Eddie
I forgot to mention, but I am supplementing with dandelion root, milk thistle, Vitamin E, and Curcumin. I just ordered some Trimethylglycine (TMG), which is supposed to be great for the liver. Good thing that the liver is an amazing organ that can regenerate itself. Thanks
Hi Karen,
I must say your writing is very cute… I started reading the article when I had this sharp shooting pain below my rib cage today.. you very rightly said that”Most of us didn’t even know where our liver is before we get sick. ” I quickly surfed the net and saw loads n loads of anatomical images and figured what is paining is actually my liver.. However, i was soooo scared that I started to look online for reasons why my liver is paining and lots of surfing later,I see this article so beautifully put together with all the probable reasons why it would pain.. I guess some time later I realized it was only gas or maybe a bad posture.. but thanks for giving these causes as no one else would mention something as simple as a bad posture or gas as a probable reason for pain.. I just wanted to thank you for writing this article to help me move on when all the bad thoughts surrounded me for liver damage and NASH and fatty liver syndrome.. I am fat because I eat a lot of fatty food and because of this one incident I am taking yup gym from tomorrow.. take care..
Oh you make me laugh. Yes, it’s so easy to look at the internet and get all worked up. Haha! I’m glad that my humor gave you some comfort instead of the usual scaries that we associate with unknown symptoms.
I’m really happy that you are gonna take that healthy liver of yours and work out! Now I’m totally smiling. It’s kind of like thinking you’re gonna die, and then you don’t. YOU just got a new lease on life. Enjoy it sweetie.
Thanks for dropping by,
Karen:)
What medications are used to treat hepatitis b and do they cause any weight gain at all
The virus can go away by itself within a matter of weeks. You can still be a carrier of it and have no symptoms. There are several anti-viral medications that are used with the interferon.It is not really a cure, can help. I do not think there is any weight gain with the treatment. Good luck. Talk to your doctor, ok? Take care of yourself, xo Karen:)
I have liver pain and I still don’t know what to eat to make it feel better. I cannot have ANY dairy so yogurt is out.
I’ve been having liver pain lately since getting the chemo procedure. You know what? I’ve been going back to the oatmeal, toast, and protein shake. I use coconut oil on the toast and to sweeten up my oats and it really calms me down when I’m in pain.
Another thing you can do is try is some plant based protein! Sometimes the whey is hard on people’s stomach, but it is found in a lot of shakes and also protein bars!
I hope this helps. There are always ways to get around a dairy intolerance. So glad to see your post! xoxo Karen:)
What does it mean when you’re liver all of a sudden feels a little weird or sometimes pain
I’m feeling that right now. I believe that our liver is constantly in the process of doing it’s job of sorting, warehousing, and redistributing food and nutrients for our body. If the live is diseased, it can create stiffness or pressure while doing that.
Maybe give your doctor a call?
xo Karen:)
I am a bit afraid, actually, really afraid. I have abused pain killers for about a year now on and off. While I was always aware of the acetaminophen and tried to filter it out, I think I have damage.
I have Completely stopped drinking. I try to drink a gallon a day of water and eat healthy. I do also have a few colon problems so iam praying it is gas or something.
I have had every test almost possible due to a pain in my right side. Every single test has came back with nothing wrong. I had hyda, ultra scan, scope Down the throat, 2 ct scans and many blood tests. My doctor is excellent.
Still, this pain I have had it 8months on and off. It drives me crazy thinking I am going to die. I swear it’s my liver and my doctor Told me to give it a rest. Maybe I should but it is nagging me.
The pain moves from the bottom of the liver to under my chest, around to my side, stops and just hasn’t went away for about 1 month now.
My question is, since it isn’t bad enough show up on blood work and other tests even if it is my liver, is there still time for me to reverse it? I am only 29 and have my whole life to live. I want to marry my girlfriend, have kids and not be ill.
Oh dear one, YES! You are young and have plenty of time to live your life. I must caution you NOT to take pain relievers. My daughter lost a dear friend to liver disease who was your age. I am SO proud of you for taking this seriously.
Now about those labs and tests. If your doctor says that the labs are good and your scans do not show liver damage, YOU are in great shape. The scope proved no varices. That is good news too! So there is no end stage cirrhosis happening. I keep reading that the stage 1 and 2 are possible to reverse. 🙂
I’m not an expert, but I know that liver pain is something that I still experience. I am wondering if it may just be God or the Universe giving you a reminder of how precious your life is and also reminding you to take care of that liver. It is like a second chance for you!
Begin using some stretches to open up your abdominal area. My husband is doing some workout on DVD that has stretches and he actually likes them! (I find that guys don’t all love yoga, but will stretch if we don’t call it that). The reason I say that is because getting good blood flow into your gut area is always good. If there are nerve endings that are pinched, it will open them up.
IMPORTANT. Last but def not least, if you continue to feel pain, take all of your results to another doctor for a second opinion. They are your records and you have a right to have them in your possession. Honestly, I knew something was wrong for a few years before my diagnosis and went to a doctor who did not detect it. I wish I had been more insistent.
I hope you will keep in touch with me. Once you’ve become a Best Friend on the site, I will always keep you in my heart and prayers.
Sending much love,
xo Karen:)
Alcohol will devalue any stability in your life. If you dont get straigtened out you will see damage.
Thank you for sharing. I totally agree that alcohol can increase liver damage and will DEF give you more liver pain. Hang in there and keep in touch, ok?
xo Karen:)
Hi Karen,
I have been experiencing all of the above, with breathing problems at times, yet everyone tells me there is no pain I should be feeling in my liver. I feel like I’m slowly going crazy. I have Hep C and in August I started getting these pains in the areas you have reference. You have explained the pain but, why do I have problems breathing at times? The doctors look at me like I am crazy.
That makes me mad when they look at us like we’re crazy. I actually had a doctor tell me that enlarged spleen, liver, and/or ascites can all cause shortness of breath. The other organs CAN be pressing on your lungs.
The minute you get undetected on the virus, the inflammation will begin to go away. I hope that you will be able to treat for the virus and your liver will begin to heal. I hope this helps.
Eat well sweet love,
xo Karen:)
A resent CAT scan showed my liver size to be 17.6 cm is this bad?
I think that is slightly enlarged. Usually about 12-14 cm seems to be what I remember. That only means that your spleen is hoarding platelets. I am wondering if you platelet count is low. It will say PLT on your lab work.
Sadly, this is kind of normal for ESLD. It can also create some pain in your upper left quadrant. I hope that your doctor can give you some reassurance.
Hey,
I stumbled across your webpage looking up ‘if the liver can hurt when sitting down’ and your post truly made me feel so much better about so many things. I’m 20 years old and I have liver cirrhosis due to Wilson’s Disease. I always feel pain on my right side and i always feel like I’m going to have a liver failure. I even talk to my liver too haha.
Your post really put my mind at ease and I’m so glad I’m not the only one experiencing these things.
Thank you!
Lauren
Lauren, First of all I love your name. It’s used a lot in my family. I’m so sorry to hear that you have cirrhosis at such a young age. It is easy to be afraid when you have to be so careful all the time.
You are NOT alone in this. As a matter of fact this is my most read post for almost a year now. Thank you so much for the feedback. It’s good to know that the information is still relevant. Liver pain is liver pain no matter what our age or cause of liver disease.
I’m sending warm love and holiday joy to you. I’m happy that you are researching and keeping up with your liver disease. You can live a long life and yours has just begun!
xo Karen:)
Hi Karen,
First of all I find you from Your writings to be so brave and positive.
I came across your blog just by googling different things about the liver. I am 28 yrs old and in my past have been drinker. Defiantly more than I should have until I became pregnant with my baby girl. She just turned one
Whitney
I’m glad you were able to find some good words to help you move into the new year. You are just on the brink of life sweetie. I’m smiling as I write this remembering when my daughter was that age. Seeking to grow mentally, spiritually and also eating well will add so much value to your life. Chase your dreams sweetie!
xo Karen:)
Hey Karen thanks for responding to my comment. For some reason it was cut off. Since I’ve had my baby ive cut back on drinking. But in August I started having pain. I had blood work LFTS and ultrasound. All came back normal. Then had hida scan. Gallbladder functioning at 36% was referred to gastro. Had endoscopy normal. Referred me to surgeon to get gallbladder out. LFTS at surgeon were normal. Had surgery in sept. Still having pain but surgeon says this is normal. Haven’t drank anything since surgery. Now I have a knot that has come up and noticed it when I was holding my baby on that side and more pronounced when holding her on that side. I’m have really bad anxiety and I’m so worried that drinking before getting pregnant has done something to my liver. Surgeon and primary dr says the knot they believe is muscle related. LFTS done again and all were Normal. Surgeon says bilirubin slightly elevated but that is normal with someone having just had gall bladder out. Seeing my GI dr in couple of weeks. Just so worried that I have cirrhosis or something wrong. Pain has gotten better lately since been taking my Prilosec regulary but this hard knot is scaring me
I have total respect for people’s fears. Now that I’ve said that – Girl, you’ve gotta work on this. Most of the stuff we worry about never happens anyway. Besides, fear itself is an enemy of your health. Think about the word disease. Dis – ease. Not at peace. It really shows up in your gastro system too.
Keep taking your Prilosec and find a way to work on your fears. I hope you read what I’ve written about the subject. I have battled anxiety in my life and have a lot of tools that work for me. As a young woman, if you gain some insight into what is causing the fear and strategy to help you combat them, you will have a much more peaceful life.
Start your day with a quiet time and a journal, or devotion type book. Sit quietly and listen to your fears. Then see them for what they are: just thoughts. Those thoughts have no power over your life. Find a book that is filled with loving phrases and read them to yourself or put them on sticky notes around the house. Say them out loud! Let me know how you do with this. kk sis? Love love love, Karen
Karen, one other question – I am currently experiencing the mild pain off and on, but I’m also experiencing a similar yet smaller pain on the left side, in the back of my ribs. Have you ever experienced anywhere else? I ask because I had forgotten that I feel some sort of swelling and inflammation other locations when I have the pain in the side. I am starting to wonder if isn’t a food allergy causing inflammation but it only comes with the pain that flares up initially from sugar and fats.
Yes, and I believe that pain can radiate out to other areas. The way our organs are all packed into our chest, it’s no wonder that discomfort in many areas.
Maybe try the elimination diet to figure out what you are allergic to. Google allergy elimination diet and it should give instructions for that. My daughter has done that with my granddaughter. It really helps. Dropping one thing at a time is best because if you drop 2 and don’t have the symptom, you won’t know for sure. Good luck!!!
Thank you very much for a very informative and easy-to-understand document. I am a 24 yr old male who works 40 hour weeks construction so that I can afford to have fun on the weekends and I started having this pain a month ago. It started out very light pain so I thought it was just the stress on my body and back from work, but woke up this morning after a massage from last night and the pain was not only still there but hurts more now. Yes, my fun on the weekend includes liquor or at least did. Now that I understand what can happen I will be visiting a doctor soon and will find out if I have to quit drinking completely or lighten the load. Again, thank you so much for explaining what I believe is the cause of my pain and giving me advice on how to help if it is what I think it is.
You bet! You’re very smart to research how to help yourself and get some medical advice as well. Since you are a construction worker, I assume you’re in great shape. Your youth and smart choices will insure that you live a long time. I’m believing that your liver is fine and you will have a wonderful New Year!
Thanks for dropping by,
xo Karen:)
I have been diagnosed with “mild fatty infiltration” of the liver. I did NOT have it on ultrasound in November 2013, but in November of 2014 I did. I have pain in the right liver area and it at times stretches around to my back. I have used Vicodin for the last year due to a chronic problem but never in excess of 650 MG daily, and some days not at all. I have stopped drinking alcohol completely (2-3 times in 2014 I drank and none lately). I am scared to death as I am 32 and have my first child to live for who is 1 month. She is my whole world. I have stopped the Vicodin completely now and I have began to eat as healthy as I can possibly do and cut portions down. I am taking milk thistle, and exercising twice as often as before the past few weeks. My doctor I just saw 2 days ago reviewed everything with me and said if it was him he would not reccomend biopsy and that at the level of usage of my acetominephen it should not have caused my fatty liver. (my last LFT were in normal range at 47 ALT.). Never been so scared in my life. I am scared to death I am dying. I think poor eating, lots of sugars and toxins from battling a chronic illness (Lyme disease and epstein barr) helped give me fatty liver.
I appreciate finding your positive writing. Do you think I’m gonna be ok and can I reverse this to live my life and be there for my little girl or is it too late for me? The pain and occasional nausea has me scared. I also had this pain in November 2013 when ultrasound showed no fatty liver and it went away after weeks and weeks of no medications or supplements. Please God let me be okay not for me but for my daughter.
Congratulations on making so many positive changes. It sounds like you are staying on top of your health care. You’re listening to your doctor and researching for positive outcomes.
Mild fatty infiltration or any liver disease is not a death sentence. It can be a wake up call for you to continue making changes. You can live a long life sweetie and watch your baby girl grow up. These young years of motherhood are some of the most precious times in your life. I know she is a joy to you.
Fear hard to deal with. You deserve a peaceful mind. I write a lot about mental and emotional health. I think it s is a big part of our healing. As we grow and change our thought patterns, our body gets an immune boost as well! https://www.ihelpc.com/about-2/best-friends-start-here/
Congratulations on a new year to begin with your sweet family. Keep in touch, ok? You ARE a best friend. xo Karen:)
Hi, I came across this blog the same as many others. I have pain in my right side ribs. Have had an ultrasound on my gallbladder, but they found nothing. I have atrophic hashimotos thyroiditis. It is an autoimmune disease that attacked my thyroid. I was 29 when It was found thru a physical exam. About 3 years ago I had a nasty cough during the winter. It lasted what seemed like forever. But i think was around 4-6 months. I couldn’t sleep and I coughed so hard my ribs would hurt!! Shortly after the cough ended, I woke up with pain in my right side, I was sleeping on that side. It scared me so of course I went looking on the “net” about it. I found that gallbladder disease is often associated with thyroid disease. Which really scared me. But since the dr found nothing. I went searching other reasons. It does seem to get better after I pass gas or have a bowel movement. So I wonder sometimes if it is just ibs. I can not lay on my right side most nights or I wake up with it hurting. So I don’t really know what to think. I take probiotics and that really helps. But If I forget My Body Let Me Know. A post I just read on here said that her mother had a liver problem that was an autoimmune disease. And that got me thinking maybe that’s what’s going on with me. Cause where there is one autoimmune disease there is likely to be another :/
I praise God for the life he has given me and how He has taken care of me. I have had a tramatic brain in jury , in which I shouldn’t have lived thru. But God saw fit to save me. And this strange thyroid disease that I live with everyday and try hard to understand. But thru it all God has blessed me with a beautiful family, a wonderful husband and two of the most amazing children ever! ! ( i might b a little biased) lol. All that said I just want to figure out what this is with my right side. It is really annoying. And cause a bit of worry. Although I know God will get me thru it:) thx for ur blog and for caring about others!! U r a true warrior for Christ!!
Thanks for dropping by the blog! I always appreciate feedback and know that it helps others too. With ibs and autoimmune disease, you’ve really got a to play Sherlock Holmes to find out the reason for so many problems.. like pain. I really love the way that you approach your illness. 1. By trusting God 2. By finding joy in your family 3. Having a heart of gratitude and 4. By researching.
Having a great relationship with a doctor and finding good medical care is important, but you’ve discovered the keys to living with lifelong chronic illness. I wish you all the best while you continue to look for reasons for your pain. If there is ever anything I can do to help, please let me know. I’m glad you’re a best friend in the battle. xoxo Karen:)
You aren’t my best friend because you just ignored my comment
I’m going to go look for it now. Soo sorry. I’ve been a bit low in energy and getting caught up. Maybe you’ll change your mind. xo
Hi I have been having a pain on my right side, yes had an ultra sound for Gallblader, but it was clear. Then Had pain in my lymph node areas (neck,under arms, and behind knees) so doc did a CT scan. Lymph stuff came back fine, but they found a “Spot” on my liver. I realized this is where I have been having pain. So Doc is hopeful it is a hemangioma, and has nothing to do with cancer. I have a MRI tomorrow, but am so scared I am having bad anxiety tonight. Any words of wisdom, or experience?
I’m a little late getting caught up. I hope your procedure went smooth. Will you post back and let me know what the doctor found? Peace and love coming at you right now. xo Karen:)
I have found your article somewhat reassuring. But what does it mean when you say end-stage liver disease? It’s not life threatening if you act on it now? Because the word end-stage in itself is pretty scary.
https://www.ihelpc.com/what-are-the-4-stages-and-symptoms-of-cirrhosis/
End Stage can sound scary. It is serious, but I found that there were some things I could do to gain control. I hope you find the site helpful and let me know what you think of the blog on the different stages of cirrhosis. kk? xo Karen:)
Wow. You probably just solved my problem after two years and thousands of dollars. I felt pai on that side, but it was vague and I did not know what caused it. I have other health issues from years of eating poorly, though I am young. They immediately said appendicitis and made me go through a lot of scans. Nothing seemed wrong. I ended up going to various doctors and having various scans done. In the end, I opted to get an appendectomy just to relieve my fear and so I could plan to have a second baby without the fear of that thing exploding over my head.
When I got pregnant, I began eating healthier. I went almost the whole pregnancy without that pain until the end where I started eating poorly and it came back. I didn’t know what it was but I figured I had it pegged at least and I probably wasn’t going to die from it since they had done so many tests and even took pictures of my organs and didn’t find anything.
I been eating poorly lately and had the pain came back. For the millionth time I google the human anatomy and then I saw again, that only the liver was left on that side for the most part. I googled can my liver feel pain and came here. I have the same symptoms you do, but I’m 26 and I had diagnostic surgery and an endoscopy. I do have a friend who eats excellently who has a fatty liver with no symptoms.
But I am thinking maybe I should go back to my gastro and ask her for liver labs? By the end of it, they had suspected I was crazy so I’m reluctant to go back..wouldn’t they have fund this in blood work and diagnostic surgery if it were my liver? But it does only swell when I eat badly and not conveniently when I’m at the doctor…sigh…Appreciate all your information and help.
Do you think I need to see a doctor about this or just manage it? And no hep or anything, they would have found when I did tests for this last pregnancy. Thanks.
It’s so frustrating to have pain and now know why. I sure understand being misdiagnosed. My doctors thought I was a loon – until they found Hepatitis C. I swear I thought that my pain and shortness of breath would get worse when I was taking a bath with Bath and Body Works. They really thought I was coo coo for cocoa puffs. Turns out my liver was failing and any toxin that I inhaled or put on my skin would set my liver off trying to filter it.
I would ask if the doctor had run tests for gall bladder and liver. Did they ever talk about a gall bladder attack? It’s in that same area and can create a lot of pain that is meal time related. A gastro is usually pretty thorough with those tests and try to rule them out first. Have you considered diet? Like celiac or irritable bowel? Maybe a gluten intolerance? A lot of people are finding that changing diets and eating less processed food helps with gastro health in general and pain specifically. Let me know how it goes, and read about my fermented cabbage. Probiotics may be the key? You didn’t say if you had normal bms. Look for clues there..
xoxo Karen:)
Thanks so much for the quick and thorough reply. I also have chemical sensitivities and thyroid issues that get worse when I inhale then. My bowels are normal and I have been tested for gluten intolerance. I can’t recall if they tested for celiac but I do believe gluten makes the pain act up, but it is only when I eat vast amounts of gluten. Like this most recent pain triggered after eating a lot of white read crescent rolls which I know I shouldn’t eat due to my adrenal issues. I looked into the gallbladder but they took pictures of my gallbladder during my surgery and said it looked fine. I definitely know that at least in my case the pain can be managed by staying away from simple carbs, loads of gluten, sugars and too much fat but I’m still a little worried if I should look into it any further. In the meantime I’m definitely going to take a look at all the information you have provided here. It probably comes coincides with foods I’m supposed to eat anyway.
I think gluten is more of a problem than most people realized. My daughter has a lot of stomach issues and I’ve got her researching it now. It’s a bit of a struggle at first to rearrange your kitchen to a new menu. But I’ve done it gradually over the years. Then I had to make some adjustments when I was diagnosed.
See, I found out when I was a teen that I was born with 1 kidney. That scared me and set me toward a lifetime of eating healthy. I love pizza and cheeseburgers. I make a mean home made onion ring. But for the most part, I have cooked healthy for 40 years. Keep me posted on how you do with this. I”m working on a diet plan right now!
xo K
I am so freaking out reading things on the internet…I had my gallbladder removed one year ago..I had major pain on my right side. Well it never really stopped. I believe it’s my liver. I drink too much for sure..I weight 120 and drink 2-6 beers a day.
I’m having bloating and pain under my right ribs and my back. I don’t have other symptoms like jaundice or dark urine..
So how long do these flare ups last? I’ll be fine for a few days then have pain..
I have an appointment Wednesday to get my blood test to check my levels. My fear is obviously cirrhosis..I’ve had this type of pain for years. I thought having my gallbladder out would make a big difference. I don’t know what to take for the pain. They describe fatty liver and a mild dull achy pain. Am I just a cry baby or what??
No more alcohol for me. I’m just afraid of the extent of the damage I’ve caused to myself. Makes you feel like a total idiot.
Thanks for reading..btw..stop mentioning donuts! Makes me hungry!
Lyla,
You sound a lot like me! I hope that you’ve had your blood labs done and will catch me up. No. You’re NOT a crybaby. Well… maybe. haha. But truthfully, liver pain is scary and I”m glad you’re getting it checked out. As for the drinking… if you’ve got fatty liver or anything else than is causing inflammation it’s best to stop. Drinking with liver disease is like throwing gasoline on a fire.
Please don’t dwell on damage done. That’s all in the past. You have a great future ahead of you and by making good choices… you can do anything!!!
xo Karen
Hi Karen, thank you for all your great insight. You are very helpful to people reading these articles. Anyway I have been having pain in my ruq off an on for past 10 years. I am 34 now but first went to doctors at 24. I have had at least 6 tests on my liver enzymes all normal levels. Neg for hep c 2 tests at different times and also 1 neg hep pcr qual. Been tested for hep b 3 x twice when I got hep c tests and one time because I switched docs and couldn’t find the 1 result so they re did it. Hep b neg but positive anti body’s doc said I was either vaccinated or beat it but not infected. Also had a hbv DNa test which was neg. I also had an ultrasound-normal,ct scan, normal and 2 colonoscopy’s – normal. My question is could this be hepatitis or my liver? Can I ask for a liver biopsy to be sure? I did have a hepatitis exposure through heterosexual sex and my dad and uncle both had hep c.
Nick,
I don’t really understand how the testing positive for antibodies works as opposed to the full blown virus. You have obviously seen the devastating effects from your dad and uncle are are super vigilant to make sure you don’t have it.
Let me say that it is RARELY transmitted through sex. I have a blog on that and you can find it here.https://www.ihelpc.com/sex-and-hepatitis-c/
Also, my dear friend Lucinda Porter has written about the antibody thing. She’s got this down pat. Check out her website.
http://www.lucindaporterrn.com/the-difference-between-the-hepatitis-c-virus-and-its-antibody/
Let me know if I can be of help! xo Karen
Thanks for quick response. I guess what I was trying to ask was can I ask for a liver biopsy from my doctor even though only real symptom I have is pain? And are the blood tests for hepatitis b and c accurate > 6 months since exposure. And for update my uncle moved to Florida and is currently waiting for a liver transplant and before moving there he did clear hepc. He is the strongest person I know. I may have to tell him to check your articles out
Thanks Nick and I hope the videos can encourage your uncle as he moves forward with his transplant. We’re in the same boat. As for the accuracy, any lab can make a mistake, but it’s rare. I would NOT hesitate to push for annual retesting though. Your doctor would probably have to have some lab results to justify the biopsy with the insurance company. If you’re labs are good, you can assume it’s all good if you don’t have HCV.
Just an observation: Another friend has had hcv for 20 years and doctor told her she was fine to wait for treatment. She had a biopsy last week and found out she was stage 4 cirrhosis. The symptoms can be sneaky because they are hidden.
So what does that mean? I would ask for a second test for hcv in 6 months. I made my family get it done twice just to be sure. That is not an unreasonable request. Then if you do not have it, go from there with your pain.
Does this make sense?
xo Karen:)
Also I have only tested neg for anti hcv. I have tested positive for antibody for HBv but negative for he sag. Sorry if what I wrote was confusing. This is still new and confusing at times for non medical personnel lol
I know, right? It’s so hard to figure all of this out.
I have sharp pain in my liver and sometimes I feel bloating. I’ve been going thru this for like 4 months off and on. It scares me.
Joe,
I’m happy to see that you are researching about your health needs. That’s super smart! When you are in pain it IS scary business and you can find scary stuff on the internet too.
Bloating can be caused by anything from too much fiber all the way to ascites. Same with pain in the liver area. I wonder if you have talked to a doctor about this?
Get some blood work done and see if any further testing is needed. Don’t put it off…. I know how you guys are, but this could be serious, so just do it! kk?
xo Karen:)
I found your blog very interesting because I’m concerned with my pain too. I was diagnosed with hepatitis b because my mother passed down to me. I didn’t realize it until I went to the doctors this year. I went got my blood work done and everything came out normal. I even did an ultrasound which can back normal as well. But it’s just weird how the pain on my upper right quadrant would just ache from time to time. Especially standing up. I feel pressure sleeping on my right side. I workout out 5 days a week. I maintain a good weight and diet. I also feel tired because of this pressure on my side. Sometimes I feel like giving up on my daily activities because of it. What is happening to me? I’m only 23 years old trying to become a medical doctor in the future. I have my mother and sisters to support. I just feel like I won’t have a future. I’ve been quitting alcohol and trying my best to quit smoking. Occasionally I would drink alcohol on holidays but not to the extreme. I just don’t get with all the test results being normal but I have somewhat symptoms of it.. sometimes I judge my pee color too on why it’s getting goldish yellow. Please any advice… I’m desperate.
Hi Richard,
It’s a good thing that your ultrasound and labs were normal. Are you seeing a hematologist? Hepatitis b can lead to cirrhosis just like Hepatitis C can. I don’t know a lot about it, but this website has some info and it’s a reputable site that I write for.
http://www.hepmag.com/articles/2511_18748.shtml
The pain is really confusing. I am wondering what other tests were performed. You are very young, but if you’ve had the virus since birth, there could be a need for a second opinion from another doctor perhaps.
Urine color itself can be different based on water intake and even vitamins. Taking good care of yourself with exercise, not smoking or drinking and keeping active in your education is really beneficial! You sound like a wonderful son and brother and your family is blessed to have you. BUT you need to take care of yourself. Really – ask for a second opinion.. ok?
Thanks so much for stopping by!
xo KarenL)
hello my name is nicky, i was dignosed with hep c back in 2013 i have never really got treatment… now it has gottin bad at least that what i think a few weeks back i went in er for temp of 102.2 they gave me fluds and sent me home said my liver imzinws were high..ok i have not stoped hurting it in my right rib cage it comes and gos thru out the day….my pee is darker then normal my eyes have just a lil touch of yellow not bad…i have no dr i need to no if i should seek the er or what please im scared
Hi Nicky,
Yes! Go to the ER and get started. You need a primary care doctor to help you oversee getting treatment. Your liver enzymes are high and they didn’t do anything to get you a follow up visit? Tell them you need to talk to a patient advocate. Hook up with my Facebook groups. There are caring friends all over the country who can tell you who to contact to get support for this. Look me up: Ihelpc Karen or Karen Hoyt. Add me as a friend and you can meet others who have gotten help with the medical care system.
Thank you for stopping by. Hay, listen – there are so many new drugs available now that can treat your HCV. Then you can begin to heal and get stronger.
I’ll be looking for follow up. xoxo You’re not alone buddy. Karen:)
i will do thanks so much for the advice
Hi, your article is wonderful and I look forward to reading everything else you have written 🙂 I found out I had hepc the day my son was born. The pediatricians assistant came to do the rounods late that night and told me to tell my son’s regular pediatrician that I have hepc. I laughed and told her she was wrong. well she was right, but my ob never told me I had hepc. He said he assumed I knew. I have no idea how i got it. I also have fatty liver. I had an ultrasound last month because ofor liver pain. My liver is 17.5cm and I have portal hypertension. It’s going to be about a year before I can get in to see a specialist. I have to lose weight before I can even have treament. I need to lose about 100lbs. I have genotype 1a. I am very scared I won’t be able to lose the weight and they would take treat me. My dr has asked if I have considered gastric bypass. I don’t want to do that, but if it’s necessary to get treatment I will. My son has to have his blood test soon since he is now 2 years old. I am so scared he will have it also. I have heard it is rarely passed to babies. Do you think that is true? So sorry to ramble, just very scared.
Rachel,
Hi and welcome to the best friends guide. Wow! The happiest day of your life, and also probably the hardest day of work in your life – then to get the news that you have hepatitis c. What a blow! It sounds like your son is doing great. Let me encourage you with the fact that it is RARE for it to be passed through childbirth. I’ve known a lot of women who waited on that test and worried about it though. I’m certain you will get good news!
As for the treatment and dealing with fatty liver and weight loss. That is going to be a radical lifestyle change for you! When you don’t feel good and you have to try and lose weight and care for a 2 year old, it will be a challenge for sure. I have a tip for you: Don’t think of it as losing 100 lbs. Think about it in terms of 10 pounds. Then go on to lose 10 more. The weather is getting nicer. Do you have a good stroller and some tennis shoes? Maybe you can walk to a nearby park and use it as a way to lose weight and exercise. Think about taking a healthy snack picnic. I know you can probably think of a dozen ways to switch up your eating and exercising routine. Yes…. it’s work. haha. Nobody loves to make those kind of changes, but we’re always glad to get the results!
I’m pulling for you. Let me know how it goes and stay tuned to the website for more about healthy eating. I’m working on a healthy diet plan that should be just what you need.
Much love, Karen:)
Hi! Karen and All –
Ok – glad I’m not alone in the world. I’m totally freaking out about a pain I’m feeling. I have been diagnosed with the beginning stages of fatty liver. I’m maintaining a healthy diet (most of the time) however, I’ve been eating a lot of garbage as I’ve been super busy and stressed out like everyone else walking the face of the earth… Either way, I’m better than most and have been getting back on track. That said, I woke up the other day and it feels like I was jabbed severely under my right rib cage area (liver area) and and it actually hurts to touch or press against the skin in this area. And now I’m feeling mild shooting pains occasionally in the same area… Do others feel pain by pressing against the ribcage and liver area?
I’m so panicked that I might as well have shooting pains in my toe. Like everyone else, I’ve been researching everything that could possibly be wrong with me… Hence, finding your blog. Freaking out that I have been doing something wrong etc. I do drink wine on a regular basis… Which is not good etc.. Trying to keep everything in moderation.
I do love your blog. Please chime in and let me know what your think.
Thanks –
Dana
Hi Dana, what you are feeling is scary! I don’t blame you for freaking out. I think I would as well. I know people always say the liver has no nerve endings so no pain however there is a sac surrounding it that can. If your liver is enlarged that could cause it to push on the sac and you could have pain. It also could be a gas pain. Not to say it is, just that the large intestines are very close to the liver and some gas pains can be awful. I have a friend who has cirrhosis from fatty liver. She did not know anything was wrong until one day she tried to lay on her right side and it felt as if a baseball was under her ribs. I hate to say that drinking is the worst thing for fatty liver. Karen has some excellent liver loving recipes on here that might help you in changing your diet. Everything we eat drink, put on the body or in the eyes has to be processed by the liver. That information really helped me to come to terms with trying to cut certain things out. i.e. I don’t eat red meat or fried foods….well once in a great while I will 🙂 I try to drink lots of water to help my liver work better. I never drink. My friend was told she could have one drink every 6 months. I think, what is the point ha ha
Thank you for writing, please keep in touch. We love hearing from people. Let us know how you are doing, Dee
I was diagnosed with hep-c in 2011. I did the Pegasus treatment and test showed cured. Later test revealed it came back. the pain I’ve had is on right middle of back, and goes around to abdomin. I was told I had sciatica but had no pain in leg. So I went to my surgeon this morning and he said I have a floating rib causing this and got a cortisone shot. It’s too soon to tell if it will help. My question is can the could it be my liver with this type of pain. Thanks!
Hi Robin, I am Dee, a friend of Karen’s. I saw your post and wanted to let you know that a floating rib is not connected to the liver problems. I have had a problem with my floating rib in the past. It takes time to heal. I hope you feel better soon. Take care of yourself, rest. Not sure if you are interested but there is a new treatment, much easier to take, a much shorter time period. Also please keep in mind that everything you eat, drink, put on your body has to be processed by the liver. Try to drink water. Take a look at Karen’s liver loving recipes. She has a lot of information on here to help.
Please let us know how you are doing, my best to you, Dee
Hi Karen!
I went out with my friends on Friday and got a little bit drunk, I do this about once a month. Saturday morning I woke up early to play soccer, and was feeling normal at the beginning, but I started feeling a small pain in the upper right abdomen region after about an hour. I first thought it was the fatigue. I went home and later that day I was still feeling a little pain in that region, so I decided to drink a lot of water so I could pee.
This morning (Sunday) I woke up and was feeling better, but after I started moving the pain came back (still a small pain). If i stay still it doesn’t hurt at all; it only hurts when I inhale, move, and when I touch it. At noon I went to play soccer again, and was still feeling a small pain.
Additionally, I haven’t done number 2 lately (hoping that’s the cause of the pain) and have drank a lot of water to clean myself. I didn’t go see a doctor, hoping it’s nothing, but still really scared. What should I do?
Hi there, my name is Dee, I am a friend of Karen’s. Karen just had a liver transplant so is not available right now. I hope that your pain is not from drinking. It could just be gas pains. Our intestines are very close to our liver so it could be that. If you are worried maybe you should go to the doctor and get some blood work done to see if your liver enzymes are elevated. I have been reading that people can cause damage to their liver by binge drinking. I am not saying you are having that problem, just something I heard. I think you are doing the right thing by increasing your water consumption, anything that will help your liver work better is good. I would also try eating healthy, whole foods, etc to help the liver. Karen has a really good spot on here for liver loving recipes as well as foods that can be eaten from fast food places. Good luck to you, I hope you are doing ok and will get back here to let us know.
Dee
Hi I forgot to add while the liver can’t feel pain, it is in a sack that can. If the liver becomes swollen then you could feel pain. I think it is probably more that you are having gas. The gallbladder is also located right next to or right below the liver. If there was a problem with that you would notice after you ate fatty foods. Again, take care, continue to drink lots of water and let us know how you are. My best to you, Dee and Karen in spirit 🙂
Thank you a lot Dee, and hope Karen’s surgery goes well. I hope you are right about the cause of my pain. I just took a pill to help me use the bathroom (number two), hope it helps. After this I will definitely stop drinking, I just wished I would have stopped earlier.
I will keep you posted, best wishes to you two!
Hi Mark, thanks so much! I thought you might like to take a look at Karen’s articles on foods good for the liver. She has a lot of articles here. This is just to do with food. I remember when Karen was having pain, she discovered it might have been gas though not positive bread can do that. In fact bread can really stop you up. I love bread too! Well, actually I like a little bread with my butter. 🙂
https://www.ihelpc.com/liver-loving-recipes/
Hi Dee!
I just realised I am definitely constipated. Do you think the constipation could be the cause of my pain?
Thanks a lot
Hi there! I do think it could be the cause of your pain but I am not a doctor. Since it happened after you drank on Friday night I would think it is all connected. Did you eat any fatty food? If I were you, I would continue you with water, some yogurt like Activia to replenish the good bacteria in your stomach. Try to eat some fruits and veggies if you think you can tolerate. If it doesn’t improve then I would go to the doctor for blood work to check out your liver enzymes to see if your liver is inflamed. Also, your doctor can do a physical exam and tell if your liver is swollen.
At one time I thought I was having problems and my doctor explained that the large intestine is very close to the liver so that gas pains can be confused with liver pain. I hope you feel better soon. The best laxative is called Peri Colace but it is expensive, there is a generic version right now to the brand at Walmart. Hoping you have a Walmart near you 🙂 Take Care.
I have had liver diseae for many years, and I haver had many types of liver pain – at least 15 different types. Sharp total, sharp top, ultra sharp center, center, left, right, total, ripping or damaging and “needles ripping” , sore, feeling of nodules or tumors although not sure what they were, inflammation, swollen and enlargement, shrinking or shrunken feeling and many others. Many were and some still are very scary. Sometimes liver pain is from supplements, foods or medications, so be careful. If I stand too long I get liver pain or lift too much up the stairs, then I get liver pain. PQQ at around 2 mg daily has helped my liver pain and inflammation a lot. 10 mg of PQQ was a big mistake as it caused many side effects. I don’t know if PQQ is safe, but it no longer matters for me at this time.
Hello! I am very sorry to hear of your pain. One time I took an antibiotic, Jiaxin, within an hour of taking it I had a terrible pain. I thought it was a fluke so continued to take twice more. The pain was awful, I stopped and asked for a different antibiotic. What is PPQ? Is it some kind of supplement that is supposed to reduce the scarring and fibrosis? I would be interested to hear about it. Thanks so much for sharing your experience. I have heard from many many people who have had pain in their liver. I tend to believe them over the doctors LOL
Take Care, please let me know what PPQ is. My best to you. Oh, I always tell people to drink plenty of water to help their liver work better. On this blog there is a a list of foods and liver healthy recipes, just in case you might be interested.
Hi Dee. PQQ is some kind of wate -soluble nutrient that came on the market I think about 3-4 years ago. All I know is what you can find online, but their has been a recent study which I think showed that PQQ helped fight liver fibrosis. I don’t trust supplement companies anymore, so that’s why I say I don’t know if it’s safe. When I took the lowest available dose of 10 mg daily I nearly died from extreme heart palpitations. I was desperate to fight back pain at that time. 10 mg doses of PQQ are dangerous, at least for some people. Also, too much PQQ stresses the kidneys, so caution should be used. High doses of PQQ cause kidney damage in rats. But I have back pain problems also, and somehow PQQ helps with that also. For me, 2 mg daily of PQQ and sometimes up to 3 mg, the benefits outweigh the risks. If I had no back pain and my liver pain was not too bad I would probably only take 400 mcg once in a while, although it’s nearly impossible to get 400 mcg from 10 mg. They don’t sell low doses. Maybe 1-2 mg is safe, but it’s an unnatural dose. Apparently the average diet might naturally have 100-200 mcg of PQQ. The liver feels and the liver feels pain – this is my experience.
Hi, thanks so much for explaining. The PPQ pinged my memory, I remember a physician discussing PPC, it took a while for me to remember so please forgive my slow response. I looked it up and could not find recent studies but found that it is sold. It is called polyenylphosphatidylcholine or PPC. I found some old studies in the late 90’s. I will continue to look. Thank you for the information, I will look i to it.
Does this help with your back pain? I have back pain as well. Thank you. Dee
Dee, sorry, I should have told you the full name of PQQ. It’s pyrroloquinoline-quinone. I found that recent study, just search Pyrroloquinoline-quinone suppresses liver fibrogenesis in mice. I am having problems with my computer, so I have to keep this short. Yes, PQQ helps with my discs, nerves and tailbone pain. 2-3 mg of PQQ once a day helps reduce my liver pain.
Thank you so much for coming back to tell me about this. I too am having tail bone pain, I am going to look into this supplement, I really appreciate you taking the time to help me. I have been away for 8 days and have had a horrible connection the entire time. I have tried to stay on line as much as possible, Dee
Right now I use Life Extension brand for my BioPQQ. Bio PQQ is from Japan, and not some cheap stuff from China. I strained my liver carrying too much up the stairs as I live on the forth floor. And now I have some brain inflammation and headache issues. I am having a hard time posting also, I don’t know if it’s this site or my computer. Anyway this is probably my last post here, although I plan to still read this site. I just divide up the capsule in small disposable cups, although I reuse them many times. PQQ only helps with my back pain. I still have to stay in bed most of the time to control back pain. Best wishes to you Dee and Karen. I am a small person, so that might be one reason I can’t handle too much PQQ and had bad side effects. Either way, I think 10 mg of PQQ is risky.
Thanks so much for sharing. I really appreciate. I hope you have a great day. I am feeling a little under the weather so will check back. So sorry you are having problems writing on here. Take Care
If you would like to keep up there is a Facebook page, IhelpC
Hi
I have painful on my liver side
I had a fibroid scan the result was moderate fatty liver.the bilirubin total level was another High 29UL So why I have all that pain
I’M So scared
Oh sweetie! I am so sorry to hear you are in pain and afraid. If you have a fatty liver the best thing you can do for yourself is to try to start watching your diet. Drink a lot of water. Reduce salt as much as you can. Don’t drink any alcohol. Try to cut out red meat and fried foods as well as processed foods. All of those items put a strain on your liver. Try to eat lots of fruits and vegetables. I had a friend who had a fatty liver and she did not know until she laid on her side and felt the edge of her liver. It was very painful.
You can improve your health by making a few changes. Take Care, Dee
Take a look at this if you get a chance. https://www.ihelpc.com/liver-loving-recipes/
Hello, try taking a look at this. https://www.ihelpc.com/liver-loving-recipes/
Please tell me that Karen is alright. There hasn’t been an update on her condition.
Hello there! Karen is doing very well, she recently wrote a thank you note to her donor.
Please see here https://www.ihelpc.com/writing-a-thank-you-letter-to-donor-family/
She has written other articles as well, I am so sorry if you have not seen them
Thanks for writing, Dee
So glad that Karen is well. Just been checking on this site, having trouble with the liver. Thanks for your valuable information. Will be checking back regularily. Thank you again.
Thank you for your article. I have had pain/ tenderness for years. It’s been a very long time since I’ve experienced it, but it’s back now. I went and had tests done years ago and they could t find anything wrong. I’m tired of doctors. Is this pain only an end stage problem, or could it be an early symptom? I do have gas, but no other symptoms. Thank you for your help in advance. Blessing!
Tammy,
You’re so welcome. If it is truly liver pain, then it would indicate end stage disease. Your doctor can do a set of labs that would tell them if there are any red flags. One of the things the Center For Disease Control keeps working toward is that everyone would be tested for Hepatitis C. It can be a silent disease and is an easy test now. I had many symptoms for years and had no idea. I wish you all the best. A blood sample can give you a lot of peace. I kept going to the doctor and getting misdiagnosed. Stick with it till you get the answer that makes sense to you.
xo Karen:)
Dear Tammy I am so sorry to hear that you have been having this problem for years with no answers. I remember trying to figure out what was wrong with me when I had HCV. It is an awful feeling to know something is wrong. Have you have your gallbladder checked? It is just a thought as it is right under the liver. I pray you can get some help. Take Care, Dee
Hi Karen!
I just wanted to share my story & concerns with you as you seem like a lovely & honest person. I am a 35 year old married Mother of a 2 & half year old boy. I began drinking about 12 years ago when I was in a bad relationship. I secret drank about 3 to 4 times a week a half bottle of vodka at a time. When I came out of this relationship I continued this habit. My husband discovered this about me within a few months of living together which shows the difference between him & my ex partner who never knew or noticed. Shortly after this I got pregnant so stopped drinking altogether. After having my son I began to secret drink again. I would do this on a Sat & Sun night. My husband would think I was having just a couple but I would be drinking from my secret stash also. I decided to stop this a few weeks ago & I have cut right back to a few drinks just on a Sat evening out in the open no hidden drink. For the last 2 years I have been experiencing pain & discomfort in my upper right chest behind the ribs – as time went on it has come up the right side of my throat & can be higher in the chest also. My doc thinks it’ gerd but I have no acid reflux. Sometimes I get a sensation in my right arm too. The pain can vary day to day from sharp to dull to more in the abdomen to feeling it harder in the throat but always the right side. Alcohol aggravates it for a few days after consuming & a whole after eating I get it especially sugary foods. About a year & a half ago I had an ultrasound & endoscopy done. I told doc my symptoms but not about the drinking from the shame. Everything came back fine just 2 small cysts on the liver which they said were quite common & there from birth most likely. This discomfort has continued. I went yesterday to the doc & explained I had been a heavy drinker from over 10 years & my symptoms. I didn’t go into the full extent of my drinking but I admitted it. She examined me & her conclusion for now is that I have gerd. I have been given Esomeprazole 40mg to take for 4 weeks to see if these symptoms go away. I am convinced it is not gerr but agreed to try this to rule it out. Can you relate to any of these symtoms. Sometimes it feels kinda like a bruise from inside , sometimes like indigestion, sometimes dull & it can move around slightly & it gets more sharp after eating. Very worried! Also would an ultrasound have shown liver problems as I have read it can still miss them even a fatty liver.
Thank you for reading
Many thanks
Denise
Xxx
Hi there, this is a hard one. When I had the beginning of cirrhosis the symptoms had were these cherry colored dots as well as dots with little squiggles that are called Spider angiomas. They are a cherry color. This indicated liver damage. Also you might have fluid retention in your ankles, even your stomach. My first symptom was fatigue. Everyone is different so we don’t all have the same symptoms.
Thanks for your reply. I don’t have the cherry coloured dots you mentioned or fluid on my ankles. Just this weird pain sensation. Today I can feel it in upper right arm a bit & in my neck all stemming from the right abdomen. I haven’t drank any alcohol since Sunday. Its a very hard pain to explain. It doesn’t effect me doing exercises – I workout 6 times a week – its when I’m not active I feel it most. i drank so heavy for over 10 years I’m convinced its my liver .
xxx
Denise recently posted…Time to get Listed for a Liver Transplant
Hi I am still thinking about you and looked up upper right quadrant pain, found this link, hoping it might help.
http://www.md-health.com/Upper-Right-Abdominal-Pain.html
You can be having pain from the sac of the liver and it could referred to your arm and neck. Did they physically examine your abdomen? Did they do blood work like a liver panel? I understand the worry of this for you, I am sorry to hear it. It is very frustrating when we know something is wrong yet can’t find it. I also thought about your gall bladder which is very close to your liver. I would think if they did a sonogram it would have shown them the entire abdomen. They get the measurements of all of your internal organs so would know if anything was swollen. I am so sorry I can’t think of anything else.
Hi I wanted to say that I am reading that a gall bladder attack could give you some of the symptoms that you are having.
From what I have seen, it will happen after a meal with fat in it but that is not always the case. We are all so different it is really hard to say. I hope you can see a hepatologist.
http://www.md-health.com/Right-Shoulder-Blade-Pain.html
Hi Dee!
Thank you for your reply. I don’t have the cherry coloured dots you described or fluid on my ankles or bloated belly. Just the feeling behind the right ribs & into throat etc as I described. Sometimes I feel it in my right back. I worry about it daily. It seems these symptoms can’t be figured out – :/ xxx
Denise recently posted…Time to get Listed for a Liver Transplant
Hi there, have you been seen by a hepatologist? They are GI’s who specialize in the liver. They can also help you with any other gastrointestinal problems. I am going to search for more information. I have not heard of pain in the arm. I have heard of pain in the liver area and also the back.
Hi Karen,
I just found your blog, and am hoping you can help me. First I would like to say I hope you are doing well after your liver transplant?
I have been having pain in my liver area for about a year now. And I’m honestly very terrified. Before the pain I first had gone to my doctor for a checkup and had slightly elevated liver enzyme levels. Right away this doctor scared me to death saying mild liver enzyme levels are due to hepatitis. I have never done drugs, never even smoked a cigarette in my life, and done come in contact with blood. I’m a huge germaphobe actually. But this doc insisted on running every hepatitis test. The test all came back negative. At that time however I was trying to lose weight and was taking supplements. I stopped the supplants and had my liver levels rechecked and the enzymes were normal. Well speed up to about 6 months ago, I started having this pain in the liver area off and on. I was again taking many different supplants by another alternative doctor. She has me on a lot of standard process supplements. I was worried about the pain and demanded more test. Some times the liver enzymes would be slightly elevated if I got the test done on days I took supplements and then they would be completely normal. I had CT scan done and every thing came back normal on that. I then had many ultrasound test which all came back normal except they found my gallbladder was full of stones. They said my liver looked great though. I also had a colonoscopy and an endoscopy. Both came back nomal except they found a bit of acid reflux in the endoscopy. I kept having the pain on the liver area that went to the back shoulder blade so I decided to get the gallbladder removed. 6 weeks ago they removed it and the surgeon told me the outside of my gallbladder actually looked good the only problem was it was completely full to the max with stones. He said he was worried this wasn’t the cause of pain so during surgery he decided to look while he was on there at my liver and other organs. He said my liver looked perfect and other organs as well so he is stumped. Well now it’s been six months since gallbladder surgery and my pain on the right side is back. I litterally want to break down and cry every day. Because I thought the gallbladder removal would get rid of it. My liver levels after surgery were normal but I just had them run the test again, this Monday. On a day I took supplements from my naturopathic doc and the enzyme level was 1 point above normal. So my question is could supplements be causing this liver pain and elevations? And could the acid reflux also? I never took anything for the acid reflux they found. Also I’m terrified because I noticed you said the liver pain is tied to end stage liver desease. So even if all my scans showed my liver looked perfect and the surgeon physically looking at it during surgery said it looked good, could it still have end stage lived disease? I am so scared and tired of not having answers or help. 🙁 Now the gastro is at the point of just saying “oh well I don’t know what it is try Prilosec”.
Hi there, I am so sorry to hear about what you are experiencing. I know this has to be so hard, trying to figure out what the problem is. If they have very thoroughly examined you liver I think you need to look elsewhere or get a second opinion. I would have said, check your gallbladder as it is right next to the liver, almost in it.
I have also heard of people have pain in a similar area due to gas pains which can be awful. I have had gas pains that I thought felt like a knife. The intestines are right next to the liver.
It can’t hurt to try the Prilosec. Keep a diary of what you eat to see if there is something that you are eating that could be causing the pain. Could you have developed an allergy to gluten? I am sorry I can’t be of more help. I am sorry you are having this pain.
Take Care, Dee
Jessica, you did not say what supplements you took, but certain supplements can cause liver damage. Certain herbs might cause liver damage. Sometimes it’s a combination of supplements or foods that can cause problems. Metallic minerals like iron, copper, chromium, etc can be hard on the liver and possibly even cause liver damage. If you did have liver disease, certainly try to not take metallic minerals unless you are truly deficient as shown by blood tests, and they don’t cause any liver pain or problems. I would think twice about taking any supplement that causes liver pain or liver enzymes to increase.
Thanks so much for sharing with Jessica, you are a good friend. I hope you have a great day.
This is something that I have felt very recently. A slight burning sensation it doesn’t last long like maybe 3 seconds or less and radiates from the rib area on my right side, like the last two ribs. I have bad acid reflux and would gag and cough mostly at night. These gagging fits are extreme and feel like my shoes are gonna come through my mouth.lol so I wasnt sure if I had injured my ribs. Since I gave up Cig’s and alcohol my reflux has gone away. I don’t have medical insurance but I do want to go and have my blood work looked at by a physician. I was wondering what kind of pain you had experinced.
Hi, My pain in my right side was mostly a dull ache. It’s like my liver weighed about 50 pounds. Occasionally a little twinge that would “grab” me. Mostly it was about a 3 or 4 out of a 10 being the highest. I wish you would go to the emergency room. They cannot refuse to treat you. You may have something like varies. Keep me posted, ok? xo Karen:)
Have you had your liver transplant
Hello there! I am Dee, yes Karen had her liver transplant back in April. She checks in when she feels up to it but is still recovering. Thank you, Dee
Hi
I hope you see this asap. I’m 15 and I’m feeling this fire and stabbing pain when I cough even using the restroom. I’m more than scared or fear this.
Hi there, have you told your parents about this feeling sweetie? I encourage you to let them know asap.
I hope you feel better very soon, HUGS, Dee
Thank you for your blog on liver pain. I an going thru this pain right now, but I do not have any thing for it & the nurse practitioner that I see does not give pain meds. & I do not have insurance, can you suggest any way to release this pain.
Hi I am so sorry to hear. Have you tried increasing your water intake? Cutting out fried foods, red meat? Karen has good information on diets in the right hand corner of her page you could take a look at. Could you be having gas? It is an awful feeling, I know, I can’t tell you how many times I thought my liver was hurting and it was gas as the large intestine is very close to the liver. I’m sorry I have no magic cure. Eating healthy can help. Take care, Dee
Hi Karen, hope you are doing well. I had extensive dental work ( lots of blood etc..) in a country that is rated VERY high in hep C. Two weeks post treatment i had a bad stomache ache, diareaha and was treated by antibiotic. That went away , but then a month after the initial dental work, i am having constamt dull pain in my liver area that is also in my right shoulder and mid lower back at rest and stronger when i breathe in. One thing i also noticed is that out of a sudden i have very very dark under eye and some under eye bags. Occasionaly i get nausea especialy in the morning. Told the dentist who denied any relation between this and dental work. Should i get the antibody test first ( thinking might be too early to show positive if actually there is infection) . Or should i do the PCR test ( could also be negative if vital load is still low). I am very anxious and scared. Awaiting your reply.
Hi there, are you saying that you have been on antibiotics? They can make you feel sick. One time I was taking one called Biaxin, every time I took one I got horrible pain near my liver. I later learned that the intestines are right near the liver and that can cause pain. I asked my dentist to change my antibiotic. If you have been treated and found to have an undetectible viral load. I would get my viral load checked again, just to ease your mind. I don’t think you have contracted HCV again.
Hi, thanks for your reply. Actually i was never diagnosed with HCV before. I actually had the antibodies blood test done two years ago and it was non reactive. I started to have all those symptoms after the last dental treatment a month ago. Antibiotics were for just a week and actually cleared the diarrhea etc.. It is only this past week. ( a month after the dental treatment ) when i am feeling the liver pain that is dull and constant plus the other symptoms of very dark under eye circles and bags. I dont know which blood test to do first the antibodies or PcR considering i could have just contracted the virus during the dental treatment. I will take your advice and insist on a pcr. I hope my doctor will agree. They usually start with the antibodies one, but i am very worried and cant wait for 6 months. Thanks!
I apologize, from your first question I thought you were saying you used to have it. Then you treated, got clear, then went to dentist.
I have to say I did not know I contracted it for 30 years. I had no signs at all, no illness. I apologize.
I think that the way it is done is to check to see if you have been exposed, if that is positive then they check for the viral load and Geno type. I think it is done that way because the second test is expensive though I could be wrong. I am so sorry I misunderstood your question. If you have to wait I don’t think it is 6 months after you think you may have been exposed, I think it is more like 11 weeks after possible exposure. I wish you a lot of luck, Dee
Hey I stumbled across your website. There is not a lot of info on the web that I have came across about hepatitis. I was not exposed to hepatitis c but to Hepatitis B 9 years ago and didn’t realize it until three months ago when I got a flu shot and then 2 weeks later I got deathly sick and didn’t feel right so I got tested for all STD because de said my eardrums were dull and retracted (don’t know if this is a symptom). When the blood test came back it showed core antibody was positive but surface antibody and virus was inactive. My liver test, ultrasound and fibroscan was negative. Mayo clinic Gastrologist said the virus is in my liver but it is inactive and couldn’t reactivate unless severe immunosuppression takes place. However, two weeks ago I started getting pains under my rib cage that started close to my sternum then moved to the middle of my ribs and now it hurts really back on the right side of my body underneath my rib cage. I know this pain has to be cause from the hepatitis but dr’s said its inactive. I’ve done so much research and I’m afraid I may have a wild type, precise muntant strand or could possibly be an e antigen negative chronic hep b carrier and Dr’s are not able to find it. At this point I do not know what to do without looking like a crazy person to the Dr’s. All the Dr’s I’ve been to seem to only know what their text books taught them in bed school as most were pretty young. I really with I could do something to put his behind me but I keep experiencing symptoms and being told its inactive:( could anyone give me some advice one what I should do next to either find the virus or put this behind me? I’ve I do have it and take care of myself how long could I live? I picked it up at 26 and I’m 35
Hi there, I am so sorry to hear you are having pain. Have you had your gallbladder checked? There is also a muscle that starts in the back and comes around to the front. That can cause pain while breathing. Have you tried going to the doctor and telling them about the pain and letting them tell you what they think it is? At one point Karen was having pain and she found out that part of the large intestine is right there and she was suffering. Gas pains up there are the worst. To get support you could go to Medhelp under Hepatits B. There are people there who may have more information for you. Take Care D
Hi have you been to a liver specialist? Many GP’s don’t really know much about the liver and how it works. At least that has been my experience. I’m not saying all doctors are like that however I would go to a liver specialist, a hepatologist. I am sorry you are going through this.
Thanks for the reply back! No I haven’t been to a hematologist and the reason is every time I try to get an appointment with one they tell me I need a referral in which it is hard to get because my test results do not indicate I have an active infection. I have seen a liver specialist in Gastrologist at the Mayo clinic… Well it’s a little weird, I had an appointment to see gastrology when I got to the appointment they said I was in pre liver transplant, when I asked the Dr is said he is seeking gastrology/hematology. They tried to tell me I was exposed to hep b and that my body has successfully contained the virus. I tried to get another appointment with a dr I seen online from mayo clinic that was a “hematologist” but they wouldn’t make the appointment because they said that the Dr I’ve already seen was my dr and they already gave me my diagnoses. It’s frustrating for me and it’s putting a little strain on my marriage because I’m sick all the time and my wife thinks it’s in my head. As I mentioned I started having pains on the side of my liver and it moved to different areas and the. Started in my front left rip cage recently. I’ve been having slight ammonia like taste in my mouth on and off. I went to the ER a couple of days ago because I didn’t feel good they said my blood sugar was 47 which was really low and they said I had protein in my urine. They asked me was I diabetic I said no. They gave me apple juice to make my sugar spike and sent me home (I’m very disappointed at the way Mayo clinic handled it I thought they were best of the best :() I did some research and protein in your urine means your kidney is not filtering it from your blood properly, the ammonia taste can also be from kidney problems and also low blood sugar can mean the kidney is not distributing the sugar to your body. ER dr said (it’s not your kidneys but they don’t know what it is). My theory is if your liver is acting up it will put strain on your kidneys and can cause them to act up. I have also read kidney problems can linked with hepatitis b. I have an appointment with a nephrologist for the kidneys and Gastrologist (but not one that specializes in the liver because that’s all I could get from mayo) and my primary care all the the next couple of weeks. I feel so fatigued, I have mild tremors and my ears have pressure on them on and off. Sometimes I feel like I’m dying which I don’t know why. I’m a 35 year old guy who was feeling healthy a few month ago till I got the flu shot and it’s like a virus got woke up from it. If I do have hepatitis b then I would have only had it for 9.5-10 years that’s seems too short to be falling apart 🙁 It can’t seem to be anything else because all other blood work and x rays come back normal. I wish that there was a way that I could pay to speak to a very good hematologist over the phone to get my questions answered at on time. I’m tired of all this back and forth at dr offices. I have good insurance and enough money but I can’t seem to get the help that I’m looking for 🙁
Oh my! Your sugar was low. I am so sorry for the run around you are getting. It is just awful. Yes, if your liver is not working right it can affect your kidneys. In fact I used to take a medication to help remove ammonia from my body. I was told that if the liver is not working right it can’t filter the toxins out of your body and can affect your brain. Then the kidneys don’t get rid of the ammonia the way they are supposed and it can affect your brain as the ammonia builds up. This medication draws the ammonia in to your fecal matter and you can get rid of it that way. I am not a doctor but know the liver not working right can affect a lot of things. Natalie Cole who had Hep C had to have a kidney transplant. I have friends who have liver problems who now have kidney problems. Everything is related. I am so very sorry that you are having to go through this. You know your body. I don’t share this with many people however I was tested for Hep C back in the 90’s twice, it came back negative twice. Ten years later I was diagnosed with Hep C. I asked how this was possible when I had two negatives in the 90’s, they said testing was not sensitive enough back then. So….I had what they call a false negative, twice. My liver enzymes were elevated, that is why I was tested. I received a gamma globulin shot back in the late 70’s not knowing it was a blood product so I guess it gave me the Hep C. The CDC states that up to 75% of people with HCV do not even know they have it yet. They think they are not at risk. What many don’t know is that the gamma globulin shots we were given as children to help our immune system after being exposed to measles or hepatitis was created from others blood. No one knew what HCV was back then, it was called Non A Non B. There are many veterans who have HCV and don’t know it. Before the early 90’s there was no test. There is actually a site for Vietnam Vets regarding their exposure to HCV. I can’t remember the site right now. HCVVETS I knew there was something wrong with me for 10 years and went from doctor to doctor before my platelets fell to a very low level, 30 years after contracting HCV. I was sent to a hematologist who tested me for leukemia, lymphoma and hepatitis. If not for him I would be dead by now. Sorry for rambling. I’m saying that you know your body and don’t give up. Take Care, Dee
I didn’t think you were rambling. Thanks for being detailed. Can you have problems with your liver even if your liver enzymes are normal, you don’t have cirrhosis or fibrosis. All my tests that they look for for hepatitis is not showing the virus and is normal but I’ve been having issues with pain in my rib cage, I’ve been feeling dizzy, fatigue, my eyes have a yellow appearance with I look up and shine a light on them, I’ve been having slight tremors and motor function issues and the other day my pee was cloudy (guess protein in my urine) but dr’s think I’m just dehydrated 🙁 I pray every day that I can get clarification on these issues. I have always been extremely healthy and now I feel like I’m dying 🙁 It don’t seem right though because o didn’t think hepatitis can effect you in only 9-10 years unless you were showing signs of active disease or cirrhosis. i would think it was another virus but pain in the liver and eyes to me is a dead give away of hepatitis. I wonder if they could find active disease if they did liver biopsy? However I cannot get one dr to give me a biopsy if all the other tests are normal
Hepatitis breeds in the liver. It creates inflammation and does hurt the liver. You also have to take genetics and other lifestyle choices into account. YES you can have problems even if your blood labs are all normal. My annual blood labs were all in normal range until my liver failed. DON’t take no for an answer if you feel you need a biopsy. That was how they staged my liver disease. I had ascites and varices.
Keep eating well and try to walk daily. Drink lots of water. Remember, I love you.. xo Karen
On top of my labs being in normal range my hepatitis hbeag was negative. Was your hepatitis tests still negative even after your biopsy showing liver damage. I am going in a couple of weeks to have and MRI of abdomen and some more blood work. Dr said if all other tests are negative and I am still having problem he said I may benefit from counseling. This is the Mayo Clinic telling me this. They said their technology is so good that if all these test come back normal then it is NOT my liver causing problems. If I want to have a biopsy then I may need to go somewhere else or they will think I’m crazy and probably backer act me lol. They said hepatitis does not hide like that. They said if your liver is being damaged it will produce elevated enzymes or some marker in my blood. I have some yellowing in my eyes when I look inside my lowers eyelids when looking up. They said it’s not jaundice because my bilirubin is in normal limits. I continue to feel fatigue, dizzy some times, and pains in my rib cage on mainly right side but also left. This is the weirdest thing! My wife and everyone else thinks I’m crazy 🙁
Hi there! I found a site you can go to to look for help for your HBV. I think you can get some answers. There is no “cure” yet for HBV but I see there are treatments that might work. Perhaps these guys can help. I hope you find an answer. Take Care 🙂 Dee
http://www.medhelp.org/forums/Hepatitis-B/show/223
Hey Karen,
So before you had a biopsy, the virus was undetectable in your blood, complete liver function test was normal, fibroscan and sonogram was normal and did not show damage or inflammation. I’m going to get a complete MRI of the abdomen with the dye so they can see everything. Is the MRI good enough or is a biopsy the only was to know if you have inflammation or scaring?
Hi,
I think an MRI is very good. It doesn’t tell the whole story. It was the first step for me, but didn’t tell the whole story. I also had bleeding varices, ascites, off the chart labs, viral load in the millions, and portal hypertension. They got my body calmed down, gave me some blood transfusions and medications. THEN about 3 months later, I was still alive … so they biopsied. Result = End Stage
Are you saying that YOU had the liver function, fibroscan, sonogram, etc? If you did, then you’re in great shape!
All of those ways of show damage and are used to “stage cirrhosis”. Check out my blog on stages of cirrhosis. It sounds like you’re just at the beginning stage of finding out. Try not to get to worried. Eat well and rest.
Let me know how it goes.
xo Karen:)
Hey Karen,
I heard on the internet that they have a cute for hep c? Have you heard that? Pamala Anderson, Tommy Lee and a few other people have been so called cured from it. For what I understand though is its really expensive (like $100,000.00). I really hope they come up with a cure for hep b soon. Since all my blood work, sonogram and everything else is clear other than the core antibody I hope my hep b really is inactive. I just don’t see how that can be the case when I am extremely fatigued and my rib cage hurts all the time lately. I was perfectly normal until I got a flu shot then two weeks later my body fell apart and been like that for about 4-5 months. I don’t know it the flu shot reactivated the virus or if my immune system just started recognizing the virus after the flu shot then started attacking it in my liver. Either way I was exposed 9-10 years ago. I am 35 now. If I can live to be at least 50 I will be ok 😉 Do you know which one is worse (more aggressive) HBV or HCV?
Hi there! Yes, there is now a cure for HCV. Actually there are several new drugs that have been FDA approved in the past few years with very good results and less side effects than the older drugs. I think that HCV is much worse then HBV however I am not a doctor. If I were you I would search for new treatments for HBV. I will also try to find some information and come back. Good luck! Dee
How do they test you for ammonia in your blood?
Never mind I had it tested today and they said my ammonia was not high it was actually low 🙂
Ammonia is not the only indicator of hepatic encephalopathy. My doctor didn’t use ammonia as a test, but looked at general health and cognitive abilities.
Hay, fatigue can lead to feelings of brain fog. So can medications. I think the old treatments for hep c did a number on my brain too. xoxo K
I had viral load test done which was also non reactive. I don’t see how I can have hurting liver, stomach issues, very fatigue all the time, joint pain, ear problems, shortness of breath, Gastro issues like chest and stomach burning and they say its inactive. It can’t be anything else because everything else was negative for STDs and all other blood work is normal. My fear is that even though I had ultrasound, it does not show them what my liver looks like behind the rib cage where it’s actually hurting. I think I might need an MRI or cat scan to find the damage
Hello there! You know your body better than anyone else. Don’t give up trying to find out what it is. I have abdomen ultrasounds every 6 months to make sure my liver is ok. I also have blood work to check for cancer. I’m sure if there was something wrong with your liver it would show up. Have you had a liver biopsy? Have you had your gall bladder checked out? I am so sorry, I know what it is like to know something is wrong and no one can find it. Can you check with a new doctor? Just start from scratch? How are your liver enzymes? Your platelets? Low platelets would tell one that there was a problem with the liver. I am not a doctor just someone trying to help. I hope you can find an answer, take care, Dee
Hi Joe, I don’t know if this will help but here is a forum all about Hep B that might help you. I sincerely hope you can get some answers.
http://www.medhelp.org/forums/Hepatitis-B/show/223
Hello I don’t know how to start this butt I am reaching out for help from anybody that has any information on what is happening. So I am a disabled Marine veteran and I have always had a pulse rate in the 90s my blood pressure has always been higher than normal and my cholesterol has always been higher I have been diagnosed with diabetes and the last two years I also have a missing L5 vertebrae and Infused L4 vertebrae that is fused to my tailbone. I have gout in my knee chronic sinusitis. My VA doctor about 2 weeks ago called me on a weekend which is very rare and told me that she did not like how my lab work is consistently going down in regards to liver functionality and that she would like me to have a liver Panel test done. I got into the lab pretty quickly and my results were my alt and AST we’re both in about a hundred and fifty range my ggt and my alkaline phosphatase we’re both around a hundred fifty is well I do have liver damage so my doctor proceeded to have me do an ultrasound which I did yesterday I have to wait 48 hours for confirmation on what it is about two years ago a doctor that was ultrasound for kidney stones said that I had a fatty liver. Since the current ultrasound on my liver I have been getting these uncomfortable and slightly painful little spurts in my upper right abdomen right below my rib cage very close to the sternum it feels like something is trying to crawl out or like a slight electroshock almost. I do not drink I have been looking up diseases and in 2014 I tested negative 4 NE hepatitis whatsoever. I do not know what’s going on my doctor has said that I am cleared of cancer that I do not have any cancer whatsoever with that being said I am scared I am a 31-year old white and Puerto Rican male I smoke I do not eat healthy I do very minimum exercises and I do know that I am overweight I know diets can change things however I am scared that the possibilities are far beyond diet curing anything. I also tend to enjoy medium to rare meat and I have on occasion probably eaten not so well done fish so I have also been looking up a disease called liver flukes which is actually a parasite. I don’t know what to do and I cannot talk to my doctor till Monday so I was just trying to find any information from people they may have more knowledge on the subject than me. Any help would be much appreciated. And my doctor also does not know about the pains yet due to them being after my ultrasound and it being the VA. I know this blog was done a long time ago but anybody that reads this please if you have any information or any inkling of anything please share I just don’t know what to do and that scares me the most.
Hi I am so sorry! Somehow your post has been sitting in a hidden place that I just found. I see you sent this on August 11th so just wanted to say that I see your post and I see that your liver is in trouble. It is possible that once you find out what the problem is that you can improve your health by eating healthier. I’m surprised that if the doctor noticed you had a fatty liver 2 years ago he did not suggest you change your diet right away. I have a friend who has it and she has been told she can have one alcoholic drink a year. You would first want to make sure not to drink any alcohol. Cut out red meat, fried foods, processed foods. Drink water to help you liver work better. Try for whole food. Karen has a great page on liver healthy recipes however you can also look on line for liver healthy or even heart healthy diets.
Again I am sorry that your message somehow was hidden from our view, please let us know how you are doing. Dee
https://www.ihelpc.com/liver-loving-recipes/
Hello
My blood test reveals I have a fatty liver and twise the normal size . I am not overweight and do not drink .is it worry some matter to concern as I am felling pain in my rib rib section . Please help
Hi there, I am sorry to hear this. It can be cause by drinking, genetics, being over weight. It is not a death sentence, diet can help a great deal. No alcohol is allowed. My friend has Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NALFD) her doctor told her she could have one drink a year.
Anyway, you can also change your diet. Red meat, fried food and processed foods are the first things that need to go. Even if you can limit them.
Drink plenty of water to help your liver work better. Everything you eat or drink has to be filtered by the liver. Karen has some liver healthy recipes I will give you the link. There are other places as well where you can look up liver healthy or heart healthy diets.
Good luck, please ask any questions you may have, take care, Dee
https://www.ihelpc.com/liver-loving-recipes/
Hi,
I found your post very interesting. I don’t have any liver issues (that I know if yet), but I have Crohn’s Disease and have been experiencing pain/ bloating under the right side of my ribcage for about a year. It comes and goes, and is mostly not too severe, but it’s sent me to the ER a couple of times. I tell the doctor’s every time I have Crohn’s, and they tell me I have no or minor inflammation in the GI track, and never give me a clear answer as to why there is so much pain (equivalent to child birth). They give me a wide range of antibiotics, sometimes steroids or other inflammation meds and send me on my way. Last year I was even hospitalized, and there was no conclusion drawn before I was discharged.
While the disease’s are not the same, I wondered if you had any insight, you could share that might help me stir my doctors in the right direction. Thanks so much 🙂
-Emily
Hi there, Karen and I are not doctors however we have a lot of experience. I wonder if the doctors have checked your gall bladder. It is just a thought. My husband’s gall bladder almost burst last year and we had no idea. He had been hospitalized the year before with what we thought was a blockage but now think it was his gall bladder. The pain can be awful. A CT Scan would show this if this is what your problem is. In the mean time you could try cutting out as much fat as possible from your diet. Every time we eat fat the gall bladder reacts, that is just a very simple explanation, not the medical terms LOL. I hope you feel better soon. Take Care, Dee
Hello friends-
I was just diagnosed with inoperable liver cancer. Several small looking tumors mostly in lower left. I also have a prostate that must be removed as it is full of a moderately aggressive cancer. Have HCV, cirrhosis and hepatic encephalopathy with an ammonia count of a bit over 3,000,000. I was walking and alert. They found I was 6 pints low of blood. Still not sure where it came from or went. Probably a self limiting ulcer bleed? Then I got endocarditis as my gp ignored my frequent complaints of fever, chills and pain where I chipped a tooth. Oh, well.
I won’t do chemo or radiation but I have been looking into options. My hepatic surgeon says if I do nothing he thinks I have 6 months to maybe two years to live and my pain shouldn’t be as bad as some of the pain I’ve had. One chemo he feels is less harmful to healthy tissue could give me an additional 3 months. Kind of funny to me. Found a Naturopath who was an M.D. at an oncology department in Texas.
I’m 64 and have been active my entire life until about three years ago. My appetite has gone but I try to juice daily. I eat a lot of salmon, halibut and crab when I do eat. Cut way back on other meats. Eat artichokes, kale and spinach and stuff.
Sorry for going on so long! Question: How do the estimate the time remaining? I wan’t to stop the blood flow to the tumors. Any suggestions? Thank you and be well
I answered you, but now it looks unanswered again. If this is a total repeat, please forgive me. This one tears at my heart. You’ve probably read my posts about liver cancer. It totally sucks. Those small looking tumors are what may be keeping you from a transplant I assume? There are rules about this type of thing… sigh
I’ve had that chemo that is not as harmful. Look on my website for tace procedure. It’s a good thing and if you have the option, I would take it. It sounds like you’re a strong person to have been 6 pints low and still walking. That sounds like me. and I would say that it puts you in a good position to remain strong for a while! The bleeding can be from varices too and I wonder if you have been checked for that?
You’re so smart to have stayed active, and also to eat healthy proteins. It sounds like all of your food sources are good one. Congratulations on being in touch with a naturopathic doctor. They can help you to find amazing ways to support your body.
As for time remaining? Ah.. I still struggle with that one myself. Every day is a gift. Every breath: a miracle. It sounds link you are very strong and doing all that you can to heal. Our bodies have amazing restorative properties. I pray that yours is healing at a cellular level right now.
I hope this helped. That last question is a tough one and I don’t mean to side step you. The procedures will help. Live every day with joy and make wise choices. Let go of anything is useless to you… including fear.
Love and hugs,
Karen
Hi there, a few months ago I was told on an abdominal xray that I have fatty liver. Didn’t think much about it an kept eating fatty foods, sugars etc, fast food etc in excess because it is so convenient. Anyway, all the sudden I am constantly nauseated, fatigued and now have sharps pains in my liver area, upon movement etc. So now I am freaking out that something serious is going on. It is really hard to get into my doctor and working full time, momming full time time its hard to make the time. I was reading to cut carbs , fats and sugars. I want to being this now as I have a feeling I did more damage. Any blood tests I have had lately didn’t indicate any liver function issues but that doesn’t mean my liver cant hurt from food correct? I need help and am scared!!!! I messaged my doc asking for repeat liver function blood work and maybe a scan of some kind.
P.S. I have major health anxiety to boot
I heard that in your first comment! Saying it out loud will help you to catch yourself in the act of feeling anxious. Don’t beat yourself up with words. Take positive steps and feel good about them!!!
Congratulations on making a strong go of getting healthy!
You’re so smart to be looking at your pain and paying close attention to your blood labs. Yes, you can make some changes that will help save your life! I’ve been working on a liver loving diet book that has a ton of helpful tips for shopping, cooking, and eating. It’s saved my life!
If you’ve had a diagnosis with liver disease from any cause, this is the time to begin to make changes. You may not need to throw everything out, but you definitely need to begin to make some changes.
It’s scary. But you’re catching it early. Put yourself first. Make good choices about how you eat and you will be there to raise those kiddos! The first thing to cut out of your diet is fear or shame. Eat clean and you’ll live long!
xo Karen
I took the first and second slot of hepatitis B vaccine and after 8monnths i started everthing new , the day i took the first slot i felt pain in my liver
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