End stage liver disease, being kept alive with lactulose?

My mom has end stage liver disease from Hep C and drinking. she can not have a transplant she is to weak to undergo surgery. she is kept alive with Lactulose, it is keeping her ammonia levels down, the DR said if it wasnt for Lactulose, she would be gone. BUT, she was SO skinny before she went in, now with the lactulose everything runs right through her, she is now down to 85 LBS. she has her good days and her bad. she has encepholopathy, from the liver failure. any help would be appreciated.

Your mother would benefit from a high-calorie, high-protein diet. Calorically dense liquid nutritional supplements (such as Boost and Ensure) come in high protein formulas. She may also benefit from Benecalorie, a calorically dense food additive and Beneprotein or ProStat, both high protein supplements. And yes, Lactulose is used to treat hepatic encephalopathy does decrease ammonia but also is a laxative. Either you or she should speak to her hepatologist about the supplements I mentioned here and she can omit fiber from her diet. Your mother needs nutritional guidance and help now.

prayer can help

They told my mother the same thing. Yet she has improved enough to be reconsidered to be back on the transplant list. If it is your mother's will to live then dealing with the lactulose with have to be a choice. Though it is very hard to witness the high levels over take your mother, throwing up, jaundice, weight loss, water retention, etc., Through all the daily ups and downs, just be her mental support.

Now, did they give her a list of foods she is recommended to eat to keep the ammonia levels down? If not, ask for a lists of food she can eat so she can keep down the ammonia levels.

Also, does she take Phenergan for vomiting if there is any? That can help so she doesn't lose more fluids. (This medicine will make her drowsy if she isn't already taking it.)

Most importantly, if she still drinks it will be hard to maintain her health, and she will need to cease drinking if she wants to live.