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Profile picture for shacquie @shacquie

@gently thank you for responding to me. No one seems to have any information and no advice.
I greatly appreciate you.

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Replies to "@gently thank you for responding to me. No one seems to have any information and no..."

@shacquie early on in my liver disease I would have high ammonia levels which led to general confusion/disorientation (this was how my liver disease was diagnosed- I had a related episode of confusion while driving). It eventually led to major episodes of hepatic encephalopathy which were scary- I would become confused, angry, not myself and I barely remember those episodes. I took lactulose and an antibiotic beginning with X-I cannot recall the name- to stave off these symptoms. Lactulose is unpleasant to drink and it leads to diarrhea but is necessary to remove the bacteria in one’s body that can lead to high levels of ammonia.

My liver disease was so bad I had to have a transplant, but prior to that with above medications, my symptoms eased a lot.

I agree that trying to see the GI doc earlier is reasonable. I used to have my ammonia levels checked weekly, and I was educated around clinical signs to look out for- difficulty concentrating, increased shakiness in extremities- so I could take extra doses of my meds if needed. My doctors recommended that I not be alone at night/early morning when symptoms tend to worsen.

This is a great forum which is moderated by kind humans. Keep asking questions.
Kate