Forums›MASH / Liver Disease›Doctor said my fatty liver is GONE - I literally cried — what worked for you?

Doctor said my fatty liver is GONE - I literally cried — what worked for you?

dan_philly Thu, May 16, 2024 at 11:02 PM 14 replies 2,155 viewsPage 1 of 3

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dan_philly

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Jul 2024

Philadelphia, PA

May 16, 2024 at 11:02 PM#1

I want to share my results because when I was diagnosed, reading other people's stories gave me hope. I'm 44M, was 268 lbs at 5'10" (BMI 38.4). Type 2 diabetic, metabolic syndrome, the works. Diagnosed with NAFLD/MASH in March 2024 after elevated liver enzymes on routine bloodwork. My PCP initially told me "just lose weight" but I pushed for a GI referral. Best decision I ever made. Baseline (March 2024): - FibroScan: 9.8 kPa (F3 — significant fibrosis), CAP 362 dB/m (S3 — severe steatosis) - ALT: 94 U/L (normal <40) - AST: 68 U/L (normal <40) - GGT: 156 U/L - Triglycerides: 312 mg/dL - HbA1c: 8.1% - Weight: 268 lbs My hepatologist started me on semaglutide 0.25mg (for the metabolic syndrome + MASH) and pioglitazone 30mg (specifically for NASH/fibrosis based on the PIVENS trial data). Vitamin E 800 IU added as well. 6-month follow-up (September 2024): - FibroScan: 8.2 kPa (F2), CAP 298 dB/m (S2) - ALT: 52 U/L - AST: 41 U/L - GGT: 88 U/L - Triglycerides: 178 mg/dL - HbA1c: 6.4% - Weight: 229 lbs (-39 lbs) 14-month follow-up (May 2025): - FibroScan: 6.1 kPa (F0-F1 — essentially normal!), CAP 238 dB/m (S1 — mild steatosis) - ALT: 28 U/L (NORMAL!) - AST: 24 U/L (NORMAL!) - GGT: 42 U/L - Triglycerides: 124 mg/dL - HbA1c: 5.8% - Weight: 198 lbs (-70 lbs) From F3 fibrosis to essentially normal liver stiffness in 14 months. I literally cried at the hepatologist's office. She said my liver looks "unremarkable" on ultrasound now — the most beautiful boring word I've ever heard. I want to be clear: this wasn't just drugs. I also completely overhauled my diet (Mediterranean, zero alcohol, limited fructose), walked 8,000-10,000 steps daily, and started resistance training 3x/week. The semaglutide helped enormously with appetite and food noise, but I put in the work. Happy to answer questions about the process.

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jim_asheville

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Aug 2024

Asheville, NC

May 16, 2024 at 11:13 PM#2

This is textbook stuff and I love seeing it. I'm a nurse practitioner in a hepatology practice and your results are exactly what we hope for but don't always see. A few things I want to highlight for others reading this: 1. The combination approach matters. Semaglutide + pioglitazone + vitamin E is a well-supported triple therapy for MASH. Each addresses different pathways — sema for weight/insulin resistance, pioglitazone for hepatic insulin sensitization and anti-inflammatory effects, vitamin E for oxidative stress. 2. Your FibroScan trajectory is remarkable. Going from 9.8 to 6.1 kPa is a ~38% reduction in liver stiffness. Anything below 7 kPa is generally considered normal. You've essentially reversed your fibrosis. 3. The CAP score improvement from 362 to 238 is also significant. Below 248 is generally considered S0-S1 (minimal steatosis). You're right on the cusp of having negligible fat in your liver. 4. Diet and exercise are not optional adjuncts — they're foundational. We see patients on sema who don't change anything else and their FibroScan improvement is maybe 15-20%. You got 38% because you combined pharmacotherapy with aggressive lifestyle modification. One question: did you experience any side effects from the pioglitazone? Weight gain and edema are common, and it seems like your weight loss was robust despite it.

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NurseKim_ATL

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Atlanta, GA

May 16, 2024 at 11:24 PM#3

Great question. The pioglitazone did cause some fluid retention in the first 2-3 months — my ankles were noticeably puffy and I gained about 5 lbs of water weight initially. My hepatologist added a low-dose diuretic (HCTZ 12.5mg) which resolved it. The concern about pioglitazone causing weight gain was actually part of why semaglutide was added simultaneously. My hepatologist's rationale was that sema's weight loss effects would more than counteract pio's tendency to cause weight gain. She was right — the net effect was substantial weight loss. I should mention I also developed some mild lower extremity edema around month 4 that required monitoring. We did an echo to rule out heart failure (all clear) and it resolved by month 6. My hepatologist was very proactive about monitoring for pioglitazone's cardiovascular effects. The vitamin E was the easiest — no side effects at all. Though I know there's some debate about long-term vitamin E supplementation and cardiovascular risk. My hepatologist said the MASH benefit clearly outweighs the theoretical CV risk at 800 IU for a defined treatment course.

Last edited: May 17, 2024 at 4:24 AM

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wendy_avl

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Oct 2024

Asheville, NC

May 16, 2024 at 11:35 PM#4

Your story is incredibly inspiring. I'm in a similar situation — 51F, BMI 41, just diagnosed with MASH (F2 on FibroScan at 8.4 kPa, CAP 341). My GI started me on tirzepatide instead of semaglutide. My baseline labs: - ALT: 72 U/L - AST: 48 U/L - HbA1c: 7.8% - Triglycerides: 267 mg/dL I'm only 3 months in but already seeing some changes: - ALT: 48 U/L (-33%) - Weight: -22 lbs - HbA1c: 6.9% My GI didn't add pioglitazone or vitamin E. Should I ask about adding them? I'm wondering if I'm leaving benefit on the table by only doing monotherapy with tirzepatide.

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TrialNerd_Beth

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Bethesda, MD

May 17, 2024 at 12:30 AM#5

I'm a hepatologist and I can weigh in on this. The choice between monotherapy (GLP-1 alone) vs. combination therapy depends on several factors: When I add pioglitazone to GLP-1: - F3 or higher fibrosis (higher urgency to reverse fibrosis) - Significant insulin resistance (HOMA-IR > 5) - Suboptimal response to GLP-1 alone at 6 months - Patient with T2D where pioglitazone offers dual benefit When I add vitamin E: - Non-diabetic MASH (strongest evidence from PIVENS was in non-diabetics) - Significant lobular inflammation on biopsy - High oxidative stress markers For your situation (F2, BMI 41, HbA1c 7.8% on tirzepatide): - Tirzepatide monotherapy is a reasonable first-line approach. The SYNERGY-NASH data suggests tirz may be even more effective than sema for MASH. - Your 3-month trajectory looks excellent. A 33% ALT reduction at 3 months predicts good histological outcomes. - I'd reassess at 6 months with repeat FibroScan. If stiffness hasn't improved meaningfully, that's when I'd consider adding pioglitazone. Don't compare your timeline to's too closely — he started with more advanced disease (F3) which paradoxically sometimes shows more dramatic initial improvement because there's more to reverse. F2 patients often have a slower but steady trajectory. One thing I would add regardless: complete alcohol elimination if you haven't already, and strict fructose limitation. Both are directly hepatotoxic independent of weight.

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Doctor said my fatty liver is GONE - I literally cried — what worked for you?

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