Autoimmune Hepatitis

Question: What is natural cure/home remedy/homeopathic/ayurvedic treatment to cure autoimmune hepatitis? Last 4 months I am suffering from severe rash all over body & severe Hyperacidity & tiredness. Now Ultrasound Sonography has revealed Enlarged Liver with Fatty Changes/infilteration & distended Gall Bladder with mobile Gall Stone of 2.8 cm size. Is this sign of Autoimmune hepatitis? I don't wish to start Steroids to treat it.Is any Home remedy or alternative therapy or Homeopathy or Ayurvedic treatment available to cure it? In allopathy, it is incurable.

Answer: IF Ayurvedic treatment has Emergency treatment and if it has ICU you can try. In Allopathy atleast controle is possible

Question: Autoimmune Hepatitis? I feel like i'm the only one with this disease. Is there anyone out there with autoimmmune hepatitis?

Answer: Go check out this support group on yahoo; it is for autoimmune hepatitis and it has over 200 members signed up. They seem fairly active in their message posting. http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/Aut… I don't have hepatitis, but I have a bad kidney disease that seems to be autoimmune. Had a kidney transplant in March. Take care.

Question: Pregnancy.I had problems with my liver four years ago and was diagnosed with autoimmune hepatitis.? Pregnancy ? I had problems with my liver four years ago and was diagnosed with autoimmune hepatitis. I'm overall healthy right now, But my g/f is currently 6 months pregnant and I'm nervous that my child may be born with liver problems? I'm very nervous. You're help is greatly appreciated.

Answer: First of all, any disease that has genetic origins usually does NOT mean that the child will have the same disease 100% of the time. There are many factors that can play a role in whether an individual has the disease or not. Autoimmune hepatitis in particular can have genetic or environmental causes. There is evidence that it's genetic. Find out if your child is female or male, because 70% of those with autoimmune hepatitis are women. Although it does affect males as well, you might feel more reassured knowing that statistic exists. Autoimmune hepatitis research scientists have also discovered that certain genes known to play a role in the immune system are associated with a tendency to develop autoimmune hepatitis. Some people with autoimmune hepatitis do not have these particular genes; and still others have these genes but never develop the disease. This suggests that even if your child does have the genes, he/she may not necessary develop the disease just because one parent has it. However, I recommend that you visit a gynecologist, make visits to a pediatrician as your child ages to monitor changes in liver activity. Catching symptoms early on can reduce damage to the liver, as physicians can prescribe medications (like corticosteroids) to suppress immune activity. I wish you all the luck in the world; don't worry too much. These days autoimmune diseases are quite treatable, and people can live long, healthy lifestyles.

Question: Would like to hear from People who have been diagnosed with autoimmune hepatitis.? Hi would like to know how other people with auto immune hepatitis cope with the everyday symptons. My blood tests are not great and dr told me I am in remission. But still have symptons like tiredness, the shakes and joint pain. Somedays I really find it hard to cope. Every cough cold headache always seems worse than before. Even a little cut takes about a month to heal. Just need to hear from others who are suffering too. It sometimes makes it easier to know my symptons are normal for someone with this disease.

Answer: Hi, I have autoimmune hepatitis, and have had it for over 10 years now diagnosed. While I have had my ups and downs with it, it is very possible to lead a reasonable and though a bit restricted life, fulfilling life. I know first hand, about the fatigue, joints pain, feeling flusih and headaches, but you learn how to cope with the symptoms and work within the limits of the AH. I have raised 1 child (now an adult), and have another now a teen a teenage girl with Lupus with both these diseases. You asked if these symptoms are normal with others who have the same diagnosis, well yes in some, and no in others, like me I have many of those symptoms, plus I loose my appatite, my abodmen swells making me look several months pregnant, vomiting, among others. I go in and out of remmison, and have been off and on medications such as actigal and under dr orders the over the counter supplement milkthistle which cleanses your liver.Last year I had a bad Lupus and autoimmun hepatitis flare that my doctor had to put me on IV cytoxin. Since then, my counts and Hepatitis has gone into a full remmison. But I do do everything everyone else does, minus drinking. Having this is not the end of our lives so long as we take care of ourselves, do what the doctors tell us, and stay away from very fatty food most of the time (i allow myself treats, though I dont usually have an appatitite). You just have to know that allowing yourself to live, rest when you need it, but not over resting, and even exercsing when you can will help. I have been able to build my immune system up enough that I do not catch every bug that crossed my path. I also heal pretty much at the same rate from a cut as a normal person. So having it, under proper control, having a decent attitude, living as clean of a life as possible has helpped greatly. But falres will happen, just as remmissons. You may just need to ask your doctor about the proper immune boosting supplements that dont do ectra damage, and possibly other treatments your doctors may not have thought about (actigall), Many dr's are unaware of this one still, because it was first used to aide gallbladder disease, but found to be of aide for those of us with certain Liver disease's. Good luck, Chris

Question: I have chronic autoimmune hepatitis I was wondering if I would be able to drink alcohol? i got this problem over 14 years ago now.

Answer: Autoimmune hepatitis is already causing damage to your liver, if you add alcohol to the mix, you will expedite the damage to your liver 5 x faster than someone who doesn't drink. It is typical to have hepatitis for many years, so you have to take extra good care of your liver. Dying from end stage liver disease is not a pretty picture; I have seen quite a few people pass away from liver failure because they didn't want to quit drinking; but the ironic thing is with liver disease, eventually you will quit drinking when you become too sick to do anything. Not trying to scare you, just telling the truth. Best wishes.

Question: Can anyone with Autoimmune Hepatitis tell me what to expect with prenancy? I was diagnosis about 7 yrs ago and it is pretty much under control with steroids but I lack energy all the time and stress brings on all the other things (nauseous, lack of appetite, joint pain, severe body ache). My fiancée and I are trying to get pregnant what should I expect?

Answer: these are a few sources of information for autoimmune hepatitis, hope this helps, good luck American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases www.aasld.org American Liver Foundation www.liverfoundation.org Hepatitis Foundation International www.hepfi.org National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases www.niddk.nih.gov National Institutes of Health: Clinical Trials www.clinicaltrials.gov National Library of Medicine www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus

Question: When in remission from autoimmune hepatitis, does my liver continue to deteriorate despite medicine? Diagnosed 1 yr nad have managed to go into remission since Feb. I know there is no cure but I can't find answer as to how or if my liver may be deteriorating

Answer: When liver cell become damage, from any number of causes, the immune system of the body responds to this and causes inflammation to develop in the liver. Inflammation develops because of damage and also to protect the "rest" of the body (sort of puts up a blockage so that bacteria or infection doesn't go through any farther) from anything foreign coming into the body...but, in this instant...it only increases damage since the liver is surrounded by a membrane capsule and the added inflammation causes pressure in the liver and also causes the liver to enlarge in size and take on a spongy texture. When you have an auto immune disease... this means that your own immune system is attacking your own liver cells and damage to these cells are still done....it is like a double whamy. It is great that it is going into remission... if you can keep it in remission and the inflammation is treated, then it may not advance any farther. The problem is, if the inflammation continues to the point where the liver cells start to die off, then it will become a progressive disease known as cirrhosis of the liver. Up to this point it is known as Hepatitis caused by an autoimmune cause. Hepat means liver and itis means inflammation. So hepatitis is inflammation of the liver cells. Cirrhosis is death of the liver cells that lead to scar tissue formation in the liver. The scar tissue in the liver blocks the flow of blood through the liver on its way back to the heart; it also blocks the flow of blood to the liver cells and therefore they lack oxygen, nourishment, etc and the healthy cells continue to die off. So, if you are on medications and they are keeping you in remission...that is great. You should ask the doctor if you have been diagnosed with Cirrhosis, as yet. Medications, when it reaches that point, can only slow the disease down and help with symptoms... it isn't a cure. Without all your tests results, we would not be able to tell you what stage of the disease you are in. Usually, a liver biopsy is the best test done to determine this. You should be with either a gastroenterologist or hepatologist now. This usually goes from damage to the liver cells, to inflammation of the liver cells, to fibrosis in the liver, to death of the liver cells over time (Cirrhosis). From the enlargement of the liver now shrinking in size and taking on a hard texture...the liver is dying. I hope this information has been of some help to you.

Question: i would like to know the difference between autoimmune cholangiopathy and autoimmune hepatitis? my 13 yo daughter has been diagnosed with autoimmune cholangiopathy, but when I search it a lot of times it automatically changes it to autoimmune hepatitis

Answer: I found a site that explains it. Here it is for you. I'm sorry about your daughter. http://www.ikp.unibe.ch/lab2/aic.html

Question: Is autoimmune hepatitis ever cured and can cirrohis ever be healed? Also, can I ever stop taking Imuran? Also, can I ever stop taking Imuran?

Answer: Autoimmune hepatits can be controlled if caught in it's earliest stages. With treatment, 70% of people go into remission.....no cure. Cirrhosis is not curable, but can (in some cases)be controlled. Unfortunately, cirrhosis leads to liver failure eventually. A liver transplant may be a viable option

Question: Is Autoimmune Hepatitis associated with high levels of blood iron or low levels of blood iron?

Answer: high.