It's funny because my doctors all have treated my case like I am the only one with this problem. I have been on BC since I was 14 years old, I have tried them all: loestrin 24, seasonique, yaz, mirena iud and then finally lo lo estrin fe. I am now 21 with severe fatty liver disease. It all started a little over a year ago with intense pain, nausea and upset stomach, heartburn etc etc...After months of ER and doctor visits someone finally took my elevated liver functioning tests seriously and gave me an ultrasound. My liver was 3x the size of a normal one.
It took a few more months, because that's how insurance companies work, and I was finally able to get a liver biopsy. It showed that my liver is 85% damaged.... That was last September. After 6 months my dr's finally decided that it was my birth control causing the liver damage. I went off of the pill immediately... 10 months later, my liver tests have improved.
What I have learned from this experience is that the hardest part isn't getting the diagnosis, it's living with a now impaired liver. Everything affects it. I can no longer take Motrin, drink or eat a lot protein without feeling sick and seeing immediate side effects.
I got the copper iud put in in December because I figured with all of these health issues I wouldn't want to add an accidental pregnancy into the mix. Well that was a mistake, the amount of bleeding that occurred while using it was ridiculous, not to mention the pain associated with it and I also was constantly itchy.
So now my biggest problem is figuring out how to not only balance my lifestyle so that it doesn't trigger my liver, but also how to prevent pregnancy. Hormonal BC is not an option and condoms aren't very fun. I tried to get a diaphragm but apparently thats 90's birth control and my dr doesn't fit for them and neither does any planned parenthoods in the bay area. So for now, condoms it will be.
I wanted to share all of this because it's important for people to see that it's not just getting the liver disease/damage... It's living with it. I try not to focus on the very possible negative side effects of my problem, like liver cancer or cirrhosis of the liver and just live day by day. Now i am just trying to take care of myself.
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It's funny because my doctors all have treated my case like I am the only one with this problem. I have been on BC since I was 14 years old, I have tried them all: loestrin 24, seasonique, yaz, mirena iud and then finally lo lo estrin fe. I am now 21 with severe fatty liver disease. It all started a little over a year ago with intense pain, nausea and upset stomach, heartburn etc etc...After months of ER and doctor visits someone finally took my elevated liver functioning tests seriously and gave me an ultrasound. My liver was 3x the size of a normal one.
It took a few more months, because that's how insurance companies work, and I was finally able to get a liver biopsy. It showed that my liver is 85% damaged.... That was last September. After 6 months my dr's finally decided that it was my birth control causing the liver damage. I went off of the pill immediately... 10 months later, my liver tests have improved.
What I have learned from this experience is that the hardest part isn't getting the diagnosis, it's living with a now impaired liver. Everything affects it. I can no longer take Motrin, drink or eat a lot protein without feeling sick and seeing immediate side effects.
I got the copper iud put in in December because I figured with all of these health issues I wouldn't want to add an accidental pregnancy into the mix. Well that was a mistake, the amount of bleeding that occurred while using it was ridiculous, not to mention the pain associated with it and I also was constantly itchy.
So now my biggest problem is figuring out how to not only balance my lifestyle so that it doesn't trigger my liver, but also how to prevent pregnancy. Hormonal BC is not an option and condoms aren't very fun. I tried to get a diaphragm but apparently thats 90's birth control and my dr doesn't fit for them and neither does any planned parenthoods in the bay area. So for now, condoms it will be.
I wanted to share all of this because it's important for people to see that it's not just getting the liver disease/damage... It's living with it. I try not to focus on the very possible negative side effects of my problem, like liver cancer or cirrhosis of the liver and just live day by day. Now i am just trying to take care of myself.
July 9, 2012 - 12:08pmThis Comment
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