Ammonia levels won't go down
Common Questions and Answers about Ammonia levels won't go down
ammonia
My Dad is in hospital with cirrhosis of liver and they cannot seem to get his ammonia levels down. He is being flooded with lactulose but the levels are staying between 55-60. He is hallucinating and angry and depressed. I’ve read other posts where people talk about ammonia levels in the hundreds and I’m really confused. How high can they get? How high before you go into a coma? He is only 65.
My husband has cirrhosis and we have been told that the latest studies indicate people with cirrhosis actually really need the protein but they just have to keep their ammonia levels down by regularly taking enough lactulose. The amount varies per person by how many loose stools it causes...that is generally how it is dosed but you should get that information from your Dr. Some Dr's are so much more up to date than others.
I have a question, my mother passed away a couple of days ago and all I can think of was her last days at the hospital, my question is, when a person that is awaiting a liver transplant and has many other problems that are going bad and her ammonia levels keeps rising and out of a sudden they can't respond back to any questions, can they understand what you are saying to them?
His condition has been unchanged for 3 weeks. I called and asked what his ammonia levels were last week. The nurse gave me the run around and said they were within normal limits. Without the limits in fornt of me I don't know what they are. My husband went to Utah 2 days after I called, and all of a sudden they were checking ammonia levels and trating him with Lactolose, which I know is the appropriate Tx.
Hi. My dad has a level of 89 i think that high. They say its within range 17 to 102. But he has good and bad days. Does ammonia go up down like surgar for diabetes? Need to know plz. Asap. I don't want him gettingg worse. Doc says he has beginning of dementia.
While elevated ammonia levels are seen in cirrhotic patients there can be encephalopathy with normal ammonia levels and there can also be no mental impairment in some patients with elevated ammonia levels. Basically, ammonia levels are of limited use for diagnosing cirrhosis or hepatic impairment. I would also think some other results of your blood work would have been out of range if you are cirrhotic or are suffering significant liver impairment.
Patients with liver disease are unable to process or detoxify ammonia so that ammonia levels can reach dangerously high levels. This is coupled by increased ammonia production of colonic bacteria, especially if one is constipated or has an irregular bowel movement. High protein intake can also lead to an incresed ammonia production. I suggest you talk about these possibilities with your doctors.
Anyone else who has this problem, you should share it to let it be known more by the doctors who specialize in the endocrine system but are flabbergasted when I inject myself with insulin and my glucose levels do not go down (in other cases it continues to go up). I worry about my health when I get older due to my inability of being able to control my blood sugars for periods of time.
After being told that there was nothing wrong with me for three years a geneticist discovered that my ammonia levels (reference range is 12-47 umol/L) were double and triple what they should have been after eating. I should also note that during that time I was having Ensure meal replacements as I thought this was a healthier option. After cutting down on protein, taking lactulose (30ml/3x/day) and starting Rifaximin (600mg/2x/day for the encephalopathy) my symptoms quickly started to improve.
I thought she had a stroke but the doctors are saying it is because her ammonia level in her liver is 178. It comes down but goes back up and she is not getting any better. She has been seen by GI, Neroligist, Cancer doctors and noone can tell me what is happening. She has been tested for hepatis and it was negative. Can you give any advice?
my husbands amonia level was at 111 last week, our dr prescribed the lactulose as well 3 times a day to try to reduce these levels, he gets a blood test reran next week to see if the levels are going down. he sleeps a whole lot, can get confused sometimes, but his is having some really wiered personality changes, hell act like a twelve year old sometimes.
At the age of 36 she had to have a complete gastrectomy(entire stomach removed) due to massive polyps. One year ago she started developing high ammonia levels, range from upper 60's to 110. Massive headaches seem to accompany the elevated levels. She has had liver function tests and biopsies for years now and have determined the problem isn't her liver. They prescribed lactulose and Xifaximim(antibiotic given to liver disease patients, might have the spelling wrong).
By using lactulose and rifaximin in the proper amounts the levels of ammonia and other toxins are reduced. The ammonia is created when food such as animal protein is not being digested properly. The rifaximin modifies the breakdown of food in the intestine. Lactulose keeps the digested food from staying in the intestines and creating ammonia and other toxins. I have had various levels of HE and when my mind is clear I can think as well as ever. Many friends have been comatose from HE.
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