Liver pain after svr 24??

[worried55]

Hey all!! I haven’t been in here for a while now.  I was treated and cured of hep c 3a. A year ago.  I had it for a vey short time with only a viral load of 35000 and no real liver damage.  I always did feel some achyness in my side but it went away after treatment.  After treatment since I had no real liver damage the doc said I could drink in moderation and I have.  However last weekend during the super bowl I drank about 5 beers and since I’ve had some liver pain.  I’m getting an ultrasound and a viral count just to be sure but I’m freaking out.  I think I am done with drinking.   Lol.  Not worth it. I’m hoping I just irritated my liver and praying that it’s not a relapse.  Anyone else get pain even though cured?

[Mugwump]

Fortunately for those of us who had or have HCV the liver does not directly cause pain it is not connected with nerves and only uses feedback loops of chemical signals in the blood stream to work.

Some of the chemical signals are extremely sophisticated and trigger many responses in the brain, for instance when you require some form of nourishment it triggers impatience.... Speaking of which my wife will be home shortly from work and if I don't break out the gear and start chopping she will become antsy and down right belligerent if there is no sign of dinner on the horizon by about 6pm...

Inflammation of the membrane surrounding the organ is a common culprit when it comes to pain in the area. Irritation from excessive bile production which can lead to bile duct problems and are common source of problems that can seem to radiate from the upper right quadrant of the abdomen. The excess consumption of alcohol can cause but it usually passes quickly.

An ultra sound is the best preliminary tool to diagnose any of these issues. Either way pain in the area surrounding the liver can be caused by a several problems and should never be ignored.

I have cirrhosis and there are still times when my Texas sized hunk of pork that passes for a liver has caused discomfort in the area especially if I eat too much. However since being cured 3 years ago the pain is much less and the inflammation though still present is not as bad as it was before treatment.

Definitely get full abdominal ultrasound and a liver panel set of blood work done at a minimum just to rule out the problems I mentioned. I am sure this is what any doctor would recommend. 

[worried55]

Follow up!  Had an mri and I had one lesion on my liver and one in my spleen.  Both benign hemangiomas.  My viral load is still 0!  Taking a deep breathe and relaxing. 

[Lynn K]

https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000243.htm

“Hepatic hemangioma
A hepatic hemangioma is a liver mass made of widened (dilated) blood vessels. It is not cancerous.

Causes
A hepatic hemangioma is the most common type of liver mass that is not caused by cancer. It may be a birth defect.

Hepatic hemangiomas can occur at any time. They are most common in people in their 30s to 50s. Women get these masses more often than men, and the masses are often bigger.”

The liver itself cannot feel pain it has no pain receptor nerves. There is a capsule surrounding all internal organs including the liver which does have pain receptor nerves. Liver pain night be experienced for those with very advanced liver disease if the liver is enlarged and pressing against this protective membrane. But even with advanced liver disease most do not feel liver pain.

For myself I have had liver cirrhosis for 10 years and have never sensed any pain.

As you have no liver damage your pain may have been from another cause like gastrointestinal distress or radiated pain from elsewhere.

Happy to hear your good news best of luck and congrats on being cured before experiencing any liver damage.

[Salal]

Interesting to read that the liver can't feel pain.  I was pressing inward just below the right side ribcage, where I think the liver is, and it felt tender/sore, a feeling it has virtually never produced before.  I am four days post-Zepatier treatment and wondered if it was a post-treatment symptom, or if what I am imagining is my liver is just the lower lobe of my right lung.  I know that any time a doctor has ever pressed around in that area, he was looking for - not my reaction but - something only he would know to examine for. Hardening, maybe? Well, hopefully this will pass soon.  Other than this, post-Zepatier I have been feeling better every day.

[Lynn K]

The liver itself has no pain receptor nerves but every internal organ is surrounded by a membrane which does have pain receptor nerves.

So for example if the liver is very swollen it will be pressing against this membrane so there will be a pain sensation in that area but it isn’t specifically coming from the organ itself apparently.

Your doctor was likely looking for the edges of your liver to see if it feels enlarged.

[Salal]

Turns out it's not my liver that feels tender/sore, nor even the membrane around it. It is my chest muscles.  They cramp up on me a lot, which hurts me, but has also got to hurt them. Plus I've been doing crunches and planks as part of my workout in the rec center weight room.

[Lynn K]

Yup that’ll do it too lol

Good job hitting the gym

[andrew j]

Hi worried,

I'm 2 years or so post-Tx - and I still get the odd jabbing pain in my liver area - like I always did when I had Hep C.
Like you - I'm hoping it's just my liver making natural adjustments.
(Maybe I should get it checked out?) ...

Also - I agree with you about the alcohol.
I've been on the wagon for a long time - but I never miss it.
Alcohol's just not my thing.

Hoping that your (and everyone's) recovery continues to trend in a positive direction.

Best wishes,
A.

[jakas]

Hi worried,

I'm 2 years or so post-Tx - and I still get the odd jabbing pain in my liver area - like I always did when I had Hep C.
Like you - I'm hoping it's just my liver making natural adjustments.
(Maybe I should get it checked out?) ...

Also - I agree with you about the alcohol.
I've been on the wagon for a long time - but I never miss it.
Alcohol's just not my thing.

Hoping that your (and everyone's) recovery continues to trend in a positive direction.

Best wishes,
A.

I am also much over 2 years SVR and still get it, now have been having it for about 2 weeks off and on in the day. Sometimes more like a swelling of the liver

[andrew j]

Maybe you should get that checked out, Jackas?

I got some small jabbing pains about two months ago, but they backed off again (thank God!) ...

I've had that swollen / tender feeling you mention (?) - esp. earlier on.
(I treated in Mar / April / May of 2016 ... SVR at the end of Aug 2016).

Hoping that those swelling feelings you've been having have gone away.

A.

(P.S. I can only get to a computer occasionally at the moment).

[jakas]

I have this about 3-4 times a year with fullness bloating, will go for a check up soon, but after treatment for a year I had actually nothing.