new here! worried for my health!
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2015
Posts: 24
new here! worried for my health!
Hello everyone,
I just made this account today, mainly because I have been wanting to quit drinking for a while but find it very hard. Now I feel as if I need to because ive been having slight pain in the area which seems to be my liver.. I have been drinking a lot for the past 5 years.. first 2 years was 6-8 beers a night and or half a pint of gin or rum. last three years ive been drinking less beer and more hard alcohol and the last year ive been drinking easily a pint 375ml of hard alcohol every night I drink only at night to help me deal with my anxiety and 24/7 depersonalization.. Alcohol helps me feel okay and fall asleep. Now I'm so worried ive done real damage to my liver and I don't have health insurance so its going to cost me a liver to go get checked out. I think this real fear of having done some serious damage might be the help I need to scare me into quitting since id already be drinking at this point in the day and right now I'm to scared to. I just really hope Its not to late for me to stop now and not have any real life threating side effects..also hope I can really quit and not cause more problems!
I just made this account today, mainly because I have been wanting to quit drinking for a while but find it very hard. Now I feel as if I need to because ive been having slight pain in the area which seems to be my liver.. I have been drinking a lot for the past 5 years.. first 2 years was 6-8 beers a night and or half a pint of gin or rum. last three years ive been drinking less beer and more hard alcohol and the last year ive been drinking easily a pint 375ml of hard alcohol every night I drink only at night to help me deal with my anxiety and 24/7 depersonalization.. Alcohol helps me feel okay and fall asleep. Now I'm so worried ive done real damage to my liver and I don't have health insurance so its going to cost me a liver to go get checked out. I think this real fear of having done some serious damage might be the help I need to scare me into quitting since id already be drinking at this point in the day and right now I'm to scared to. I just really hope Its not to late for me to stop now and not have any real life threating side effects..also hope I can really quit and not cause more problems!
Member
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Canada
Posts: 22
That's the reason I quit and the constant reminder of why I can never drink again. I only quit 13 days ago after my Dr told me that all my health ailments were directly linked to my drinking. Please go see a Dr. Until you know the damage you have done, you will still be tempted to drink (especially when you have a good day health wise). My blood results did not lie. I was killing myself with drink.
12 Step Recovered Alcoholic
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: New Zealand
Posts: 6,613
Seems a trip to the doctor should be the first thing. Sounds like you have been drinking way more than is good for you. If you want scary, consider alcohol is in the same class of carcinogen as cigarettes. Prostate, liver, mouth, tongue, pancreatic, bowel, oeasophogus(you know what I meant) are just some of the cancers that go with excess alcohol use, along with heart disease and brain damage, always assuming you don't kill yourself or someone else while drunk.
Trying to scare an alcoholic sober never works. However, if you are just a hard drinker, given a good enough reason, you should be able to stop without too much trouble. I suppose that might be good news?
Trying to scare an alcoholic sober never works. However, if you are just a hard drinker, given a good enough reason, you should be able to stop without too much trouble. I suppose that might be good news?
bona fido dog-lover
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: SF Bay area, CA
Posts: 99,784
The only way to know your state of health is to get blood tests done by a doctor. And no more drinking. Don't give yourself any more risk. I hope the support here can help you get sober for good. 
Huh?
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: San Diego, CA
Posts: 474
Best of luck.
My boyfriend has cirrhosis. Trust me when I say that the only reason he's alive is that he has the best specialist in the area.
It is a slow,
painful,
drawn out
death.
The process to get on the transplant list is incredibly long and not all people are fit enough. The chances of liver transplant are incredibly slim.
Even then, it only gives you a couple of years, wherein you'll always have a low immune system, always have to take medicine, and have a very high chance of getting skin cancer as a result of some of the immunosuppressants they put you on.
Your whole life after cirrhosis is lived with the aim of trying to simply keep you alive. They can never fix you. All they can do is treat the symptoms until you inevitably die.
It's not too late to stop and get help.
Please do so, because if you continue at this rate, there won't be any time left to truly live.
There are people in their 20s getting cirrhosis, so it's no longer just something that happens to life long drinkers.
My boyfriend has cirrhosis. Trust me when I say that the only reason he's alive is that he has the best specialist in the area.
It is a slow,
painful,
drawn out
death.
The process to get on the transplant list is incredibly long and not all people are fit enough. The chances of liver transplant are incredibly slim.
Even then, it only gives you a couple of years, wherein you'll always have a low immune system, always have to take medicine, and have a very high chance of getting skin cancer as a result of some of the immunosuppressants they put you on.
Your whole life after cirrhosis is lived with the aim of trying to simply keep you alive. They can never fix you. All they can do is treat the symptoms until you inevitably die.
It's not too late to stop and get help.
Please do so, because if you continue at this rate, there won't be any time left to truly live.
There are people in their 20s getting cirrhosis, so it's no longer just something that happens to life long drinkers.
Member
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 214
I am praying for you. I am certainly not a genius and I managed to quit. Regardless of what anyone including the voice in your head tells you, you can too. I know at the bottom it looks bleak but you can be doing amazing in no time at all. The first thing I did was pray to the lord and then made an appointment with my doctor to go over options. My blood work was ten kinds of bad at first. I also had pain under bottom of rib cage as well. With zero alcohol, good diet and exercise my pain and blood work was totally normal after 4 months. The most important thing is to make an appointment with your doctor and tell the truth and not drink. I managed to get sober without AA. I just used my doctor,church and exercise. The most important thing is keeping sober and using the method that works for you.. Good luck and God bless!
Member
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Des Plaines
Posts: 98
From what I have read, you really don't see many symptoms of serious liver disease until its too late. That is what scares me. I'm just starting another attempt to stop myself, and joined this site just yesterday because I have found out I can't do it alone. See you around.
Member
Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 8,614
You'll see stories here of people with all levels of results on bloodwork and getting better and even some who live successfully with health issues, either way it is imperative to quit- you can only benefit.
Take care and keep us posted, we are here
Take care and keep us posted, we are here
Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: California
Posts: 2,693
I drank daily and heavily for about nine years. At 31 I was coerced by my doctor to get blood work done. Oh boy did I try to get out of that one but I relented. I had 90 days to rest my liver before getting the blood drawn. I drank the first 89 days and did not drink the night before.
I had an alcoholic-red face. Red eyes. IBS. Slight shakes all day. Terrible digestion. And reflux that would make me wince. Basically, my health was in the gutter.
My enzymes were double what they should have been and I was diagnosed with alcoholic hep. I still couldn't kick the booze and drank one more year.
Long story short, I stopped drinking in June 2014 and have not had a DROP since. Still can't quite believe it myself.
My plan was to avoid the doctor until I had five years of sobriety. Well guess who had gallstones? Damn that messed up my plan.
I was coerced to get a CT scan (a week ago) and I thought Greeeeeat. They're gonna see some gallstones sitting right under a shriveled, f-'ed up liver. Greeeeeat.
After all, I drank a year past my diagnosis.
Long story short. Liver enzymes normal. No inflammation. No scarring. I didn't mention to The ER doctor drinking at all and she didn't mention it. And no stones either.
Success story, right? I am very thankful.
The only catch? You can't drink alcohol anymore. It's worth it. I don't miss alcohol at all.
I had an alcoholic-red face. Red eyes. IBS. Slight shakes all day. Terrible digestion. And reflux that would make me wince. Basically, my health was in the gutter.
My enzymes were double what they should have been and I was diagnosed with alcoholic hep. I still couldn't kick the booze and drank one more year.
Long story short, I stopped drinking in June 2014 and have not had a DROP since. Still can't quite believe it myself.
My plan was to avoid the doctor until I had five years of sobriety. Well guess who had gallstones? Damn that messed up my plan.
I was coerced to get a CT scan (a week ago) and I thought Greeeeeat. They're gonna see some gallstones sitting right under a shriveled, f-'ed up liver. Greeeeeat.
After all, I drank a year past my diagnosis.
Long story short. Liver enzymes normal. No inflammation. No scarring. I didn't mention to The ER doctor drinking at all and she didn't mention it. And no stones either.
Success story, right? I am very thankful.
The only catch? You can't drink alcohol anymore. It's worth it. I don't miss alcohol at all.
Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: California
Posts: 2,693
And yes. There are MANY success stories of livers healing with TOTAL ABSTINENCE.
Good news: very good chance your health issue is reversible
"Bad news": no more alcohol.
You'll come to see that as good news but it takes awhile.
Good news: very good chance your health issue is reversible
"Bad news": no more alcohol.
You'll come to see that as good news but it takes awhile.
Member
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: West Tn
Posts: 3,043
Glad you are here, Khyzer.
My liver hurt quite a bit the last year or so I drank, and my enzymes were elevated.
But I returned to great health once I got sober.
Your body sounds like it's giving you a good warning sign.
I hope you do something about it by getting help (including medical attention).
My liver hurt quite a bit the last year or so I drank, and my enzymes were elevated.
But I returned to great health once I got sober.
Your body sounds like it's giving you a good warning sign.
I hope you do something about it by getting help (including medical attention).
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