Preventing complications and progression of cirrhosis

When you have cirrhosis, you must take steps to prevent further damage. These general guidelines may help you maintain your liver's function and your overall health:

• Stop drinking alcohol. No matter what caused your cirrhosis, don't drink alcohol. All types of alcohol may cause liver damage and scarring. If you need help quitting, talk with your care team about your options.
• Manage obesity. If you are overweight or have obesity, the excess fat worsens liver inflammation. Any loss of body weight is helpful. Ask your care team about weight-loss programs that are right for you.
• Avoid malnutrition. Some people with more advanced cirrhosis develop malnutrition. This can include weight loss and protein and vitamin deficiency. Actively planning meals that promote liver health can help prevent further damage.
• Be safe with pain relievers. Don't take ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) or naproxen sodium (Aleve) at all. Depending on the severity of your liver damage, your care team may tell you to limit acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) to 2,000 milligrams a day, or perhaps not take it at all. Do not use standard doses of aspirin for pain relief. Your care team can advise you whether to continue low-dose aspirin (81 milligrams a day) for heart protection.

• Take precautions against infections. When you have cirrhosis, you are more likely to develop certain infections. Your care team will likely update all your needed vaccinations. These include hepatitis A, hepatitis B and pneumococcal vaccines. Make sure you get influenza and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines every year.

  Don't eat raw seafood such as shrimp or sushi. Also don't swim in brackish or salt water. People with cirrhosis are more likely to get certain infections that can be transmitted in these settings. Don't drink unpasteurized milk for similar reasons.