encephalopathy

December 22, 2008

Hello gang,this is for anyone that has input,Bobby,you are real smart

on this I would IM you but my messenger is acting goofy.In the summer

when I came home from the hospital I was still very uneducated about

EVERYTHING,especially the lactulose,and ammonia levels.Well after about

4 months of feeling like complete death,I started feeling better and

didnt take it for a couple days,and got up one morning and was plain

stupid,couldnt even complete a sentence because I couldnt even remember

what I was talking about,my whole family was like " what kind of drugs

they have you on? " little did they know, it was lack of! Anyhow my

balance was off and everything,took some lactulose and WALLA,I was

again and have never missed a dose since,and that hasnt happened

again until today,and I took my stuff! Abijann sent a post about

yawning today,wich made alot of sence,but I had big giant long bear

yawns,and when I got home I wasnt " right " and could definatly tell.My

last blood work said my ammonia level is 100 that was about 3 weeks

ago,should I take more lastulose? I take 2 tbs. twice a day now,and my

P.C.P. prescribes me 3 big bottles of it a month,so I do have enough,I

would go and tell him,but I go to see my heptalogist Jan 15th.What is

your ammonia level? Let me know what ya think.Thanks! Hugs,

December 23, 2008

Thank you for the nice compliment. I feel like without spell checker, no one

would be able to read my posts. When my " toxins " get elevated, I cannot spell,

or add. I don't sit there like I don't know the correct thing, no, I dive in and

spell and add, but the answers are totally wrong upon checking with spell check.

Or the trusty blackberry calculator. My hepatologist doubted at first that I had

any encephalopathy, but after checking ammonia levels, he changed his mind. I

take the max dose of lactulose, which is 45 ml X3 a day. That equals 4

tablespoons, 3 times a day. I cannot live with out this sweet sugarry

confection. I get irritable first, then irrational, then totally confused, and

forgetfull, and people just shake their heads, confounded. I make a lot of

messes. They mostly don't trust me with any important info anymore. Like

appointments of any kind.

You can call your hepatology nurse for any advice on increasing lactulose, but

the universal goal is to adjust it to cause 2 to 3 loose bowel movements a day.

If you are taking any kind of pain medication, the yawning could be from

withdrawel symtoms. When I was on a different drug than I am now, when the pain

drug would wear off, the yawning and tears would come like gangbusters.

Good luck, .

I hope can get to the hospital. Love, Bobby

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