Understanding Encephalopathy and drugs

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The liver does many functions to help our

bodies stay well.

One of those functions is to remove toxins from

the body and convert them to a non toxic form that

the body can easily dispose of.

We take proteins into our bodies all the time from

the foods we eat. Our bodies need these proteins

because they help build cells. Some proteins that

are bodies need can only come from the food we eat.

Others, the liver will make them.

When our bodies uses these proteins, there is a

by-product that is formed from that...known as

Ammonia. The liver will remove this ammonia from

the blood and convert it to urea that the kidneys

can pick up and then remove from the body in our urine.

People who have cirrhosis of the liver, the liver cells

have died off and this can no longer be done efficiently.

The ammonia stays in the blood and can go pass the blood

brain barrier and into the brain. This can cause the

patient to become easily confused, disoriented, personality

changes, sleep pattern changes, and develop tremors and

many other mental problems.

This is most noticeable to those who are around the

patient, more than the patient themselves.

They can slur their words, not be sure what they are

doing and forget why, etc.

The doctor will place a patient on medications like

Lactulose or Xifaxan to help bind this ammonia in

the intestines to remove it from the body. This

helps remove the ammonia so it has less chance of

being absorbed by the body back into the blood.

It is very important that a patient stay on this

medication, even if it causes uncomfortable side

effects (like diarrhea) because if the ammonia

in the blood keeps going higher, the patient can

eventually end up going into a coma because of it.

The doctor has to watch the patients blood work

closely when taking this medications to be sure

that they do not become dehydrated and also

to be sure their electrolytes stay in normal range.

As the disease advances, Encephalopathy does get

worse. The toxins building up in the body cannot

be removed efficiently anymore. The kidneys try

to do the work of the liver and they are next in

line to fail because of the extra work placed on

them now. So for the sake of the liver and kidneys,

taking this medications will help them perform

the necessary functions easier.

I hope this information has been of some help to you.