PTSD

Fifteen weeks ago when I decided to quit I first went to the doctor not only for Campral but to get things checked out. I had lost count of how much I drank a day since I used it to combat post traumatic stress disorder about ten years and in recent years have been drinking all day long including sneaking vodka into my drinks at work and at the worst of times filling a water bottle with it and taking a slug when the stress level was through the roof. The blood work turned out with low red blood cell count (which my doctor was not terribly concerned about) and my liver enzymes were a little high, the LST count in particular (a count of 270). My doctor said it really wasn't as bad as it seemed and, to be quite honest, before the test I was not only still very buzzed from the night before (I was saying goodbye to my bad habit) I slammed a few before going into the office (three beers). In the fifteen weeks since then the Campral got me through the bad parts and I've done very well. I'm getting my blood tested again in a few days, just to make sure, and am only concerned about one thing and while my my logic tells me I'm worrying stupidly having PTSD has caused me to fret went I normally wouldn't. What it is is that I found non-alcoholic beer to be an excellent placebo, to the point where I could be totally happy never having a real beer again. It doesn't cause a trigger in my mind to start drinking again, I simply like it and it does help me relax when I'm really stressing out. The trace alcohol left in it is so little that it's beaten out by many fruit juices and processed meats. Still, I can't help worrying that drinking one, no matter how trace it is, will effect the enzymes and I even get to the point where drinking or eating anything else with trace alcohol may set things off! As the blood test is in a few days I'm pretty nervous about it (not only does the PTSD make me worry more but my brother died recently making me more aware of my own mortality) and I guess I could just use a little reassurance. My family and friends have been great through this but I think that they're getting a little sick of my fretting. Like I said, I don't feel any extra urge to drink when I have fake beer I'm only worried about the physical effects of trace alcohol. Other than the blood test I'm in outstanding shape, I'm a retired boxer who never quit working out intensely even at my worst with alcohol so everything else works fine.

Dean62

Your doctor would have told you if he thought you had something to worry about. I went through this same thing about 2 years ago. Your enzymes can get much, much higher then that so when your doctor told you it really wasn't as bad as it seemed he was serious.

I assume your doctor told you not to drink anymore. I wouldn't worry about trace amounts of alcohol as far as your liver is concerned. Personally I would worry about trace amounts of alcohol as far as this disease is concerned. It's all or nothing for me.

CarolD

My condolences on the loss of your brother.

I have no personal experience with
alcohol and PTSD Nor do I drink N/A beer.

My guess? your test results will show
improvement. Seems logical to me too.

Keep us updated..

f911

I was drinkimg a pint of Vodka/day for 5 years. It took 1 year for all my blood panels to return to normal--although blood pressure returned to normal in 2 weeks.

I may be the exception. Good luck on your blood tests.

jane

Tazman53

Your blood work I would imagine is going to come back better, you would have to drink a lot of NA beer to even cop a buzz from what I have heard.

My personal choice is to not do anything that resembles real drinking like drinking NA beer or wine. Just me...... I have had the obsession to drink lifted from me and prefer not to tempt fate with NA beer.

I was diagnosed with a fatty liver, 90 days after I quit my liver enzymes were back to normal, it took about 6 months for the swelling in my liver to go down, the tenderness left after about a month of not drinking.