Liver Failure

Question: What about liver failure caused by paracetamol? I recently started to take paracetamol pills 'cause I was ill, and now while I looked it up, it apparently is really dangerous, and your liver will "die" or "fail" or w/e you wanna call it if OD-ed. Apparently as little as 10grams can be lethal, but how long does it take to actually die from "liver failure"(I guess that's what you die from) without any medical attention. And how painful is it? What would it feel like? Are the symptoms obvious?

Answer: Look at all the medication that you took while ill. See if any of the ingredients in this medications contained paracetamol or Tylenol. They are the same thing. People tend to easily overdose on a drug because more than one drug can have "this drug" in combination with it. Taking this drug according to the timing and the amount on the box is considered to be safe. However, there is always the exception to the rule. Some people are more sensitive to certain drugs than others are. If, for some reason, you have overdosed on it...it would be best to contact the doctor's office. They can give you other medication to counteract the overdoses amount, if this is done right away. If you are truly concerned about how your liver is doing, the doctor can take some blood and have it tested. The test he has done on the blood will show if it has affected the liver cells and if the liver cells are functioning properly. It is just a simple blood test and worth the time to have it done just to give someone peace of mind. The liver is a very quiet organ about damage being done to it. It usually will not show anything is wrong until the liver cells start to die off, then signs and symptoms may appear. You are smart to want to take care of this now. Do not take tylenol and alcohol together... it is a lethal combination. It is best to never take any drugs that are not approved of or prescribed by the doctor even if they are over the counter. There are too many drugs that interact with each other to take any chances. Usually a liver problem starts out as the cells of the liver becoming damaged. If the cause is stopped and any inflammation is treated that may have developed...then the liver cells can heal. If this isn't done, then it can lead to cirrhosis of the liver which is a progressive disease and is irreversible. Check out the instructions on the paracetamol bottle and see if you took more than recommended. If you did, I would make an appointment with your doctor and discuss this with him. If you overdosed "alot"...call the doctor office right away so they can tell you what to do next. Hope this information is of some help to you.

Question: How long does it take for symptoms of liver failure to be present? I overdosed on tylonal 3 about a month and a half ago, presently I feel great, I've changed my ways and become healthy.....am I still at risk of liver failure?

Answer: Liver failure from overdosing on tylenol happens acutely, meaning that if it has been a month ago and it did not happen, it will never happen. You are ok.

Question: What treatments are there for liver failure? I am doing research on liver failure in people who overdose on acetaminophen. I was hoping I might find out what some of the treatments are, how long the person has to live without treatment, and what some of the signs and symptoms are.

Answer: HI Pepto DO you mean like a disease like cirrhosis? These methods here will heal the issue and all other kinds of internal problems. Cause Liver function can be impaired by a toxic bowel. Most pharmaceutical drugs, if taken on a consistent basis, can also cause liver disease. If you are on such medications, be sure to have your liver function monitored regularly (every 3-6 months) by your physician, and consider other healing alternatives that might reduce or eliminate your need for medications. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Natural Cures Aromatherapy: Juniper, rosemary, and rose essential oils can all help stimulate liver function. Detoxification: Liver function can also be impaired by a toxic bowel. For this reason, bowel cleansing and rejuvenation techniques may be very important. In severe cases, repeat the bowel cleanse once a month, or as needed, and stay on bowel nutrients for up to one year depending on the severity of your condition and your response to treatment. Diet: Diet is extremely important in preventing and reversing all forms of liver disease, including cirrhosis. Eat a low-protein, whole foods diet of organic foods, including seeds, nuts, whole grains, beans, nuts, and goat or rice milk, and also eat plenty of leafy green vegetables. Avoid all alcohol and processed fats such as margarine, hydrogenated oils, and foods with these oils added, rancid oils, and hardened vegetable fats. Instead, use cold-processed oils such as olive. Also increase your consumption of foods high in amino acids and potassium, such as nuts, seeds, bananas, raisins, rice, wheat bran, kelp, dulse, brewer`s yeast, and molasses, and drink plenty of pure, filtered water. Avoid animal protein as well as raw or undercooked fish, and limit your overall intake of fish. Also avoid all stressors on the liver, such as overeating, drugs of any kind, a highly processed diet (especially one high in processed fats, additives and preservatives), and foods high in animal protein, and accumulation of toxins from chemicals that have to be processed by the liver such as alcohol, drugs, acetaminophen, insecticides, and chemicals from rancid and processed oils. Toxins from Candida yeast organisms within the body can also contribute to liver stress, as can the use of contraceptives. Herbs: Milk thistle is an excellent herb to help in the treatment of cirrhosis because it helps liver cells regenerate. It may be taken in the form of tablets or the non-alcohol extract called a glycerate. The dose is based upon the content of silymarin (the active ingredient of milk thistle) and so standardized extracts are preferable. The typical dosage range is 70-200 mg of silymarin daily. The herb Picrorhiza kurroa is not as well-known as milk thistle, but may have similar effects. Licorice can also be helpful. The Chinese herb bupleurum (chai-hu) may also be helpful, as can the herbal mixture of kutki (200 mg), shanka pushpi (500 mg), and guduchi (300 mg), with is used by practitioners of Ayurvedic medicine to boost liver function. Take 1/4 teaspoon of this mixture taken twice a day, after lunch and dinner, with aloe vera juice. Juice Therapy: The following juices can help the liver eliminate toxins that cause stress on it: beet and carrot juice and wheat grass juice. To either juice, you can add raw flaxseed oil and garlic as tolerated. Nutritional Supplementation: Lipotrophic factor nutrients are essential for aiding liver function. These include vitamin C, vitamin E, silymarin, lipoic acid, and raw liver tablets. Other useful nutrients in this regard include vitamin B complex, vitamin B12, folic acid, niacin (in small doses such as 10-30 mg. three times), liver glandulars, digestive enzymes with hydrochloric acid (HCL) and ox bile extract, and the amino acids L-methionine, L-carnitine, L-cysteine, L-glutathione, and L-arginine. Caution: For all cases of liver disease, do not use more than 10,000 IU of vitamin A daily and avoid cod liver oil entirely. Alternative Professional Care If your symptoms persist despite the above measures, seek the help of a qualified health professional. The following professional care therapies have all been shown to be useful for treating and relieving the symptoms of cirrhosis: Acupuncture, Cell Therapy, Detoxification Therapy, Magnetic Field Therapy, Natural Hormone Replacement Therapy, Naturopathic Medicine, Reflexology, Qigong, and Traditional Chinese Medicine. Best of health to you

Question: How long can a person live with liver failure? My 45 year old daughter has total liver failure How long can she live while waiting for a transplant?

Answer: if it is acute failure like from tylenol toxicity she probably cannot survive without immidiate transplant. If she has chronic liver disease such as Hepatitis she can live with it for month to years depends on her condition. Waiting for transplant can take waiting days to years depending on how healthy she is and if she is eligible for transplant which would be determined on individual basis by hospitals.

Question: How much beer would you have to consume on a daily basis to meet with Liver Failure? Im a bit of a drinker, I stopped smoking and picked up drinking.. Go figure. So how much beer do you have to consume, to meet with liver failure

Answer: Alcohol does not necessarily destroy one's liver, but if you are worried enough about the effects of your drinking to ask this question then I would advise you to talk to a doctor or counselor for specific guidance. IANAD, but If one drinks moderately and maintains good nutrition otherwise, the likelihood of cirhottic liver damage is minimal. If you plan on being a full-on drunk, I would expect that a car wreck, bar fight, or domestic violence will seal the deal long before your liver gives up.

Question: What are the chances of liver failure or liver disease? Ive had 2000 mg of tylenol today starting at 5am and every 4 hours till my last dose at 5pm. What are the chances of me developing liver failure or liver disease if I were to drink a 12 pack now? (9pm) Dont try and scare me, just be honest.

Answer: Minimal to absent chance for failure. You may already have steato hepatitis (fatty liver) if you drink 12 every day.

Question: Does anybody know anything about hereditary liver failure in domestic cats? 7 mos. ago my 4 yr. old cat passed away due to liver failure. Today her sister died. It was like deja vu. I can't imagine it being a toxin. They were indoor cats and I can't fathom them having gotten into anything. The vet doesn't have any answers either. I need any info you may have or any similar situations. I need to try to find the answer.

Answer: Most toxins are in the house. Carpet fumes, furniture fumes, household cleaners, wood varnish, to name a few. Indoor cats are exposed to most of these environmental toxins on a daily basis. As you probably already know, the liver functions to clear toxins from the body, so it is this organ which gets concentrated with the toxins first. Another thing to consider is their food. Typically cats are fed the same brand or same types of food for their entire life. Please note that cats are obligate carnivores and are not really supposed to be eating grains (never ever feed your cats grains!). In the wild, the only thing they eat is meat, and have eaten only meat for thousands of years. Their GI physiology revolves around their adaptation to a carnivore's diet. Also we must consider any preservatives that may be in their food. Sadly labeling regulations for pet food are not as stringent as those for people food, so pet owners are left in the dark about any potential hazards in their pet's food. Its up to the pet owner to contact the manufacture of the pet food to find out specific details about how it is processed and any added ingredients which are not on the label. I'm sad to hear your loss. Let me reassure you however that all cats go to heaven :o)

Question: If a cat has liver failure, is there any hope of recovery? My parents just informed me that my beloved cat has liver failure...she is about 5 years old. is there any chance of her recovering?

Answer: It depends on what caused the liver failure and, of course, how bad it is. I work at a vet hospital and we see several cases of liver failure each year. Several were caused by a cat suddenly being deprived of food -- one was accidentally shut up in the garage of an empty house for over a week, one stopped eating while his owners were on vacation and the person caring for him didn't think it was a problem because he was a fat cat (dogs can survive a starvation diet but cats can't) and one was lost and evidently unable to unable to find anything to eat. They all developed hepatic lipidosis (fatty liver disease). Two lived and the cat who was shut in the garage died. He was also very dehydrated and just couldn't recover. We've had several who developed viral hepatitis. All survived. One had liver cancer with the first symptom liver failure. She was euthanized. Two developed liver failure from exposure to garden chemicals, in one case, and the other was deliberately poisoned by being soaked in dog flea medicine. Both recovered. In every case, though, recovery was long and tedious, with set-backs and problems, and the treatment was expensive. Most were hospitalized for days or up to two weeks, tube-fed and force-fed, given sub-cutaneous fluids and pain management, and required multiple medicines after they went home.

Question: how long would it take for a liver failure after acetaminophen OD? If a person consumes more acetaminophen then recommended, say 30-35 250 mg tablets, how long would it take for liver failure to occur after?

Answer: Three days... and it is an extremely painful death. There is no going back with a Tylenol OD by the way. No hospital can save you.

Question: Can Pneumonia cause Kidney and liver failure? Has anyone ever heard of this? My cousin is in critical condition, expected to die. Double pneumonia, causing kidney failure and low liver functions. Does not sound like just pneumonia to me. Concerned!

Answer: It probably all started from the pneumonia. What's most likely happening is he got blood poisoning or sepsis from the lung infection and that is causing the other organs to shut down. I would imagine he's on a ventilator also. I'll say it looks bad but I've seen worse survive. God bless and care for your cousin.

Question: Liver failure? My pony has just been diagnosed with liver failure im waiting for blood results but the vet said that it doesnt look good,im gutted ive had that pony,pippin for 19 years,What am i going to with my gelding they have been together for about 18/19years hes going to be heartbroken:( i know its a stupid question but im still in shock:( I think he would have put her down today if he hadnt taken me by suprise but he said we could take blood test for the liver & i said yes just pure out of shock but will phone him tomorrow to see if the tests are back but if there not i will still ask him to come & put her down i cant let it get any worse her age is agianst her shes 26 years old.

Answer: While you still have the time, I would call around and ask your friends, local barns, etc., if they have a companion horse which they would be willing to lease or sell to you. If you can find such an animal, you could start introducing your gelding to him or her, so that he gets used to having another animal around. That way, when you finally have to let Pippin go to the Rainbow Bridge, he won't be so alone and lonely. Another alternative would be to send your gelding to a new barn for a while, so that he gets a change of scene and doesn't get a chance to think too much about how lonely he is. After Pippin is gone, and he's adjusted to being with another animal, you could bring him home. I am so sorry for your impending loss- it's tough to say goodbye to a pony who's been around for so long. Pippin will have a good journey, though- and when she gets to the Bridge, she will be as strong and playful as she was when she was a filly. Good luck to you. PS: No, you are NOT stupid, nor is your question stupid. Don't be so hard on yourself. Of course you are upset and in shock- you wouldn't be human if you weren't. Try to see if you can get a companion for your gelding, though- he will be less stressed and lonely if you can find one. "Hugs" and again, I'm sorry.

Question: Do steroids help a cat with liver failure or is this not recommended? My cat has liver failure and my vet said it could help or hurt, but I heard that this is very helpful. I don't want to loose the poor thing. He means too much to my family.

Answer: The only thing I can suggest is grape seed extract it is worth a try and will not harm the cat. I have heard of some miraculus stories of how this has helped other diseases. 1mg or more per pound of weight (you can't overdose)

Question: Are back pain and liver failure related? My aunt overdosed on acetominophen, and has the symptoms of liver failure. However, she is complaining that she has terrible stabbing back pain in her middle back as well. She is going to the emergency room, but does anyone know if these two things are related?

Answer: Guess your Aunt was taking the Acetaminophen for the back pain and it has upset her liver? I do not think they are related outside of being in pain and taking too many drugs. Best of Luck

Question: Acetaminophen / Tylenol overdose... How long does liver failure take? ? So my friends and i were arguing this (dont ask why we have effed up arguments) and we cant seem to find an answer for it... So we searched and read sites and understand that 10gs of the drug and cause liver failure and kill you in a slow, painful way. Ick... But what if someone took 20 or 30 grams? Would they die quicker? Like, within hours? Or would it still take a long time?

Answer: if someone took 20-30 grams of acetaminophen.. first you would die a lot faster than u would with 10 grams of it.. if your liver fails.. just know that its function is to clean the blood of toxins and waste, also it is a storage for water.. you would no1. have a higher concentration of acetaminophen in your blood system and when breached in the brain. it would most likely cause a relapse in your brain... your brain controls your body system.. it would shut down faster due to the influence of the drug.

Question: How does liver failure cause yellow eyes? When the whites of one's eyes turn yellow, one cause is liver failure. How does that work? I'm just interested. It'd be great if an alternate layman's explaination was provided, since I'm just entering the tenth grade, I don't know much medically. :)

Answer: When your red blood cells die off, the spleen and the liver takes a part of them and converts it into a substance, known as Bilirubin. This bilirubin is a pigment...that means that it has the capability to color other things. Bilirubin is a greenish, brownish, yellowish substance. When first made, it is in a form that will not dissolve in liquids. The liver will take this bilirubin and convert it into a form that will dissolve in liquids. It then combines with the bile the liver makes and it will flow from the liver, through tube like structures (known as ducts) to the intestines to help in the digestion of fats we eat. When Bilirubin enters the intestines, it is what gives our bowel movement the color they have...brownish. If the bilirubin doesn't reach the intestines, the bowel movement would be a grayish white color instead. Anything that blocks the flow of the bile in the tube like structures (ducts), can cause the bilirubin and bile to back up into the liver and cause damage there. The bilirubin goes or stays in the blood, then, and can cause a rise on the blood test results the doctor receives. Since there is a rise in the blood and the bilirubin is a pigment... it can cause the whites of the eyes to become yellow and also the mucus membranes and skin to also appear yellow to an orangish yellow. (Jaundice). Since the Kidneys filter the blood, it can cause the urine to also appear darker in color. Things that cause the bile ducts to become blocked are a stone forming in the gallbladder that moves into these ducts, or an infection has developed there. Also, a patient may have twisted or strictured ducts or even been born without good ducts. ....... Now about liver failure.... If the liver cells become damaged, the cells can die off. This is known as liver failure. When this happens, the functions those cells do to convert the bilirubin and make the bile deteriorates. The bilirubin that the spleen makes, then stays in the blood and causes the same thing. I hope this has been of some help to you in understanding more how this happens.

Question: Hypoglycemia and liver failure - what IS the relation? I've read about how Hypo can develop in the late stages of liver failure, does this mean that there would be other symptoms present? If so, what would be the ones that could be expected at a stage where Hypo is present? I am near sure I have reactive Hypoglycemia (dr appointment is tomorrow) but I am wondering - would I see more indications of liver failure at the stage of hypo being highly present?

Answer: Hypoglycemia occurs in liver failure due to the lack of glycogen stores (these are your sugar reserves). Other symptoms of liver failure include engorged veins in the esophagus (esophageal varices) which can cause severe bleeding, coagulopathy due to inability of the liver to produce clotting factors, encephalopathy due to inability to filter toxins and more. Here is some more info: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/4296…