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How serious is Fatty Liver?

carina62

Well-Known Member
Messages
349
Location
Leicestershire
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
miserable weather, rude and bad mannered people
hello All, sorry if I've emailed a question about Fatty Liver before but I just can't help feeling that I should be more concerned about this than I am. I was diagnosed (by chance) with fatty liver 2 years ago, when I thought at the time I had gallstones. I am also a T2 and apparently this can go hand in hand with diabetes. Basically, I was just 'sent away' by my GP and he said to change my lifestyle (easier said than done). I am trying SO hard to lose weight as I know how important it is for my health (I am classed obese) but my concern about Fatty Liver is a) I have no idea how long I've had it - could be years the GP said and b) more concerning, how much damage (if any) has it done to my liver. I do have LFT's (liver function tests) on an annual basis but are these sufficient enough to inform me (and the GP) that there is nothing to worry about? I'm not sure what to do.
 
This link from the NHS website is useful.

http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/fatty-liver-disease/Pages/Introduction.aspx

I do know that fructose (in fruit) can contribute to a fatty liver, so if you are eating too much maybe you could cut down.

You can keep an eye on your liver function tests that you should be having each time you have an HbA1c. If you don't know what these test results are then I suggest you ask for print outs of all the liver function tests you have had since you were diagnosed with fatty liver. (Your surgery may have put these on-line if you are in England. All surgeries were told to do this before April last year, so it may be worth asking if your surgery did this, and how to register)

You need to look for the ALT and the Gamma GT in particular, but also the other liver functions (bilirubin, albumin and Alk Phosphate)
 

it seems that if one do eat low carb and high protein style it can help the fatty liver grow healthier... it also helps weightloss...
so if you have trouble changing eating style, then if I were you I start off boiling 4 eggs daily and eat them in between meals instead of other more sinful kinds of food... you could do so as a try just for a month or even a week...(and hange food after this one week like next week eating cheese sticks, and then another kind and so on ) and see what difference that would make...it also helped me to count my calories... well not at the moment... but used to help me very much, what is also important is the picture one has of ones own charater, many do judge themselves to have a weak character and use this as the eternal excuse for not doing any thing at all, I t really helps ones self confidense to make small goals that can be reached ... so find one little change and implement that as a first step... and stop telling yourself that can´t do that...

http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/thr...-liver-in-people-with-type-2-diabetes.111692/
 
The liver is a wonderful organ, it can regenerate and get back to near perfect. Weight loss as you know will do the trick. You could ask your GP for help; I know in my area (North Essex), our GP's can refer to PACE (some private company medical company (...that's another matter)) who do weight loss programs. Something is right for you, it is just of question of pressing the right button, it could be group based, remote support or personal trainer with nutrition, try and find what will work for you. Your bound to get some more ideas on this thread.
 
Fatty liver seems to be caused by drinking alcohol or eating/drinking fructose. (50% of table sugar is fructose). This is according to an eminent professor whose name I dare not mention for fear of upsetting another professor. Avoid doing either of those and it might not get worse.

Also, according to Dr. Unger, as fat accumulates in the liver diabetes kicks off so a fatty liver is seen as a cause of diabetes. The primary response of the pancreas is inhibited. The alpha cells and the beta cells are close and highly concentrated insulin should be available there and mostly isn't. When any glucose gets into the bloodstream it has to be dealt with by insulin there and since it is diluted by 200+times it is an inefficient way of doing the job. (Dr. Unger again)

Professor Taylor says that a sharp loss of weight (800 calories a day for two months) de-fats the liver and improves the situation.

As far as damage to your liver is concerned, it is a robust organ and can repair itself if any abuse stops. Major damage to any part of your body can occur with high blood sugar levels which you are far more likely to have with a fatty liver.
 
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I have asked to go on the GP Referral Scheme and am waiting to be contacted by them. Basically, this will allow me to use a local gym for 12 weeks and I should get dietary advice along the way so I am hoping this will kick start me off to a healthier lifestyle as I have tried everything you can think of to lose weight.

My LFT's have been OK up to now and all numbers within range but I do get a discomfort under my right rib and radiating over to my right shoulder blade and this sometimes varies, sometimes it's more uncomfortable than other times. I seem to hit the low points when it's festivities ie Christmas, Easter, birthdays etc there always seems to be something coming up which throws me right off track - it is all so very hard but I do know that I need to do this for my health.
 
I know from your previous posts that you find losing weight very hard, and you have been trying a long time. Weight is obviously a factor, but in my opinion blood glucose levels are more important. How are you doing blood glucose-wise? Are you still testing before and after meals? And what sort of levels do you see?

Have you joined and tried the low carb programme on this website? It is extremely successful for most people as it starts you off gently then builds up. Eating low carb will help control BG levels, and any weight loss is a bonus. It will also help with your fatty liver.

https://www.diabetes.co.uk/lowcarb/
 
 
All that can be done for a fatty liver is diet and exercise and if you drink alchol cut down. I am assuming that you have a fatty liver due to your diabetes(nafl). it will cause scarring on the liver eventually if not addressed. I have swelling and pain in the upper right area, did improve last year through diet and exercise, but fell of wagon because of family breavement.
 
LCHF diet cured my fatty liver in 6 months. My levels were a scary 185 and have reduced to a normal 35 now. The specialist I was seeing at the hospital discharged me last year saying that my liver had been consistently normal for over a year. She did a final ultrasound scan which confirmed I now have a normal liver
I used to feel uncomfortable under my ribs and had loads of heartburn at nights.. That has all gone
 
carina62 said:
I do get a discomfort under my right rib and radiating over to my right shoulder blade and this sometimes varies, sometimes it's more uncomfortable than other times. .
Click to expand...

That sounds like the classic symptoms of a Gall Bladder problem....
http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/gallstones/Pages/symptoms.aspx

if it were me I think I'd ask my Doctor for a referral for an upper abdomen ultra sound scan of liver , gall bladder , pancreas and bile duct
 
Does anyone know what other tests there are apart from a Fibroscan (expensive) to detect how much damage done to the liver? ie any other blood tests I could ask my GP for? I doubt they will let me have a Fibroscan as I hear they are very expensive - about £200+ but I wondered if there are any other significant blood tests for example I could ask for? thanks
 

@johnnyxs has a suggestion above.
 

Thanks for your reply johnny but I did have an ultrasound scan in 2015 after I complained to my GP of my discomfort underneath my right rib but they found my gall bladder and pancreas was OK but they did find a liver cyst along with fatty liver. After my liver cyst was investigated further with MRI etc they ruled out anything sinister so all I can assume really is that it may either be my liver cyst playing up or the fatty liver. Might be worth me making an appointment to speak with a GP about my concerns although I am always going to the doctors and am beginning to feel a bit of a nuisance. I have so many other health issues, it's not just one thing, I also have a hiatus hernia. I'm pretty sure most of my symptoms are due to my weight that is why I'm so desperate to have some decent weight loss.
 
I rang The British Liver Trust yesterday and spoke with a really nice lady about my concerns and she has suggested that I ask my GP if he can tell me from my US scan 2 years ago, how much fat I have in my liver and ask for another scan to see whether things have changed. She said this is becoming an epidemic and people not realising they have fatty liver unless it's picked up by chance (like in my case). I think doctors should send diabetics for a liver scan once they are diagnosed with diabetes as a matter of routine but I guess this isn't done due to costs. GP's should also highlight this more and explain things in more detail when you are diagnosed with diabetes, it just seems to me once you are diagnosed they just send you on your way and leave it in your hands to do something about it but don't highlight how important it is to change lifestyle. Are there any others who feel as angry as I do at the moment?
 
Well I saw my GP this week and aired my concerns with fatty liver and asked questions. Basically he told me not to get too concerned about it and watch my diet and go low fat and he said that liver function tests are enough to keep a check on things and because mine have always com back ok I should not worry. Well that's that I suppose I can't do anymore, just down to me I guess. Thanks for listening.
 
Do you eat a lot of fruit? Fructose can be a significant cause of NAFLD from my reading.
As always its the carbs that are stored as fat around the liver not fat but your Doc is obviously old school.
I doubt a low fat diet will do you much good.
 
Does that mean you have to stop low carb high fat?
 
I'm pretty sure I had NAFLD based on my ALT test result of 62 IU/L back in January 2014 (same time I was diagnosed with type 2). After a few months of low carb/high fat eating, it was down to 27 IU/L. It's been around that level ever since, indicating my NAFLD is gone.

So, I doubt very much that a low fat diet will do anything to reverse your NAFLD based on my experience.
 
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