Appreciate you getting back to me. Sincerely glad that your father has had another bleed. I am very intested in knowing the reasoning behind the vitamin supplements. I can understand the logic behind the Vitamin D3, magnesium, and zinc, however I am not sure about the other products. I also think the low sodium, meat, and dairy free diet is a good thing for him considering what he is up against besides the portal hypertension (esophogeal varices). One thing I am concerned about, and maybe you have not considered this – is the vitamin E. Not to say Vitamin E is a bad thing, but if your father is on blood thinners already (especially Coumadin aka Warfarin) it acts as a natural blood thinner and it may throw off his I&R readings. I’m not on Coumadin because it does not work for me, but I am on Fragmin (needles) so I don’t have to have my readings monitored, however I try to avoid Vitamin E as it can worsen a bleed if that happens. Also Vitamin “K” which is found naturally in some foods (ie Spinach) can affect I&R readings – from what I have learned. These are just a few things I have found out through the years. As yet, and believe me I have asked (specialists/family doctor), I have never been given a diet to follow, except to cut down on sodium – which is never good for anyone. When I asked my family doctor last year about vitamins, he told me that basically we get most of what we need in a balanced diet with the 4 main food groups. For the most part he is right, but I beg to differ as I think extra vitamins in some sense can be very beneficial for most people – especially those not watching their diets or those with health conditions. My hematologist told me to take Vitamin B50 or B75 for the homocystine levels in my blood, and on my last visit he told me to take 4000 IU of vitamin D as new research is showing some good benefits to that. Calcium Citrate in particular is better absorbed than the other one (sorry can’t remember the name). A few weeks ago I had a doctor who also has portal hypertension come on this blog and leave a comment, and he told me that he thought the meds were important, but that Western medicine did not look to herbal treatments the same way they do in European or eastern cultures. There is value in both.

Thanks again for your comments … one never knows how any of this may help, but it is good to keep abreast of this most disconcerting condition and lend support wherever we can.

Peace, Clint

You are very good to respond. We are about two weeks out from the original bleed. I believe my father is now on a low dose of propranolol, original dose was too much and affected his blood pressure ( too low). He is actually going back to the doctor tomorrow to check on the bands that were placed around the veins.

With regards to the rest of his Meds, most of which are natural

1) selenium, zinc, magnesium
2) vitamin A, E
3) milk thistle, essiac tea, beta glucan,
4) vitamin D3
5) shiitake and reishi mushroom extract

He is also on a low sodium, meat and dairy free diet

We are hopeful this will help to strengthen him and fight off the cancer, minimize the potential of another bleed and also just help the cirrhosis,

Thanks again Clint. I will keep checking back in to stay uptodate on everyone’s progress

Yvonne

Thanks for your inquiry. For everyone who comments or for that matter reads this blog and they themselves or a loved is dealing with portal hypertension – I am always saddened to learn about their struggles. In particular it can be very confusing and uncertain when I person first learns of this, and you are no exception to that if you have been reading the comments posted here. In the 2 years I have now managed this blog I have been in touch with many people who have successfully survived banding and continue to live many years beyond the diagnosis. To date I have not come across anyone who is dealing with the 2 added complications that your Dad is dealing with, so I have no one to compare him with. If this is a 3 day course of meds I would be interested in knowing what he is on – if you know that as that may be helpful to others in the event they are dealing with the same issue. I am sure he will be on a beta blocker to lower his blood pressure in case of additional bleeds (if there are other varices known) and that seems to be the standard treatment for those of us with this condition. I can’t even begin to imagine how you are feeling right now as you said you are on pins and needles – all I can offer (and I hope you don’t mind) is for me to uphold your Dad in prayer. Overall I would appreciate knowing how the treatment is working, so if you can update me that would be great.

Take care,

Clint

I am so glad I came across your site today. My father has been battling liver cancer for the last seven months, through alternative, integrative therapies and was doing very well. Unfortunately he also has portal hypertension and cirrhosis. Today was the first time he ever experienced bleeding and was informed of the concept of Esophageal varices , all very scary as you well know. We had no idea this was going to be part of his journey. Doctors immediately carried out the banding treatment and he is on a three day course of Meds. We are on pins and needles waiting to see how everything turns out. After reading your site I am hopeful he has a chance of managing this. Have you come across anyone on your journey who is also battling liver cancer (tumor) and cirrhosis ?

Thanks Clint

Yvonne

I am sorry for such a delayed response to your message, but I am having difficulties with my server for this blog and it will not allow me to directly approve comments as it should, but if I reply it is working just fine – which is always what I aim for.

I have a contact in the Ukraine who herself is a medical doctor, and coincidentally has a little girl with PH. In speaking with her and hospital personnel from Childrens Memorial Hospital in Chicago they mentioned that Chernobyl explosion is likely the cause of many people illness not only in the Ukraine, but countries that surround it. The doctor from the US (Chicago) was over in the Ukraine a few years ago, and he noted that many of the kids who had PH were born prematurely and had some sort of infection in their umbilical cords to begin with. At one hospital that this doctor visited, there were over 40 children with PH and most of them had the same symptoms at birth.

All being said and I have said this before, I am always saddened to hear that kids are having to deal with this disease and not only that but any kind of condition that may be life threatening. I will I could do more for these kids especially, but I am only one person and the only thing I can do is to say what I say and pray for them. If you haven’t yet noticed I am a person of faith, and I believe part of my calling is to offer support to people who are perplexed about this disease, and of course put them in touch with others so that they do not feel so all alone.

If you try to post here again and I don’t reply right away, I am working to resolve this server issue and will do my best to get back to you when things are working properly.

Kindest regards,

Clint

Take Care,

Audra