I was momentarily confused by your post. Encephalopathy means a disease or disorder of the brain. I'm going to guess Tim is suffering from hepatic encephalopathy, which means toxins are building up in his brain because his liver isn't working right.
You might try going to the National Institute of Health site. It's really good info. Here's a link.
Hepatic encephalopathy: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia
Tim can have ammonia build up from simple things like not drinking enough water, eating too much protein, taking tranquilizers or antacids or having even one drink of alcohol. This information is directly from the government site. This is what it says about treating the encephalopathy:
Treatment
Hepatic encephalopathy can be a medical emergency that requires a hospital stay.
The first step is to identify and treat any factors that may have caused hepatic encephalopathy.
Gastrointestinal bleeding must be stopped. The intestines must be emptied of blood. Infections, kidney failure, and electrolyte abnormalities (especially potassium) need to be treated.
Life support may be necessary to help with breathing or blood circulation, particularly if the person is in a coma. The brain may swell, which can be life-threatening.
If the problem is very bad, you may need to cut down the protein in your diet. However, too little protein can cause malnutrition, so you should talk to a dietitian about how to change your diet. People who are very ill may need intravenous or tube feedings.
You may be given lactulose to prevent intestinal bacteria from creating ammonia and to remove blood from the intestines. You may also get neomycin to reduce ammonia production by intestinal bacteria. Rifaximin, a new antibiotic, is also effective in hepatic encephalopathy.
You may need to avoid sedatives, tranquilizers, and any other medicines that are broken down by the liver. Medicines containing ammonium (including certain antacids) should also be avoided. Your doctor may suggest other medicines and treatments. These may have varying results.
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You may need to talk directly to Tim's doctors to find out what you can do at home to help prevent Tim from having relapses. But the doctors can only talk to you with Tim's permission. He may have to sign a release of information.
If Tim drinks alcohol or takes sedatives or if he craves protein like meat, milk and eggs, he may become resistant, even angry about attempts to change those behaviors. I hope he will let you talk directly to his doctors and that, if necessary, you'll squeal on him if he's cheating or not following doctor's orders. Tim is responsible for his own actions and you can't force him, but encephalopathy means his brain gets foggy and he has episodes of not thinking straight. He'll need extra help at times.
It sounds like he's on the transplant list right now. My fingers are crossed for both of you.