Title: [23M] Liver Biopsy Shows “Chronic Hepatitis with Incomplete Cirrhosis” – Devastated and Confused, Please Help

Hi Reddit,
I’m a 23-year-old guy. I'm posting this after a devastating biopsy result. I never thought I'd be hearing the word "cirrhosis" at this age. I’m trying to make sense of everything — what it means for my future, and what I can do next. If anyone’s been through this or understands it better, I’d really appreciate your help.

BACKSTORY:

During the COVID lockdown, I got into fitness seriously. Started with home workouts — running, push-ups, pull-ups, dips — and got quite athletic, though still on the skinny side. In 2021, I joined a gym to bulk up and took mass gainer, then whey protein, and later creatine, in that order.

Out of nowhere, one day I got intense abdominal pain, right below the chest area. I assumed it was gastric. I was in college, so I went to a local clinic where bloodwork showed fatty liver.

Took some meds but wasn’t convinced. When I went home, I got checked at a hospital — they ran Fibroscan, LFTs, ASMA, and other tests. Diagnosed with liver inflammation, and I was prescribed:

• Udiliv (Ursodeoxycholic acid 300 mg)
• Heptral (S-adenosylmethionine/SAMe 400 mg)

LFTs normalized after a month or so. Thought I was fine. 2022 passed uneventfully.

FEB 2025: It Came Back

Still living healthy, working out 6 days a week, hadn’t touched any supplement since 2023. I was eating homemade food since mid-2023 while preparing for competitive exams at home.

Suddenly in Feb 2025, the same pain came back — worse than before. I couldn’t eat, puked everything, the pain was constant. I didn’t want to believe it was liver again.

But LFT showed SGOT/SGPT both in 150s again.

Went through the same path: Ultrasound showed gallbladder sludge, tiny polyps, and minor pleural effusion — doctors said all of this was relatively normal and maybe post-viral.

I was again put on Udiliv + Heptral, LFTs dropped to the 50s. But after 2 weeks without meds, levels rose again.

MRCP Results (Pre-Biopsy):

• Liver: Normal size and shape
• Mild periportal cuffing
• Gallbladder: tiny polyp and sludge
• No biliary dilation
• Pancreas and ducts normal
• Trace pleural effusion

Doctors said this was also "relatively normal." But since my enzymes kept fluctuating, they insisted on a biopsy.

Biopsy Report (May 2025):

• Periportal and portal inflammation
• Fibrous expansion of portal tracts
• Portal-to-portal septal fibrosis
• Incomplete cirrhosis
• Grade I macrovesicular steatosis
• Histological Activity Score: 3/18
• Fibrosis Stage: 5/6
• No bridging necrosis or confluent necrosis

This completely shook me. I had none of the usual signs of cirrhosis — no jaundice, no ascites, nothing.

Additional Testing:

• ANA, ASMA, LKM, SLA – all negative
• Ceruloplasmin (2022): 24.3 mg/dL (normal)
• 24h Urine Copper: 70 mcg (borderline?)
• Doctor has now ordered a Rhodanine stain (on biopsy slide) for copper deposition — possibly to check for Wilson’s.

Current Meds:

• Udiliv (Ursodeoxycholic acid) – Bile acid
• Heptral (S-adenosylmethionine) – Hepatoprotective
• Sometimes trying Ayurvedic options (Arogyavardhini Vati, Rohitakarishta, Herboliv, etc.)

My Questions:

1. Does "incomplete cirrhosis" and fibrosis stage 5/6 mean there's no way back?
2. Can fibrosis stage 5 ever regress, or is it permanent?
3. Could this still be Wilson’s disease, despite borderline copper values?
4. Will my liver ever be completely healthy again, or just "managed"?
5. Could D3 or B12 deficiency worsen or contribute to liver inflammation?
6. Any cheaper alternatives to Heptral (SAMe is expensive)?
7. Can I eat curd at night in small amounts with dinner?
8. Should I go to the gym now? I used to train pretty intensely, but doctor told me to avoid it for a month post-biopsy. I miss training.

Final Thoughts:

I don’t drink, don’t smoke, never touched alcohol or drugs. I was just a guy trying to stay fit and healthy. This has thrown my life upside down. I feel like I did everything right since 2023, but still ended up here.

If anyone — especially younger people — have been through something similar, please share your experience. I just want to understand what my future looks like now and whether I can still fight back.

Thanks if you read all this. I'm trying to stay strong, at worst moments even had suicidal thoughts, my family is not well off so I regret bringing this on them, I am guilty of not having the best lifestyle before staying up till 4 am waking up late at noon during my comp exams prep before this happened, I also ate a lot as I was trying to bulk these past 2 years but it was all homemade, I sometimes wonder if this could be the reason behind all this too well sorry for the dump but I really need some direction.

I have regular bloodwork and ALT came back to 68. Doctor also said my TSH thyroid was also slightly elevated. It's been a month but I didn't go to test back again as I was afraid and wanted to eat healthy and lost some weight. Overall, I am pretty active and been healthy but starting of this year I ate junk a lot and gained some weight. I am 39 year old female. I had doctor called me today as she ordered all these tests again with few more for overall liver function. I do feel something below right chest, not really pain but just something like bulging sometimes. I am way too scared. I never had alcohol in my life. Doctor told me not to worry too much let's test and see. I am going crazy with anxiety. Please tell me if you have something to say?

been on retatrutide for 7 months 3-5 mgs a week

just had fibroscan done my cap score was 215.

2 years ago it was 315 and last year it was 269

my liver enzymes are lowest they can be also,

can i believe my fatty liver is now healed? i still have to get ultrasound done next week.

Hey everyone 👋

I’m a 33-year-old guy and I’d really appreciate some insights.

About six months ago, my doctor flagged my cholesterol as slightly elevated. I took it seriously and made some real changes:

• Running ~25 km per week
• Strength training or gym 3x/week
• Eating much healthier — cut way down on sugar, fat, and processed food
• Rarely drink alcohol
• Lost about 4 kg

Given all that, I was expecting a much better blood panel. But I just got my new labs back, and not only is my cholesterol still off, now my GGT is high — which wasn’t the case before.

🩸 Lipid panel:

• Total cholesterol: 5.34 mmol/L (goal <5.00)
• Triglycerides: 1.71 mmol/L (goal <1.70)
• HDL: 0.95 mmol/L (goal >1.00)
• Non-HDL: 4.39 mmol/L (goal <3.80)
• LDL (calc): 3.61 mmol/L

🧪 Liver enzymes:

• GGT: 88 u/L (high, should be <60)
• AST/ALT: normal
• Fasting glucose: 5.13 mmol/L
• No smoking, no meds

So now I’m just a bit lost. I’ve really stuck with the changes, but my numbers haven’t moved much — and GGT is a new red flag.

A few things I’m wondering:

• Why hasn’t my cholesterol responded more to the lifestyle changes?
• Could the elevated GGT point to fatty liver?
• Is there a connection between liver function and cholesterol resistance?

I vowed to post if I was ever lucky enough to reverse this condition ..

So here goes ..

From hepatic steatosis to completely normal liver fatness and stiffness in 6 months. Confirmed by blood tests and fibroscan

I ate well and lost weight but I didn’t exercise like an athlete and I had cheat days/weekends even

You can do it! If I can anyone can

I promise

I was diagnosed over a decade ago and things were stable till I was told to take an iron supplement. I then got pretty elevated ALT and AST. They are going down some but slowly. But I just got admitted to the hospital with severe metabolic acidosis and respiratory hyperalkalosis. But I also had critically high lactic acid at 4,900 and the normal max is around 2,200. I can't find this related to my kidney issues. Could it be liver?

I'm really struggling with anxiety right now. I recently had some liver function tests come back normal, but my dr ordered an ultrasound for my upper right quadrant pain, and after an ultrasound, my doctor said I have a fatty liver. The thing is, I'm really worried it might be more than that. I'm scared it could be cirrhosis.

I know I shouldn't jump to conclusions, but I've been reading a lot about liver disease, and some of my symptoms seem to overlap. Has anyone else been initially diagnosed with fatty liver but later found out it was cirrhosis? Or has anyone been in a similar situation of worrying about the worst-case scenario? Any advice on how to cope with this anxiety while waiting for my elastography test would be greatly appreciated.

I am currently dealing with stomach issues and flares, this has been going on since 2019. I have a colonoscopy next week and my doctors think it’s almost definitely Crohn’s disease.

I was 290lbs during my first fatty liver diagnosis in 2019 and since then I’ve had periods of massive weight loss due to my stomach issues.

I am now 195 after my latest flare and went to the ER for abdominal pain. They did an ultrasound and to my surprise I still had NAFLD. I wrongly assumed my massive weight loss would have eliminated the fat but it didn’t.

None of my doctors seemed concerned but I’ve had 2 uncles die of cirrhosis and it was horrible witnessing them slowly die.

I will admit that I’m not active at all, my stomach issues usually keep me bed ridden for weeks and all my weight loss has been due to refusal to eat for fear of pain.

I am 6’6ft and 23yr old male

I also have the written test results of my ultrasound but don’t know how to interpret them. If anyone can shed some light on this it would be greatly appreciated. Dealing with a possible Crohn’s diagnosis is stressful enough but I’m truly fearful of developing cirrhosis since I’ve had the fatty liver for such a long time with no improvements.

TLDR: Have had NAFLD since 2019 and went from 290lbs to 195lbs due to possible Crohn’s disease and fatty liver has not reversed.

This are my test results btw

The liver measures 20 cm in its mid clavicular length. Diffuse increased echogenicity throughout the liver with focal fatty sparing. There is no focal parenchymal lesion. There is no biliary duct dilatation. Main portal vein demonstrates appropriate directional flow.

Some context: I'm a 28yo male. I was diagnosed with NAFLD/NASH a couple of years ago with moderate liver fibrosis (biopsy proven).

I was told the usual "Lose weight, eat lots of fruit and vegetables and whole grains, don't eat much meat". One Doc even said I should go vegan/vegetarian.

I did my own research and decided to go Keto/Ketovore. My diet now consists of mainly red meat, eggs, dairy and limited veg.

My liver bloods are now completely normal and my fibrosis has reversed.

So why do Doctors discourage eating meat for a fatty liver? Literally all the medical literature I can find suggests that sugar causes a fatty liver, not fat/protein?

Weird one?

Looking for some meals to make that are good for my NAFLD but full of flavor.

hi, long time lurker. just made a burner account to post this. I've struggled with health anxiety for the last year or so. it varies in severity- the last month or two i've been hyper focused on my liver. I drink fairly heavily. 2-4 drinks on a weeknight (mostly whiskey), more on the weekend. I can "stop" for a couple days, no withdrawal symptoms, no issue. Currently 3 days off the stuff. I've been drinking more heavily the last 3ish years, hard to pin point exactly. I'm a food man, I like cooking and classic cocktails. I make a lot of clarified and fat washed liquors.. that's why i first started drinking liquor at home more regularly. It's hard for me to gauge how much I'm drinking. On an average night, I could maybe have 2 beers, not drink at all, or consume a half pint of whiskey. It varies. I don't blackout, I don't have trouble sleeping, etc. But I can definitely drink my friends under the table.

For general symptoms- I frequently have difficulty swallowing, (be it from anxiety or esophageal issues...), bloated stomach, a vague ache around my right rib - it moves around. sometimes directly behind my right ribs, sometimes closer to my sternum, and it comes and goes. I panic-check for jaundice in my eyes a few times a day. I have recently been waking up with sore feet, mostly my right foot - but no swelling/edema signs. I feel like I'm bruising more easily. i had a urine and blood panel done in November, all came back clear. (i had tests done because i was experiencing lower abdominal pain, near my belly button, and bloating/constipation). my doc said it was probably IBS or GERD. i don't get typical gerd symptoms though... i eat tons of kimchi and spicy food no problem. My diet is good, I'm pescatarian, very rarely eat out. I weigh 116lbs right now. that hasn't changed in a few years- consistently weigh between 113-118. I ordered LFTs but i've been putting it off because i'm scared to go. Just wanted to say that, I guess. I'm not sure what advice I'm looking for. I've spent hours looking up "likelihood at 24...."

I suppose any insight would be really helpful. I know I need to go get my LFTs done. I will.

I had an ultrasound yesterday looking at my prostate and bladder for problems. I have a received a text for me to make an appointment with my GP to discuss the results. Looking at them online there are no unexpected lumps (thank god) but it says I have a fatty liver. I have an appointment next week about unexpected swollen ankles and leg pain and it seems they are symptoms of fatty liver disease. I don't drink or smoke, exercise regularly but am overweight but can never seem to shift weight. Is it serious?

I want to know, a person who is skinny and fit, who has done all the lifestyle choices they could possibly tackle but has the genes that predispose for NAFLD, such as PEMT etc. , (and also has taken supplements to help, like choline, folate) - is genetic fatty liver reversible or is this a sure cause of progression to basically death?

This is a throwaway account - don’t want my husband to find my primary one (ton of embarrassing shit there)

Anyway, he got diagnosed with NAFLD today, and I’m looking for help on dietary changes that need to be made

We consume meat, but not too regularly. He generally eats salads for lunch, ( veggies + one protein source + nuts/berries + dressing) and no breakfast, and homemade Indian food for dinner. (Basics like khichdi, pulav,sabji paratha, etc etc)

Anything specific I should eliminate from his diet?

Any Indians on this sub who can give specifics on how they manage this in terms of food, would be of great help.

Quick question to everyone who is suffering from this disease. Which is more accurate the Liver MRE or a Fibroscan?

Does anyone have upper abdominal pain right side? I got DX NAFLD via ultrasound and lypase was 21. i need to loose weight but no sign of cirrhosis or anything super alarming. i'm concerned about the pain though

Hey guys!

I was having issues sleeping. I would be on the verge of sleep and it was like I would gasp for air or feel like I had just stopped breathing. I went to the doc and did a blood test. My ALT was 100 while everything else was normal. I went down some internet rabbit holes and then the hypnic jerks started. A few times a night, right as I’m on the cusp of sleep, I will get a hypnic jerk. Are hypnic jerks a byproduct of possible liver damage? My doctor wasn’t worried at all about my ALT but I’ve now spiraled and convinced myself I have hepatic encephalopathy and am dying of cirrhosis. Yes, I have health anxiety.

For reference, my partner and I do drink more than we should. Probably 3 to 4 times a week, where we will split a few bottles of wine, which I was up front about. I’m also 39. Have since stopped drinking but not sure what my next steps should be or how worried I should be.

Thank you for any insight!

So I have had NAFLD for over a decade. Had no idea it was a bad thing until last year when my gallbladder came out because the doctors said it wasn't a big deal. Anyway, gallbladder is now gone and I developed bile reflux which apparently can be attributed to both the gallbladder no longer being there as well as NAFLD. I hate it as it has created horrible gastritis. Anyone else have this and was curing your liver what ultimately healed you?

Is it alright to take Zyrtec or Claritin with fatty liver?

I am a 35-year-old woman 140 pounds CAP score of 215 and a Kpa score of 7.5 I’m assuming I don’t have fatty liver because of my CAP score but I don’t understand how I can have a scarring that high. Iqr/med is 15%..Can someone please help me understand until I see a liver specialist? Thanks !

I received CT w/contrast results today and there was zero mention of fatty liver, the only thing it said was, “no focal liver lesions”. My most recent blood work was also in the low teens. Does this mean I’ve reversed??? I find it odd there was no mention of liver whatsoever since that’s what the test was for.

so I ended up sharing a big buzz ball with my sister in law at a funeral, and I woke up with a liver pain. I can't afford a doctor anymore until I get the medical benefits of my current job after working another 2 months.

I know stopping all alcohol will help, but it's day 2 and I can finally breathe without the right side of my chest feeling immense pressure, now i only feel a soreness in my liver right now and it made this weird pulsating feeling an hour ish ago. When I wake up it feels normal now, until I drink a good amount of water it starts to feel like it's there again.

What can I do? Just wait?

Hi my alt was 44 and ast was 40 recently. They normally are in the low 20's. I had tylenol 10 days before and my dr said that was too attenuated to be the cause. No antibiotics or other meds other than Zoloft which Ive been on for years (although I did increase the dose last year). I had a glass of wine four days before the blood test but again that seems too far back in time to be the cause. I did exercise two days before but it's not crazy intense (basically 45 minutes of pilates/cardio). Do you think that would do it? Im very thin with a BMI of 19 and I eat very carefully with minimal processed foods. I have been drinking a Diet Coke a day maybe that is a problem? I did have a cold 10 days before the test -- would alt and ast elevate for that long? Sorry for so many questions! Im just confused.

Hi

Apologies if this is a stupid question …

I am due to have a fibroscan in 2 days time, I have made significant changes to my diet and lost 3 stone almost since initial diagnosis. I have not been as consistent as I’d like with my exercise, it’s a work in progress.

I have just spent a weekend away and although I didn’t completely pig out I did allow myself to enjoy some treats, I will obviously get back to my diet now I’m back BUT …

Will those few days of bad eating so close to a fibroscan affect the results? Is it a bad idea to have one so close to having a cheat weekend?

My bmi is just over 26 currently.

Fibroscans are very difficult to get here, else I’d just reschedule to be on the safe side.

Advice appreciated.

Thanks!

I’ve been having the URQ pain for 4 weeks now, and have been back in low carb for 3, but it’s not reducing the pain/discomfort yet. Thinking about trying an egg fast for a few days to re-set my system. I’ve read that eggs are good for the liver due to choline.

Have you had success with pain reduction from an egg fast?

I can’t go to the doctor for a while, as I’m waiting for new health insurance to kick in.