whenartdeparts

Long time, no post...well, of course I relapsed. Nothing major, no acute withdrawals, etc., BUT I'm currlently on day 2 and am feeling major pain in the right side of my abdomen, kind of behind my ribs, I suppose it is indeed my liver. I was doing (or trying to do) some exercise today and as I tried to do some side bends, I felt some weird sort of pain on the right side. Ugh... is it normal for early recovery?

suki44883

You should see your doctor about it. We have no idea if the pain you feel is related to your liver or your drinking or anything else. It's always best to see your doctor if you are concerned.

Zencat

When I had an enlarged liver, I did experience some strong discomfort but no shooting or burning pain. It felt like a pressure discomfort. Better have your doctor look at it just to be on the safe side.

LaFemme

Sorry about your relapse...and your discomfort. I would suggest talking to the doctor...like Zen I had pressure in my lower right abdomen but no sharp pains.

CarolD

Yes..it's time for an honest talk with your doctor....

Welcome back to SR...

ImReadyToQuit

I had that for a whole month... When I'd lift my hands over my head and strech, I'd feel not really sharp pain, but more of an awareness.. I'm certain is was because my liver was enlarged/inflamed.. It did pass.. But you should def talk to your doctor.

newby1961

Home

Like everyone else has said it is not a good idea for any of us to try and play Dr as something like this should really be left to the experts.

For me though when I came into AA my liver hurt for months before I decided to go to the Dr and I wish I hadn't of waited so long as I found out I indeed did some damage to it.

As with anything else early detection is the best and if its not anything serious then at least you can put your mind at ease. God knows in early sobriety we have enough stuff rolling around that ole brain of ours.

MrDavid

Sounds like a plan...

Dee74

welcome back

No pain should ever be ignored - please do get checked out by a professional

I hope this time will be your time - are you considering ways to do anything differently this time?

D

whenartdeparts

hm now that you mention it...it is indeed more of a pressure and "awareness" than sharp pain. i'm not very good at describing such things 'cause i'm a bit of an exaggerator! lol
will definitely check with my doctor though just to make sure. thanks for all the advice
i'm feeling better today, the uncomofortable feeling is gone, but considering my substance abuse history and my vast experience with prescription drugs, a liver check-up is necessary.

omegasupreme

Hmmm...been a bit...has grace landed you in the halls of AA yet?

Francismcan

Not knowing your honest chemical history, when you do go see the doctor, have her/him run a test on your liver to see which enzymes are elevated. SGOT, LDH, AP, CPK, Bilirubin, Albumin, SGPT, GGTP.

Have to second the question of the most recent poster.
Has this decision to recover brought you to the rooms of spiritual self help, to include attending meetings, reading the literature, getting a sponsor who assists you to work the steps?
Willpower works on addiction like it does on holding your breath.

whenartdeparts

No, I haven't been to a single AA meeting yet but it's about time I attend one. I suppose I was just being stubborn by refusing to accept the fact that will power alone would not be able to keep me away from my addictions. It's human nature to be stubborn in this respect You always want to believe that you can fix a problem alone.

suki44883

Step one is admitting you are powerless over alcohol. Can you admit that now?

whenartdeparts

I've always been able to admit it There is a big difference between admitting and acting in accordance with what you admitted.

susanlauren

WhenArtDeparts,
There is also a big difference between admitting something "intellectually" as compared to an at-depth heart and soul acceptance. I learned that lesson recently. For me, the heart/soul experience of my powerlessness over alcohol has given me a willingness and an openmindedness such as I've never had before. Acting in accordance with what I have admitted is no longer an issue. I am now willing to do anything, anything at all, to find the solution. A few weeks ago, I wanted nothing to do with AA, the steps, and/or a higher power. Now I am embracing these with complete abandon.
Susan

omegasupreme

It seems the longest journey I have experienced thus far is the one from my head to my heart with truths like these.

Latte

I would see a physician. Check out your area for a low cost clinic in your area if you cannot afford it, they usually have sliding scales. Good luck.

flutter

Glad you're going to talk to your doctor. The blood tests they can run are pretty straightforward really. I had pain in the area around my liver, I've heard that the liver actually doesn't 'hurt', but if enlarged, damaged, diseased, it can cause pain around the area due to swelling or fluid it is letting off. That being said, there's a ton of other things that can cause that type of pain too (usually medically referenced as "right upper quadrant pain". I ended up having gall bladder issues (unknown relation to drinking), which can cause similar pain, and can elevate liver enzyme levels as well. I was scared to death to really honestly take a medical look at myself after all those years of destruction, but I'm SO glad that I did, I bet you will be too!

Zencat

I know the feeling. I thought that I could get and stay sober on my own. Then I found SMART Recovery. I could never think up stuff like that on my own. Once I became willing to seek out resources SMART, I found a lot of addiction treatment tools elsewhere.

Knowing that I could make all the necessary changes in my life to be addiction free is not only liberation but also very personally rewarding.