Question 1

ammonia 107 *on a ventilator 65 %* cirrhosis day 14 in hospital *7 - icu now is had her 2nd paracentesis , unresponsive ammonia level is high- will not come how long before this makes it way to her brain. is this toxic to the body*ammonia?

Accepted Answer

: Yes, ammonia is causing encephalopathy or brain damage and is due to liver failure and while hoping for the best it is time to prepare for the worst. Talk to the medical team what would be next and what are the expectations for functional recovery.

Question 2

i was told today by a pharmacist that two of the anticonvulsants i have been taking for 20 years can interact with each other and cause excess buildup of ammonia and potential brain swelling. i take dilantin, depakote, and topomax. thank you?

Accepted Answer

: Needs to be put into perspective.  Both Dilantin, and Depakote, could theoretically cause liver damage (rather uncommon event) and this could result in high ammonia.  Not clear to me, if you truly require 3 anti-epileptic drugs, and you might consider modification.  Talk to your neurologist about your future medication usage, as this depends upon seizure frequency, co-morbidities, etc.

Question 3

after brain stroke recovery in hospital suddenly ammonia 99, encephalopathy, unconcious,breathing on own, feeding thrgh tube, 3 days now , not conciou?

Accepted Answer

Encephalopathy: The stroke, may be more extensive than initially seen. Brain swelling which compresses on the brain stem may result in the inability to breath, swallow on his own. Once the other body systems begins to fail such as the lovey and kidneys then you can see poor excretion of metabolic by products as Ammonia build up.

Question 4

a headache while watching porn and after can mean anything or cause a harmful change in my body or brain?

Accepted Answer

One normally: dose not think of observing pornography as being physically harmful. However, if you get headaches each time you watch it - this may be triggering migraine headaches.  If you feel guilty about it - possibly this is a somatic symptom. I am not sure.

Question 5

i need to have a cerebral ct or mri but i'm scared of radiation and gadolinium. which one is less harmful to my body?

Accepted Answer

MRI has no radiation: If it is radiation that you are worried about, then MRI is the scan of choice for you since it has no radiation.  That being said, you always have to weigh the risks versus benefits of any procedure.  The risks of a CT are relatively small, whereas the risk of an undetected aneurysm or tumor are quite high.  If you are really anxious, ask your doctor if he can prescribe an anti anxiety medication.

Question 6

how can i tell if my ammonia levels are high in my body?

Accepted Answer

Blood test.: A blood test can determine the ammonia level in your body.

Question 7

is inhaling ammonia harmful to the lungs?

Accepted Answer

Irritating but no: Ammonia in concentrations you are likely to encounter are irritating and likely to make you cough, but not much more.

At higher “industrial” concentrations it can indeed produce lung inflammation and more long-term damage.

Question 8

how do i know if i have ammonia buildup in my body?

Accepted Answer

Liver Encephalopathy: Ammonia levels are not usually measured unless a patient has chronic liver disease. Patients with severely elevated ammonia levels may present with altered mental status/drowsiness/decreased level of consciousness.

Question 9

do slightly elevated ammonia levels always indicate a problem in the body?

Accepted Answer

Yes, maybe: An ammonia test measures the amount of ammonia in the blood. Most ammonia in the body forms when protein is broken down by bacteria in the intestines. The liver normally converts ammonia into urea, which is then eliminated in urine.

Ammonia levels in the blood rise when the liver is not able to convert ammonia to urea. This may be caused by cirrhosis or severe hepatitis.

Question 10

why does my body odor randomally start smelling like ammonia or cat urine ?

Accepted Answer

: Body odors occur due to many factors e.g. skin bacteria, sweat glands, food and fluids. Bathe daily with soap and water, avoid excess o f'smelly' foods eg onion garlic etc and use a good deodorant- you might come out smelling like roses!

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Doctor answers about:

Is it harmful to the brain to have to much ammonia in body

A member asked:

Ammonia 107 *on a ventilator 65 %* cirrhosis day 14 in hospital *7 - icu now is had her 2nd paracentesis , unresponsive ammonia level is high- will not come how long before this makes it way to her brain. is this toxic to the body*ammonia?

A member asked:

I was told today by a pharmacist that two of the anticonvulsants i have been taking for 20 years can interact with each other and cause excess buildup of ammonia and potential brain swelling. i take dilantin, depakote, and topomax. thank you?

A member asked:

After brain stroke recovery in hospital suddenly ammonia 99, encephalopathy, unconcious,breathing on own, feeding thrgh tube, 3 days now , not conciou?

A member asked:

A headache while watching porn and after can mean anything or cause a harmful change in my body or brain?

A member asked:

I need to have a cerebral ct or mri but i'm scared of radiation and gadolinium. which one is less harmful to my body?

A member asked:

How can i tell if my ammonia levels are high in my body?

A member asked:

Is inhaling ammonia harmful to the lungs?

A member asked:

How do i know if i have ammonia buildup in my body?

A member asked:

Do slightly elevated ammonia levels always indicate a problem in the body?

A member asked:

Why does my body odor randomally start smelling like ammonia or cat urine ?

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Questions?

Ammonia 107 on a ventilator 65 % cirrhosis day 14 in hospital 7 - icu now is had her 2nd paracentesis , unresponsive ammonia level is high- will not come how long before this makes it way to her brain. is this toxic to the bodyammonia?