Primary Biliary Cholangitis and Autoimmune Hepatitis

Posted by mahdi123 @mahdi123, Dec 16, 2018

Hi this is Mahdi

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Transplants Support Group.

@rosemarya

@mahdi123, I am happy that you found some helpful information that was posted here. How are you feeling?

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Sorry to say quite irritated (But not because of you). It is really getting to me. Just found out on top of everything else my kidneys have shrunk quite much. I had been telling my doctors about the pain in the back where the kidneys are for about a year now. They did not want to address this issue. I am guessing because of the many other health issues I have confuses them. Holding on with much irritation and wanting to lash out. Wish I could afford to move elsewhere. Thank you for listening. Take care. Peach

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@peach414144

Sorry to say quite irritated (But not because of you). It is really getting to me. Just found out on top of everything else my kidneys have shrunk quite much. I had been telling my doctors about the pain in the back where the kidneys are for about a year now. They did not want to address this issue. I am guessing because of the many other health issues I have confuses them. Holding on with much irritation and wanting to lash out. Wish I could afford to move elsewhere. Thank you for listening. Take care. Peach

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@peach414144, You have every right to be more than quite irritated. Thank you for feeling trust to share this unfortunate situation here on Mayo Connect. We are here anytime to listen, and "Yes" you can lash out here. We understand.
I was just scrolling thru the Mayo Transplant Facebook and saw this, so I want to share it with you - "Today is the last day of National Kidney Month I hope it gives you some helpful information.
http://bit.ly/2uzoSVb

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@peach414144

Sorry to say quite irritated (But not because of you). It is really getting to me. Just found out on top of everything else my kidneys have shrunk quite much. I had been telling my doctors about the pain in the back where the kidneys are for about a year now. They did not want to address this issue. I am guessing because of the many other health issues I have confuses them. Holding on with much irritation and wanting to lash out. Wish I could afford to move elsewhere. Thank you for listening. Take care. Peach

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@peach414144
Hang in there...sometimes our docs dont listen..i have a great relationship with my PCP and can tell when Im getting my point across. I was REAL mad at him last week when he asked me if I was drinking...AST level was up. I pounced on him like a cat on a canary. He laughed and got the message. Also. I think communication with our specialists is difficult because they deal with so many like us. I always make a list on my phone of notes before and after each visit. That way I can go back and show them what I was talking about and when.
Im sorry you had to go through that...make sure you let them know how you feel...in the nicest way..of course..lol

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@ethanmcconkey

Hi @cinnamon215 you may have noticed that I moved your post to this existing discussion on Primary Biliary Cholangitis, per the request of @johnbishop, in order for you to connect with other members who have similar experiences.

I wanted to introduce you to fellow Connect members, @mahdi123 and @rosemarya as they have had similar experiences to you and may be able to offer you support.

Back to you @cinnamon215 how are your symptoms at this point?

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Thank you for your reply. I am just overwhelmed by the very nature of the question about my symptoms. It has been hard for me to put into words all I am dealing with since I first got sick a few years back. That's the same question that most of my doctors have opened the conversation with at my visits...which brings up another question that I need to jump to...I'm sure you can answer this one. Why do doctors ask something like "So, what brings you in today?" or "How are things going?" like they are a blank slate. This, after having spent a considerable amount of time filling out all the paperwork about my medicine, symptoms, medical history, etc. including the answer to the first question: "What is your chief complaint today?" and he hasn't even glanced at the paperwork. Since I developed all these miserable AI diseases, I don't know which doctor wants to know what, so I end up telling them my list of concerns and symptoms so they can pick and choose which ones they want to address which wastes a lot of valuable time. If I am in the middle of a flare, I tend to just shut down with that question because I can't answer it. With the stress of getting to the appointment and accompanying mental fog, sometimes it is a big ordeal to communicate.

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@johnbishop

Hello @cinnamon215, I know it's difficult dealing with multiple autoimmune diseases and especially when there are a lot of unknowns. I'm really glad to see that you are learning as much as you can about your health condition and being a strong advocate for your health. There is another discussion on Connect that is similar to yours where your post may get much more visibility. I'm tagging our moderator @ethanmcconkey to see if he is able to move your post to the following discussion where you can meet other members discussing Primary Biliary Cholangitis and Autoimmune Hepatitis.

> Groups > Transplants > Primary Biliary Cholangitis and Autoimmune Hepatitis
-- https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/primay-biliary-cholagitis-and-autoimmune-hepattitis/

Here are a few links that may help answer your question - which chemicals and toxins affect the liver.

NIH - Toxic hepatitis in occupational exposure to solvents
-- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3374978/

Industrial Chemicals Associated with Toxic Hepatitis
-- https://www.haz-map.com/heptox1.htm

Common toxins to avoid
-- http://loveyourliver.com.au/common-toxins-to-avoid

Do you think you may have been exposed to any hazardous chemicals or toxins?

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Hello, John, thank you for the great links you provided. If you know of other resources, I would appreciate reading those as well. I worked for 32 years at a Superfund site.

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@cinnamon215

Hello, John, thank you for the great links you provided. If you know of other resources, I would appreciate reading those as well. I worked for 32 years at a Superfund site.

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@cinnamon215 here are a few superfund specific links I found.

Superfund - Superfund is a U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) established program that addresses abandoned hazardous waste sites.: https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/superfund

Superfund: is it safe to go home? : https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4038095/

Superfund Human Exposure Dashboard: https://www.epa.gov/superfund/superfund-human-exposure-dashboard

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@johnbishop

@cinnamon215 here are a few superfund specific links I found.

Superfund - Superfund is a U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) established program that addresses abandoned hazardous waste sites.: https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/superfund

Superfund: is it safe to go home? : https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4038095/

Superfund Human Exposure Dashboard: https://www.epa.gov/superfund/superfund-human-exposure-dashboard

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Hello John, You know, it is amazing to me that there are people in this world who, like you, volunteer their time to help others. And what is also amazing is how quickly you guys at Mayo Connect respond with worthwhile and valuable assistance! Who does that any more? You are my life saver in the ocean of life today! LOL -- I bet no one ever told you that one! Seriously, John, thank you so very much for serving in this way. And thank you Mayo Clinic, for providing this most valuable service!

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@cinnamon215

Thank you for your reply. I am just overwhelmed by the very nature of the question about my symptoms. It has been hard for me to put into words all I am dealing with since I first got sick a few years back. That's the same question that most of my doctors have opened the conversation with at my visits...which brings up another question that I need to jump to...I'm sure you can answer this one. Why do doctors ask something like "So, what brings you in today?" or "How are things going?" like they are a blank slate. This, after having spent a considerable amount of time filling out all the paperwork about my medicine, symptoms, medical history, etc. including the answer to the first question: "What is your chief complaint today?" and he hasn't even glanced at the paperwork. Since I developed all these miserable AI diseases, I don't know which doctor wants to know what, so I end up telling them my list of concerns and symptoms so they can pick and choose which ones they want to address which wastes a lot of valuable time. If I am in the middle of a flare, I tend to just shut down with that question because I can't answer it. With the stress of getting to the appointment and accompanying mental fog, sometimes it is a big ordeal to communicate.

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I think the easy answer about the doctor's is that they want to hear you tell them what is going on its just a way to get a dialogue going to get a read, of where you're at, with your health. They just need to hear from your own lips what you're feeling.

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@ca426

I think the easy answer about the doctor's is that they want to hear you tell them what is going on its just a way to get a dialogue going to get a read, of where you're at, with your health. They just need to hear from your own lips what you're feeling.

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Thank you, Charlie. I assumed that, and that really works well if you have a cold or a simple problem. With AI diseases, nothing is ever simple and it can be a challenge to choose exactly what they need to hear. I have learned that it depends on who you ask about a symptom. if you have a rash, for example, and you go to the doctor. Your primary care may say that something irritated your skin and you should use a good lotion to keep your skin from getting dry. The dermatologist may tell you that you have dermatitis and prescribe a cortisone cream to use a couple of weeks and see if it goes away. If you took that rash to an allergy specialist, they may tell you that you are allergic to a food. If you took that same rash to a rheumatologist, you may hear that it is a symptom of an autoimmune disease that could be life threatening. If you went to a hematologist, they may say you have a blood disorder. And on it goes for the complicated patient who most often hears "Well, that's not typical" and recommends you see another specialist.

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I was diagnosed with Lupus, Sjogren, and primary biliary Cirrhosis in 2010. I just got diagnosed with Primary Biliary Cholangitis with scarring of the liver this month. I have a couple of weeks before my appointment with my GI doctor. What questions should I ask? What are some good resources for information and the stages of PBC? Thank you for your time, God bless!

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