Liver pain.

[ray34iyf]

Is it normal for one who's had a lot of prescription drug use background (accutane, ssri's) to have liver pain when starting to go raw or detoxing? It feels as if my liver is a bit enflamed or enlarged, and it is quite painful at the moment.

Thanks.

[rawmiss]

Accutane does seem to damage the liver, and a search I did turned up other people who reported liver problems and pain with it. It is a form of the vitamin A, and vitamin A is stored in the liver. It should clear from the liver in about a month (I'm basing this on info that I read that people who are on Accutane can't give blood until a month after they stop Accutane and the Accutane has cleared from their system). But obviously there is some residual damage. This guy thought that he got Auto Immune Hepatitis from Accutane.

http://www.steadyhealth.com/Accutane_assosiation_with_liver_damage_t102412.htm l
"I took Accutane for only 6 months and 2 months after finishing, I was diagnosed with Auto Immune Hepatitis. There are too many side effects for this drug and acne is not worth them. trust me. "

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/autoimmune-hepatitis/DS00676/DSECTION=causes
"Autoimmune hepatitis occurs when the body's immune system, which ordinarily attacks viruses, bacteria and other pathogens, instead targets the liver. This attack on your liver can lead to chronic inflammation and serious damage to liver cells. Just why the body turns against itself is unclear, but researchers think autoimmune hepatitis could be caused by an interaction between several risk factors, such as infections, medications and a genetic predisposition. "

Here is a Accutane Survivor's Support Forum on Curezone you might find more info here.
http://curezone.com/forums/f.asp?f=937

[Revvell]

ALL drugs damage the liver. The liver doesn't know what to do with them so it stores them.

[Stina]

Can anyone comment on common over the counter pain relievers?

[Raw Angel Mom]

The good news is that the liver is an organ that will totally rejuvenate itselfs. Now that you are doing raw food, you will have a new liver... I saw that on DR. Oz show.

If you have pain there, it might be wise to get it check out. Some great dietitian are very knowlegeable (that do raw food). Dr. Fred Bisci is very experienced. You should check his site.

Hope you feel well soon

[ray34iyf]

Thanks guys. Makes me feel better. I was on accutane for 5 months in high doses a few years back and went on an ssri and have been on one until just about a month ago. I'm finally off of the crap, so I guess it makes sense that my liver may be a little angry at me right now. You know, I never really believed a lot of the 'alternative' (can't even believe they call it this, modern medicine with it's drugs should be called 'alternative) stuff, but it's beginning to actually make sense to me and ring true. I guess I had to learn the hard way, but I'm glad I am learning now nonetheless. You guys have a great forum. Thanks for the support.

[MelanieBear]

If your liver is actually enlarged (if you can feel the margins of it underneath your Right ribcage) then you really, really need to see a doctor. If you're not comfortable with an allopathic doctor (a regular MD) then see an osteopath (DO) or naturopath (ND), but PLEASE do not attempt to self diagnose or self treat if your liver is actually enlarged.

Be well,
Melanie

[DawnD]

Ditto MelanieBear. It will be good to have some bloodwork done to test liver enzymes and see where you stand. Then support and cleanse.

Read up on coffee enemas. The coffee has a cleansing effect on the liver and gall bladder. It is a totally different experience than drinking coffee. I have had gallbladder issues in the past and may consider coffee enemas for myself.

There are many good herbs for the liver such as milk thistle. Lemon and water first thing in the morning is good for the liver.

Just want to add that the liver is a remarkable organ. After my gallbladder issues I did a lot of reading about the liver. It has to do so many chemical reactions, 1000's, just to keep us functioning normally then has to cleanse the garbage (past life!) we put in on top of that. We should be mindful of, LOVE AND RESPECT our liver!

[ray34iyf]

Thank you guys. Thing is, I've had liver pain (albeit not this bad) ever since being on the ssri antidepressants to be honest, and in that time I've had an ultrasound and a few liver enzyme tests. Nothing out of the ordinary with the tests... but the pain is definitely real and my liver. It goes as my other withdrawal symptoms go... when I go through a wave of withdrawal, the pain gets worse... and it's definitely been more noticeable since starting to eat more raw.

It's frustrating, because when I have brought up the pain to my gp and then pdoc it got blown off like I had no idea what I'm talking about.

[ray34iyf]

I have to respond again to this thread. I've had continuing pain in the liver area and it has been nearly constant the past week or so. Very obviously the liver and it radiates around to my back and up my shoulder. I hate the idea of getting blown off again at the doctor when I bring this up.

What should I do? For those who didn't know I'm 2 months off ssris and have a history with accutane a few years ago. The pain become more prominent since starting raw.

Thanks.

[Aleesha Sattva]

have you thought about doing a one day a week fast? you could do some nice green juices like:

apple/kale/ginger

apple/spinach/parsley/celery/ginger

stuff like that... it would give your body a chance to detox but keep it slow by not fasting longer than a day at a time.

[ray34iyf]

I haven't really. I'll give it a shot and see if it works. If I weren't such a pansy and/or could make sure I'd be able to fall asleep when I needed to, I'd do the liver cleanse. Reading horror stories has put me off a bit :( .. and I'm afraid I'll stir up withdrawal symptoms from the celexa.

[Aleesha Sattva]

are you in a rush to get this out? why not just allow your body to release it, as it is able and wants to. all you need to do is provide a clean avenue.

raw foods, juices, water... all good clean avenues for your body to do it's thing.