Primary Biliary Cirrhosis

Question: I have Primary Biliary Cirrhosis would like to know what to expect?

Answer: I would expect you to go to mayoclinic.com, learn some more about it, and try get an appointment with a Doctor there. This is a diagnosis that requires an expert on it.

Question: primary biliary cirrhosis if you have it would like to know if you can help me?

Answer: Perhaps just ask the question, and I'll see if I can help.

Question: health question regarding -primary biliary-cirrhosis, why do the sufferers feel so tired all the time? even with the vitamins and good life style, exercise and moderate alcohol. depression and tiredness seem the main problems

Answer: The most common symptoms of primary biliary cirrhosis are itchy skin and fatigue. Other symptoms include jaundice (yellowing of the eyes and skin), cholesterol deposits on the skin, fluid retention, and dry eyes or mouth. Some people with primary biliary cirrhosis also have osteoporosis, arthritis, and thyroid problems. Fatigue. This is the most common, and often the most debilitating, symptom of primary biliary cirrhosis. In general, energy levels are normal in the morning, but fall precipitously later in the day and don't improve with rest. Doctors haven't found any correlation between the degree of exhaustion and the severity of the illness, which means that people with mild primary biliary cirrhosis and those with more serious disease may be equally fatigued.

Question: Is it advisable for a Pt. with (stage ii) Primary Biliary Cirrhosis to begin a Forteo regimen? PMedx - has had PBC since 1995; diabetic; osteoporosis Socialx- no illicit drug use, consumption of EtoH, smoking; retired teacher MEDS: Amaryl, Hydrochlorothiazide, K-Lor Also Urso 250, and Synthroid .75mcg

Answer: This depends on a great many circumstances. This medication is a big inconvenience to begin with, as it is to be injected daily. At any rate, you should consult a hepatologist on this one for sure. That is all I can tell you. Nice job on Pt. History, but I would need more info. to make an honest recommendation. CBC and other test results would be helpful.

Question: Primary Biliary Cirrhosis? Just saw a liver specialist who says he suspects I have this. Did more blood work and from there will decide on a biopsy. What is in store for me if I have this disease?

Answer: Primary biliary cirrhosis is an autoimmune disease of the liver marked by the slow progressive destruction of the small bile ducts (bile canaliculi) within the liver. When these ducts are damaged bile builds up in the liver (cholestasis) and over time damages the tissue. This can lead to scarring, fibrosis, cirrhosis, and ultimately liver failure. It was previously thought to be a rare disease, but more recent studies have shown that it may affect up to 1 in 3-4,000 people; the sex ratio is not less than 9 to 1, women to men. There is no known cure, but medication may slow the progression so that a normal lifespan and quality of life may be attainable for many patients. However, specific treatment for fatigue, which may be invalidating in some patients, is unavailable. Ursodeoxycholic acid (Ursodiol) is the most frequently used treatment. This helps reduce the cholestasis and improves blood test results (liver function tests). It has a minimal effect of symptoms and whether it improves prognosis is controversial. To relieve itching caused by bile acids in circulation, which would normally be removed by the liver, cholestyramine (a bile acid sequestrant) may be prescribed to absorb bile acids in the gut and be eliminated, rather than re-enter the blood stream. As in all liver diseases, alcoholic beverages are contraindicated. In advanced cases, a liver transplant, if successful, results in a favorable prognosis. Multivitamins (esp. Vitamin D) and calcium are also recommended as patients with PBC have poor lipid-dependent absorption of Vitamins A, D, E, K.

Question: can you get hepatic encephalopathy with auto-immune hepatitis. I also have primary biliary cirrhosis?

Answer: Yes. Encephalopathy occurs when the toxins can't be broken down and expelled out of the body. They build up in the body, more specifically the brain. Lactulose is given to bind with the toxin and to promote you to expel it from your body (in the form of diarrhea). You can get encephalopathy from any kind of liver disease.

Question: primary biliary cirrhosis:best treatment options? prognostic indicators

Answer: well the treatment is aimed at the cause of the cirrhosis in an attempt to prevent further liver damage. Adequate rest and diet are essential, as is restriction of alcohol. Vitamin and mineral supplements may be prescribed,,,,the prognosis is poor in advanced cirrhosis, especially for alcoholic cirrhosis should the person continue drinking. Hematemesis jaundice and ascites are unfavorable signs. Elevated blood pressure in the portal vein, called portal hypertentions, is a common complication of cirrhosis. As a consequence, blood pressure increases within the spleen, causing enlargement of the spleen or splenomegaly and blood bypasses the liver producing ascites or esophageal varices, which are abnormally dilated and twisted veins or arteries. Hemorrhage of exophageal varices often requires emergency treatment. If cirrhosis is not treated hepatic failure and death result

Question: What is Primary Biliary Cirrhosis, and what are some effective ways to detect it in Early stages? I have had some blood work done that shows everything is normal.(liver panel test). But I am now reading about Antimitochondrial Antibodies (AMA). My blood work was done for gallbladder stone detection..(not PBC) So now I want to know if there are other ways to detect PBC, even if Liver Panel test shows normal. My doctor has scheduled a Ultrasound for me for this coming Friday. I am wondering if this AMA test would do it, so I can avoid paying the high costs of an Ultra sound... which is better to detect PBC? (AMA or an Untra-Sound)??

Answer: Ultrasound imaging can be done for both Primary Biliary Cirrhosis and Gall Stones. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/primary-biliary-cirrhosis/DS00604/DSECTION=tests-and-diagnosis Some of these additional tests can be quite expensive. And a doctor wouldn't normally do them unless your blood test came back positive, and he needed to confirm the positive result before starting treatment. Anti-Mitochondrial antibodies test can be used to confirm some other positive test for Primary Billiary Cirrhosis (PBC). But on its own the AMA test cannot be used to diagnose PBC. Because this test can have both false positive and false negative results. It's not 100% accurate.

Question: I have primary biliary cirrhosis and overlap/crossover syndrome? I would like to know if any one else out there has the cross over bit as there is little or no literature on this as it is relatively rare, or so I am told! Is there anything I can be advised of that might help. Meds are Ursodeoxycholic Acid, Mycophenolate Mofetil. Please this is a serious question and I would like a little respect on this one. thank you x Thankyou for that. I have looked at the web site. I have multiple connective tissue disorders but nothing mentions about liver overlap. I will email them. thanks again

Answer: It's pretty rare: about 1% of the US population is affected. I'm sure there is some form of organization which helps but I really don't know. I really have no idea what to tell you that you don't already know. You could look at this slideshow: it summarizes it quite simply and might help you in explaining it to others. http://www.myositis.org/pdf/CONF04/Myositis_overlaps_8-2004.pdf Good luck, I hope someone can help.

Question: Could somebody explain to me simply what gastrointestinal surgery is? Somebody i know was supposedly going to have this operation. I just wanted to know what it was. She apparently had PBC (Primary Biliary Cirrhosis)? a bit of info would be nice! Cheers.

Answer: gastrointestinal(GI) surgery just means that they are doing surgery on a part of their digestive system. Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) is a disease characterized by inflammatory destruction of the small bile ducts within the liver. So if they has something wrong with her liver and thats why they are doing the surgery then I would assume that they would be performing surgery on their liver. Typically a surgeon would not refer to a surgery on the patients liver as a GI surgery so I would think that there is something else going on.

Question: Can I get a handicap parking placard for Primary Biliary cirrhosis? I have just been diagnosed with Primary Biliary Cirrhosis as well as Sjogrens Syndrome. I was wondering if anyone knows if it is possible to obtain a handicap parking placard in the state of California for these issues?

Answer: Handicapped parking is for people that cannot walk very far and needs closer to the entrance or for someone in a wheelchair that needs the extra room for getting in and out of a vehicle. I had primary biliary cirrhosis and never used handicapped parking until AFTER I received my transplant. There should not be any reason you need handicapped parking with PBC since it does not take away your ability to walk or even make you out of breathe. I had to use handicapped parking for a few months after my transplant since it took me a long time to get back on my feet again. I don't know what Sjogrens Syndrome is so I don't know if that limits you in some way or not. I guess the answer to your question is to ask yourself, "Can I walk to the store without a problem?" If the answer is yes, then you don't need handicapped parking even though I know you probably would like to have one of those placards just for the convenience of easy parking. Leave it for the people that really need it if you can.

Question: What exactly do Antimitochondrial Antibodies (M2) do to the body? I have just been diagnosed with Primary Biliary Cirrhosis by blood tests (positive M2 Antibody) and liver biopsy. I also have Rheumatoid Arthritis, Sjogrens Syndrome, Raynauds Syndrome and Thyroiditis which apparently all "go along" with this disease. I understand it's all autoimmune but what I'm trying to understand is what role (if any) the antimitochondrial antibodies play in these diseases. Is my body attacking mitochondria in all my cells (and creating these other diseases) or just the ones in the bile ducts? Thank you for your help. Thank you for telling my what Antimitochondrial Antibodies are... but I knew that, what I was asking was what effect do they have on the body and could they have been responsible for my other Autoimmune Diseases other than the PBC. Thank you for your help.

Answer: Antimitochondrial antibodies (AMA) are substances (antibodies) that form against mitochondria, an important part of cells. Mitochondria are the energy source inside all of the body's cells. Mitochondria help cells work properly.

Question: My hands and feet are very hot and red. They are very painful and I get a tingling sensation too.? I have Primary Biliary Cirrhosis which is thought to be autoimmune disease and ostearthritis,

Answer: It sounds like chillblanes, but it could be related to your existing problems, best to discuss it with a doctor;

Question: Help required with an appeal for disability living allowance? I suffer from Primary Biliary Cirrhosis and have applied for DLA. My claim has been refused and is now going to appeal. I have said I want an oral hearing and I know I can take a representative with me. I have read all the guidelines and am sure I should qualify for at least the lower level if not the full one. Any suggestions where I can find someone who is able to represent me before the tribunal which will take place in Cardiff. Many thanks

Answer: It generally takes 2 years to receive any disability. 1st you usually get a denial letter about 6 months after you apply for disability.Then you need to get a lawyer that only gets paid if you win.This is necessary to get all the right documents needed,It usually takes about 2 years to the point of approval.The reason it is so long long awaiting period is to discourage those who do not need disability.It adversely affects those who do need it

Question: Walter Payton? Is the disease Walter had also called Primary Biliary Cirrhosis?

Answer: No, Payton was suffering from primary sclerosing cholangitis and needed a liver transplant. His physician, Dr. Greg Gores of the Mayo Clinic, said Payton was subsequently diagnosed with cancer of the bile duct, a vessel that carries digestive fluids from the liver to the small intestine. Primary Biliary Cirrhosis is a different illness PBC is a chronic liver disease that causes slow, progressive destruction of bile ducts in the liver. This destruction interferes with the excretion of bile. Continued liver inflammation causes scarring and eventually leads to cirrhosis. Cirrhosis is present only in the later stage of the disease. In the early stages of the illness, the main problem is the build up of substances (like bile acids, cholesterol) in the blood, which are normally excreted into the bile. Ursodeoxycholic acid is a life-saving, safe, and approved therapy.

Question: hiv ? what does this story means? Search | My Home | Who's Online | FAQ | Log Out | User List | Mark All Read Bulletin Boards >> Am I Infected? Previous Index Next Flat Threaded Anonymous Unregistered Re: Porn Stars Get HIV 04/16/04 05:19 PM Reply Quote One 'positive' test for harmless anti bodies out of well over 20,000 porn stars who test monthly in ten years. Proof that 'AIDS' is not an std. Factors Known to Cause False Positive HIV Antibody Test Results 1.Anti-carbohydrate antibodies 52,19,13 2.Naturally-occurring antibodies 5,19 3.Passive immunization: receipt of gamma globulin or immune (as prophylaxis against infection which contains antibodies) 18, 26, 60, 4, 22, 42, 43, 13 4.Leprosy 2, 25 5.Tuberculosis 25 6.Mycobacterium avium 25 7.Systemic lupus erythematosus 15, 23 8.Renal (kidney) failure 48, 23, 13 9.Hemodialysis/renal failure 56, 16, 41, 10, 49 10.Alpha interferon therapy in hemodialysis patients 54 11.Flu 36 12.Flu vaccination 30, 11, 3, 20, 13, 43 13.Herpes simplex I 27 14.Herpes simplex II 11 15.Upper respiratory tract infection (cold or flu) 11 16.Recent viral infection or exposure to viral vaccines 11 17.Pregnancy in multiparous women 58, 53, 13, 43, 36 18.Malaria 6, 12 19.High levels of circulating immune complexes 6, 33 20.Hypergammaglobulinemia (high levels of antibodies) 40, 33 21.False positives on other tests, including RPR (rapid plasma reagent) test for syphilis 17, 48, 33, 10, 49 22.Rheumatoid arthritis 36 23.Hepatitis B vaccination 28, 21, 40, 43 24.Tetanus vaccination 40 25.Organ transplantation 1, 36 26.Renal transplantation 35, 9, 48, 13, 56 27.Anti-lymphocyte antibodies 56, 31 28.Anti-collagen antibodies (found in gay men, haemophiliacs, Africans of both sexes and people with leprosy) 31 29.Serum-positive for rheumatoid factor, antinuclear antibody (both found in rheumatoid arthritis and other autoantibodies) 14, 62, 53 30.Autoimmune diseases 44, 29, 1O, 40, 49, 43 31.Systemic lupus erythematosus, scleroderma, connective tissue disease, dermatomyositis Acute viral infections, DNA viral infections 59, 48, 43, 53, 40, 13 32.Malignant neoplasms (cancers) 40 33.Alcoholic hepatitis/alcoholic liver disease 32, 48, 40, 10, 13, 49, 43, 53 34.Primary sclerosing cholangitis 48, 53 35.Hepatitis 54 36."Sticky" blood (in Africans) 38, 34, 40 37.Antibodies with a high affinity for polystyrene (used in the test kits) 62, 40, 3 38.Blood transfusions, multiple blood transfusions 63, 36, 13, 49, 43, 41 39.Multiple myeloma 10, 43, 53 40.HLA antibodies (to Class I and II leukocyte antigens) 7, 46, 63, 48, 10, 13, 49, 43, 53 41.Anti-smooth muscle antibody 48 42.Anti-parietal cell antibody 48 43.Anti-hepatitis A IgM (antibody) 48 44.Anti-Hbc IgM 48 45.Administration of human immunoglobulin preparations pooled before 1985 10 46.Haemophilia 10, 49 47.Haematologic malignant disorders/lymphoma 43, 53, 9, 48, 13 48.Primary biliary cirrhosis 43, 53, 13, 48 49.Stevens-Johnson syndrome 9, 48, 13 50.Q-fever with associated hepatitis 61 51.Heat-treated specimens 51, 57, 24, 49, 48 52.Lipemic serum (blood with high levels of fat or lipids) 49 53.Haemolyzed serum (blood where haemoglobin is separated from red cells) 49 54.Hyperbilirubinemia 10, 13 55.Globulins produced during polyclonal gammopathies (which are seen in AIDS risk groups) 10, 13, 48 cross-reactions 10 57.Normal human ribonucleoproteins 48, 13 58.Other retroviruses 8, 55, 14, 48, 13 59.Anti-mitochondrial antibodies 48, 13 60.Anti-nuclear antibodies 48, 13, 53 61.Anti-microsomal antibodies 34 62.T-cell leukocyte antigen antibodies 48, 13 63.Proteins on the filter paper 13 64.Epstein-Barr virus 37 65.Visceral leishmaniasis 45 66.Receptive anal sex 39, 64 Christine Johnson, a researcher and author, compiled this list of conditions documented in the scientific literature to cause positives on HIV tests, and provides references for each condition. Christine notes: "Just because something is on this list doesn't mean that it will definitely, or even probably, cause a false-positive. It depends on what antibodies the individual carries as well as the characteristics of each particular test kit. For instance, some, but not all people who have had blood transfusions, prior pregnancies or an organ transplant will make HLA antibodies. And some, but not all test kits (both ELISA and Western blot) will be contaminated with HLA antigens to which these antibodies can react. Only if these two conditions coincide might you get a false-positive due to HLA cross-reactivity. There are conditions that are more likely than others to cause false-positives. And there are some conditions that we aren't aware of yet which may be documented in the future to cause false-positives. Some of the factors on the list have been documented only for ELISA, while some have been documented for both ELISA and Western blot (WB) tests. People may be eager to argue that if a factor is only known to cause false-positives on ELISA, this problem won't be carried over to the WB. But remember, a WB is positive by virtue of accumulating enough individual positive bands to add up to the total required by whatever criteria is used to interpret it 39. So the more exposure a person has had to foreign antigens, proteins and infectious agents, the more various antibodies he or she will have in their system, and the more likely it is that there will be several cross-reacting antibodies, enough to make the WB positive. It is to be noted that all AIDS risk groups (and Africans as well), but not the general US or Western European population, have this problem in common: they have been exposed to a plethora of foreign antigens and proteins. This is why people in the AIDS "risk groups" tend to have positive WBs (i.e., to be considered "HIV-infected") and people in the population don't. However, even people in low-risk populations have false-positive Western blots for poorly understood reasons 47. Since false-positives to every single HIV protein have been documented 36, how do we know if the positive WB bands represent the various proteins to HIV, or a collection of false-positive bands reacting to several different non-HIV antibodies?" Post Extras: Entire thread Subject Posted by Posted on hiv test nomoreworry4me 01/19/08 06:24 PM I"M NEG woo hoo just wanted to know what does this mean,,

Answer: There's a bunch of people out there who variously believe that HIV does not cause AIDS, or that AIDS does not exist, or that HIV is not sexually transmitted. They have been well and truly refuted on all counts. They make pests of themselves by spamming various websites and bulletin boards with long copy and paste posts, mostly taken from two or three AIDS denialist websites. They attacked Yahoo answers for a few months last year. It looks like they're still spamming boards with the same stuff. The numbers in this post originally referred to footnotes, but the text has been copied and pasted so many times that the footnotes have disappeared from most versions. --------------------------------------… It is true that false positive ELISA tests for HIV occur - about 3 in 1000 tests give a false positive. The list is of apparent causes for these false positives. Positive ELISA tests are always followed up by a confirmatory test - usually a Western Blot or similar. A diagnosis of HIV infection is only made if both tests are positive. The rate of false diagnoses using both tests together is extremely low. Negative ELISA tests by themselves, however, are quite reliable, so long as they are done after the window period (13 weeks).