Fatty Liver

[Momtofour]

My husband has a fatty liver. He has been eating better lately because of the meals I'm making, but he is not following Atkins. The post on gall bladder/ liver problems got me wondering if it is safe for him to strictly follow Atkins. I think we need to schedule a doctors appointment. He has been wanting to do Atkins by the book, but now I don't know if he should. Does anyone have this and still follow Atkins?

[not2late]

Re: Fatty Liver

Here's some info about fatty liver. If he got the fatty liver because he is obese, then weight loss will help. If he got the fatty liver because he drinks alcoholic beverages, then stopping the alcohol will help. If it's a combo of obesity and alcohol, then he'll have to lose weight and stop drinking.

http://cpmcnet.columbia.edu/dept/gi/fatty.html

http://cpmcnet.columbia.edu/dept/gi/alcohol.html

As for Atkins and fatty liver, this is what emedicine.com says:

• Dieting

• • Weight loss in individuals who are obese may result in improvement in laboratory abnormalities, histologic findings (steatosis), and CT attenuation. The improvement usually is realized within the first 30 pounds of weight loss.

• • Diets associated with improvement include those restricted in rapidly absorbed carbohydrates, those with a high protein-to-calorie ratio, and those based on starvation. Weight loss should be gradual, moderate, and not complete.

• • Abrupt weight loss has been associated with progression of the disease.

http://www.emedicine.com/med/topic775.htm

So if he does Atkins, then he shouldn't stay on Induction for more than the 14 days and should move onto OWL on Day 15 and find his CCLL. By knowing his CCLL, he can eat near that level and lose weight slowly because losing the weight fast will aggravate the fatty liver.

And of course, his doctor should be monitoring his weight loss and other things.

[Iapetus999]

Re: Fatty Liver

My "fatty liver" completely went away under Atkins.
It had gotten to the point where I couldn't drink alcohol anymore without having a really bad reaction.
Once I lost the weight everything cleared up.
I would definitely recommend that he lose weight...he'll feel a million times better.

[Momtofour]

Re: Fatty Liver

Thanks for the replies. My husband has had it for years because of obesity. He is losing slowly because there isn't any junk food in the house. He only drinks beer occasionally. It does bother him so he tends to stay away from it. I was hoping he would start tonight, but I hear him making a bowl of cereal. LOL Oh well.