How long does a person have to live with liver failure?

My father in law has been a alcoholic his whole life. My husband, and his father are not on speaking terms. He got a phone call that his father is passing out, throwing up blood, not remembering peoples names, forgetting where he is at. I do know he is still drinking. I don't know anything about liver failure, or exactly what his doctor has said. I just don't want my husband to regret anything. Thanks!How long does a person have to live with liver failure?
If your father in law is throwing up blood, this is definitely an medical emergency...he could bleed out or bleed internally.





I will explain:


There are many causes of liver cell damage...one is alcohol. When the cells of the liver become damaged, the immune system of the body responds to this and causes inflammation to develop inside


the liver...this will cause the liver to enlarge


in size. If the alcohol is not stopped and the inflammation is not treated, the liver cells may die off and form scar tissue


inside the liver that will block the flow of blood through the liver on its way back to the heart and also block the flow of blood to the other liver cells and they die off also,


It is an irreversible, progressive disease known as Cirrhosis of the liver.





Because the blood isn't able to flow through the liver well anymore, it backs up into the vein under the liver, and that goes into the liver, known as the portal vein. This causes


what is known as Portal Hypertension. It also backs up into smaller vessels not used to handling this amount of blood


(known as varies)and pressure and they develop weak spots and can break open just like a balloon bursting. They are


usually found in the esophagus and in the rectal area. The spleen may also


enlarge in size because of this.


Any bleeding from these two places is considered an emergency. People who have cirrhosis, their livers cannot make clotting factors to help the blood to clot


and therefore they bleed and bruise very easily.


Your father in law needs attention immediately.





Now I will tell you other things that may take place.


He should have an advance directive or power of attorney form made up so that someone in the family can handle


all his medical and financial problems that come up. http://www.caringinfo.org/stateaddownloa鈥?/a>


People with Cirrhosis develop a condition known as Encephalopathy. This happens because the liver isn't able to change the ammonia, that comes from the protein


use in their bodies, to urea. It stays ammonia and can go pass the blood brain barrier, with the blood, into the brain. It causes confusion, disorientations, tremors,


sleep pattern changes and a number of other symptoms...and if not treated, can lead to a coma. The doctor usually


places the patient on medication called Lactolose; but there are other medications


also.





He may have an alcoholic ';beer belly';, but this might be Ascites. The build up of fluid in the abdominal area. This is because the liver can no longer efficiently make a protein that holds fluid in our vessels. This fluid leaks out and collects here. It can become so much that the patient has trouble breathing and eatting. This fluid


can be drained by a procedure known as Paracentesis and give the patient some relief.





You father in law should be seeing either a


gastroenterologist or hepatologist now. He definitely needs any help and support he can get. Alcoholics can be combative and fight with you...it is the alcohol that is doing this, however, considering this might be the encephalopathy that is very similar to being


drunk...it may be this.





I hope your father in law gets the help he needs; that the differences can be worked out between your husband and his dad. It is good that you care...when it comes to disease, especially one that is as horrible as this one...it should draw families closer


together not apart.


The doctor may suggest a detox


program at the hospital for him and if he can stay detoxed from alcohol for a period of six months...he may be able to be placed on the transplant list.


Many recovering alcoholics are waiting


on the transplant list now.





I hope this information is of some help to you.


Here are some links you can click on to learn more about this disease:


http://www.hcvets.com/data/hcv_liver/cir鈥?/a>


http://www.medicinenet.com/cirrhosis/art鈥?/a>


http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/cirrhos鈥?/a>


http://yourtotalhealth.ivillage.com/cirr鈥?/a>





No one but the doctors who have his


tests results and know his passed and


present medical history...can give you


an educated guess of how far advanced


he is in the disease and how long he


may have to live.


The best test done to confirm this is


a liver biopsy.





Best wishesHow long does a person have to live with liver failure?
Drinking causes cirrous of the liver and it kills them if they don't stop drinking and it sounds like this is what is happening to your father in law. It will cause them to cough up blood and vomit and they will die a very painful death. The alcohol is why he doesn't remember names and where he's at because it pickles the brain. This can go on for awhile but its hard to tell what stage he's in. Eventually the liver will burst inside and it will kill him.
Kidney or liver failure could leave you about 4-14 to live... some more some less but if they havent completly failed it can be reversed... but the patient is never really out of the woods once your liver is close to failing