PKD Life - Fall 2021 - 9

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PKD DAY TO DAY
Age s & Stage s
Common
GI Issues
With PKD
Here's how doctors manage
liver cysts and other digestive
system problems.
By Andrea Atkins
more common in women,
thanks to estrogen.
" The good news, " says Dr.
Goldberg, " is that these cysts
do not cause the liver to shut
down; they're more structural,
and they have no eff ect
on liver function. " Many
people might not even know
they have liver cysts, because
they can be symptomless and
are often only discovered on
routine CT scans. Dr. Goldberg
says it's extraordinarily
rare to see a patient with liver
cysts develop liver failure
that requires a liver transplant.
Sometimes, however,
a patient will experience discomfort.
Talk to your doctor
if you feel:
Really full after even
small meals. Known as
" early satiety, " this sensation
is often experienced because
the liver and kidneys are taking
up more space in your
abdomen, leaving your stomach
less room to expand after
you eat something.
Pain, tenderness, or
W hen you have PKD, your kidneys aren't the
only organs involved. Many people also have
issues with their digestive systems. These are the
most common problems:
LIVER CYSTS
About 80% of people with PKD develop liver cysts,
says Seth Goldberg, M.D., associate professor of
medicine in the Division of Nephrology at Washington
University School of Medicine, and it is
swelling. Large cysts can be
fi lled with up to 590 cubic
centimeters of fl uid (about
the amount of a 20-ounce
soda bottle), Dr. Goldberg
says. Such cysts can be
uncomfortable, cause your
liver to become distended,
and leave you with tender
spots on your abdomen. If so,
your doctor may recommend
that a particularly large cyst
be drained, a procedure in
which a radiologist locates
the cyst with ultrasound and
uses a needle to remove the
fl uid. " In most cases the cyst
does come back, but it can
take years to recur, so this is
a fairly durable treatment, "
Dr. Goldberg says.
Lower back pain.
An expanded liver could
be pressing against your
back and causing you lower
back pain.
OTHER GI ISSUES
About 50% to 65% of people
with PKD develop diverticular
problems. " The reason
why is not well understood, "
Dr. Goldberg says, adding
that some researchers
speculate that the muscle
of the colon is weakened by
the same polycystic protein
that's mutated in the kidneys
and the liver. Other possible
GI problems include
hernias, nausea, vomiting,
and diarrhea.
To combat GI problems,
Dr. Goldberg recommends
that people with PKD drink
at least 72 ounces of water
per day (do not exceed 200
ounces daily without consulting
your physician). If
you have trouble drinking
that much, try adding some
fl avoring, like fruit or mint or
cucumber. And remember
that caff eine has a theoretical
risk for cyst growth and
should be kept to a minimum,
Dr. Goldberg says.
Also, consider reducing
the size of your meals.
Instead of three meals a day,
eat six smaller meals so that
you space out your food
intake and feel less full.
*
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PKD Life - Fall 2021

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