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Liver transplant.
- Thread starter herbert
- Start date
If you tell them that you regularly smoke pot they will deny you a place on the list. Transplants require constant use of immune system suppressing drugs to avoid your body rejecting the transplanted organ. Use of these drugs makes you more susceptible to fungal lung infections such as you might get from inhaling mold spores while smoking. If they know you smoke pot they won't consider you worth the risk. Someone else then will be given that donor liver.
This is what I read someone else explain on another forum. Hopefully someone more knowledgeable will have something to say here.
This is what I read someone else explain on another forum. Hopefully someone more knowledgeable will have something to say here.
MelloYello
Active member
I know someone who got one. The transformation was incredible. He lived 15 years after the transplant. He really enjoyed those 15. Would probably still be around, but he got pnuemonia in a small town and they didn't treat him correctly. Something to do with the anti-rejection drugs.
He had to be clean and sober to get his. His drug of choice was heroin.
He had to be clean and sober to get his. His drug of choice was heroin.
Same for alcohol or any kind of drug abuse problem. Liver disease often associated with drinking too much.
The thing about liver transplants is, there are two types:
One, a liver from a cadaver, wherin you get on a list and wait for someone to die in a car accident, etc. after you have been screened by them as being worthy. Can take a year or more and you have to fit all their conditions. And no guarantee you will get it
The other, is a living donor's liver. Yes, one of your relatives, ideally a son or daughter, can donate half their liver. Yes, that's right. No harm comes to the donor, as the liver is the only organ in the body that regenerates itself. They take 50-70% of donor's liver out and give it to you. The donor's liver completely regenerates itself in 4-6 weeks to full size, and so does the recipient's, although it takes a bit longer. Ideally you want a donor with similar body size. Of course, this requires surgery for the donor too, although it is considered very safe. That is the best choice if you want/need to avoid the politics of adhering to their rules concerning a "traditional" donorship, ie., from a deceased person, and also you don't have to wait.
I know this because one of my best friends is in the same situation now, and I researched it.
The thing about liver transplants is, there are two types:
One, a liver from a cadaver, wherin you get on a list and wait for someone to die in a car accident, etc. after you have been screened by them as being worthy. Can take a year or more and you have to fit all their conditions. And no guarantee you will get it
The other, is a living donor's liver. Yes, one of your relatives, ideally a son or daughter, can donate half their liver. Yes, that's right. No harm comes to the donor, as the liver is the only organ in the body that regenerates itself. They take 50-70% of donor's liver out and give it to you. The donor's liver completely regenerates itself in 4-6 weeks to full size, and so does the recipient's, although it takes a bit longer. Ideally you want a donor with similar body size. Of course, this requires surgery for the donor too, although it is considered very safe. That is the best choice if you want/need to avoid the politics of adhering to their rules concerning a "traditional" donorship, ie., from a deceased person, and also you don't have to wait.
I know this because one of my best friends is in the same situation now, and I researched it.
Agaricus
Active member
I understand (on reasonably good authority) that PF, Psilocybe Fanaticus of shroom growing fame (Robert 'Billy' Mcpherson), was denied a transplant when it was found that he had smoked weed in the past. VA Hospital in Washington, U. Washington hospital.
Drinkers were getting transplants.
He died of hep c in 2011.
Hopefully things have changed.
Drinkers were getting transplants.
He died of hep c in 2011.
Hopefully things have changed.
M
MrSterling
I've an older friend who was a Vietnam vet. Blew out his liver doing hard drugs and drinking. He was honest about his drug use and he got a transplant through the VA. The stipulation was he has to stay clean and pass drug tests or the VA won't pay for his medicine. He says it's a fair trade for being alive.
Herbert, hang in there and good luck. I'm sorry I don't have any real advice to offer.
Herbert, hang in there and good luck. I'm sorry I don't have any real advice to offer.
turmeric has been shown to regenerate the liver and milk thistle seeds have been used for millenia to cleanse the liver.. the doctors will tell you to stop taking anything like that once you have the op but just maybe they could see an improvement before then..
also dandelion root and burdock root both detoxify the liver and protect it..
here's a good site if your in the usa for herbs
http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/bulkherb/bulkherb.html
also dandelion root and burdock root both detoxify the liver and protect it..
here's a good site if your in the usa for herbs
http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/bulkherb/bulkherb.html
MelloYello
Active member
Hepatitis?
Hepatitis?
I was exposed to Hepatitis C 35 years ago. The best forum for people with liver desease, That I know of, is Delphiforums.com/hepatitiscen. There is a liver transplant forum/thread there. They will treat you right.
"Transplant Talk" is the thread but the whole site is incredible. Sign up, log on, introduce yourself, and you will be okay.
Hepatitis?
I was exposed to Hepatitis C 35 years ago. The best forum for people with liver desease, That I know of, is Delphiforums.com/hepatitiscen. There is a liver transplant forum/thread there. They will treat you right.
"Transplant Talk" is the thread but the whole site is incredible. Sign up, log on, introduce yourself, and you will be okay.
Spot on CR. I have personally pointed out the problem of mouldy old dope on a UK Hep C site. Here in the UK they don't ban you from the list if you smoke pot, but I'm sure it would unofficially count against me so I would pack up if I choose to go through with it. Thanks!
Hi MY,
Thanks for this, I think I've been on the Delphi forum but I'll check back now that I have new questions.
I'm in the UK. Do you know hepc nomads forum? Worth a look.
We don't have the same sort of restrictions on transplant patients in the UK. The only group who might struggle to get on the list here are current IV users.
Thank you for your responses. I haven't even been for the first meeting with the transplant team yet so it's still early. I suppose I was hoping that an MD would come on here and tell me that I'd improve my chances if I was as stoned as I like all the time!
Thank you for your responses. I haven't even been for the first meeting with the transplant team yet so it's still early. I suppose I was hoping that an MD would come on here and tell me that I'd improve my chances if I was as stoned as I like all the time!
S
SeaMaiden
Best of luck, herbert. I had a dear, dear friend who I was just thinking about today, transplantee. The life of a transplantee was not for him, and so after living far longer than he ever expected to, he allowed himself to go into rejection, a form of suicide I suppose. He'd contracted many parasitic infections, meningitis, and other diseases post-transplant. He lived very near the Mexico border in San Diego (Imperial Beach, to be exact) and went over often, and so paid a heavy price.
An MD or OD isn't going to come in and tell you that, they're going to come in and tell you that you're going to have to be extremely cautious about infection control, and to love your liver.
You wouldn't be on the list if other treatments hadn't been tried already, correct?
An MD or OD isn't going to come in and tell you that, they're going to come in and tell you that you're going to have to be extremely cautious about infection control, and to love your liver.
You wouldn't be on the list if other treatments hadn't been tried already, correct?
MelloYello
Active member
Thanx, I just signed up to nomads
Correct. I did i/fon Riba treatment but didn't respond. I have no symtoms but have cirrhosis and now early stage HCC. It makes it difficult to comprehend; if I had to do this tomorrow, I would go into hospital feeling normal and come out ruined!
There's no way I won't do it. I don't want to go just yet. I haven't tried Grape Krush yet! The quality of life afterwards seems quite random but if you are fit beforehand you've got more chance of being fit afterwards.
MY; thanks, there's a long thread about this very subject on Delphi.
Seamaiden, what was it about going to Mexico that harmed your friend? General lower
GMT, I'll look into that, thanks, but I doubt I will be able to choose my drugs.
S
SeaMaiden
He ate where everyone else ate, and drank the water. He contracted giardia and meningitis while across the border. The meningitis really fucked him up. Prior to he was able to stand upright no problems, just very skinny. Afterward he had to live with this gigantic back brace that held him up from armpits to hips.
Asymptomatic, but going on the list... perhaps that means that you'll actually respond better than my friend did. He was in awful shape prior to the transplant, and things didn't really improve with regard to his life and lifestyle.
Asymptomatic, but going on the list... perhaps that means that you'll actually respond better than my friend did. He was in awful shape prior to the transplant, and things didn't really improve with regard to his life and lifestyle.
MelloYello
Active member
My friend with the transplant,also got sick near the border.
They have pre-transplant and post-transplant trials going on, using the new drugs.
Most trials do not use interferon and are 8,12 or 24 weeks long.
Got my bloodwork back last night. My tumor marker was slightly elevated. I am holding out for the new meds.
Check out the trials under "Drugs for future treatments" on delphi.
They have pre-transplant and post-transplant trials going on, using the new drugs.
Most trials do not use interferon and are 8,12 or 24 weeks long.
Got my bloodwork back last night. My tumor marker was slightly elevated. I am holding out for the new meds.
Check out the trials under "Drugs for future treatments" on delphi.
ganja4mama
New member
I have several friends that have had transplants. I also have liver disease. I was on a clinical trial that didn't work and am hoping to avoid interferon and get on another trial with better drugs. I go to dailystrength.org there's no moderators and it can get wild but there's lots of info and good people.
I see this is an old thread... I hope you are doing well.
I see this is an old thread... I hope you are doing well.
