Looking for some answers
 

Hi everyone. I found this site a few months back because I had an alcohol problem. I was an everyday drinker and I was probably knocking back 20-25 beers a day at times even more. I was finally able to quit back in November until about the end of December but then I had a relapse. I started drinking again in January at an even higher rate than before. I finally realized AGAIN that I needed help and I was extremely nervous about the withdrawal symptoms so I went to detox at my local hospital. I was released last night and am back at home with my family and I have a couple of questions.

First of all since I've gotten home I have been extremely extremely fatigued. I also feel almost like a walking zombie. Did anyone else experience this?

Did anyone else here decide to go into detox? If so do you remember if your liver enzymes were elevated? The nurses said they weren't critically high but they were high and I'm very nervous I've permanantly screwed my liver (and I'm only 20 years old).

Also are there any vitamins, supplements, etc that you or your doctor told would be beneficial to your liver health?

Did anyone else while they were drinking heavily get pains in there right dull pains or pressure in there right abdomin in the area of their liver?

I have an appointment with my primary doctor tomorrow and I'll be having another liver function blood test performed after a month of being away from drinking so I'm praying they drop off.

If you have anymore information you could relay it is greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

Yes, recovering physically from alcoholism will take a little time. I'm not sure how long you were in detox, but give yourself a little time.

You have a plan to talk to your dr about your physical health and that's the best place to start.

I was terribly nervous about my physical health when I stopped drinking, looking for guarantees that I would be okay. The thing is, stopping drinking is the best thing you can do for yourself. None of us have any guarantees about our health, but whatever happens, I plan to be sober.

I recall the pain in my right side on various occasions, which seemed to occur after an especially long, hard period of boozing it up. These incidents scared me so much that I ran right back to the bar to have a few, to dull the pain and forget it. Needless to say, this only made matters much worse. After I made a decision to try to stop, and after a few days of not drinking, the pain subsided. I still feel is occasionally, so I'm having it checked next month, along with my heart, etc. Drinking damages us in many ways after prolonged use. the physical challenges are just part of it.

Feeling tired is also very common. Then there are days when your mind won't shut down. It's a rollercoaster till your body can rebuild itself and recuperate.

Of all the things I lost while drinking, I miss my mind the most, lol.

welcome!!!

Keep coming back, you'll find a lot of support here.

If you do/did any other drugs lately they could be the reason your enzymes are elevated. I wish you well in your recovery.. you still have most your life in front of you.

Milk Thistle is helpful for the liver, kudzu root for reduce cravings. Glad you are here...

Thank you. That makes me feel much better. I'm hoping it's just my liver recovering from the abuse I gave it.

Well they had me on a hell of a lot of drugs during detox so maybe that is the reason for the elevated levels. Thanks for all the replies they are greatly appreciated.

I had read about the Milk Thistle I think I'm going to go pick some up from the pharmacy here in the near future and I didn't kknow anything about the kudzu root so I'll definitely look into that.

By the way sorry for all the replies so quickly I got a whole bunch very quickly from all of you which again I greatly greatly appreciate.

I had really bad pains on both sides under my ribs. My enzymes were elevated and after three weeks of not drinking my liver test came out normal. A few weeks later I drank for a few days and started feeling the pain again. Since then, I have not drank for a month.

Just another question for some of you that had pains in the region of your liver. I've been sober since Monday and last night basically I had some of the worse pain I've had. It's probably just because I don't have the pain killer of alcohol but I'm freaked out. It seems to be subsiding a little bit today but it's almost like a burning sensation now. I did get a little worked up right before it happened but damn am I scared. I know most of you drank much longer than me but unfortunately, and I hadn't mentioned this earlier, I drank while I had Mono which, if anyone doesn't know causes mild hepatitis and can screw you if you drink. I really think I screwed up.

@ Robc....Do you remember what your enzyme levels were when they were high by chance?

I had liver tests done about 6 weeks ago and they were all elevated. I stopped drinking a couple weeks after this and will get them checked again in about 4 months. My ALT, AST, and GGT were all elevated. Since I don't do any other drugs, I am sure it was alcohol related. Just make sure you take care of yourself and don't drink. Also, I started taking some vitamins that have really helped, alcohol depletes B vitamins, niacin, thiamine, and folate. Good luck :) Lynx

Hi Zandre - I can answer yes to all of your questions - the fatigue, achiness & pains all over, and the liver damage. I drank for many more years than you, yet I feel so much better now, even after all the abuse. It took a few months to get feeling anywhere near normal. I was told the B Vitamins - as Lynxster mentioned - are very important. I shouldn't assume, but since you're 20 I think you have an excellent chance of mending your body. I'm so glad you're back among the living.

Thank you. I'm so glad I found this site a couple months back when I first stopped. Unfortunately I relapsed but I'm back on track now and I'll be having another blood test in about month so hopefully they've dropped by then. I do have a good Multi-Vitamin that has plenty of B-vitamins in it. I also started taking milk thistle today so I'm hoping that does some good.

I've also heard nutritional diet is extremely important. Did any of your doctors put you on a certain diet? If so what was it?

Also for those that did have the pains in the right region of the abdomin did it feel like it was internal? And how long did it take for it to stop after you had quit drinking?

Again thank you to all of you. You are definitely easing my anxiety but this is certainly going to be a long month of anxiousness until I get those results. I'm just still so worried about the drinking while I had Mono.

As a nurse, and speaking from experience, the pains in your stomach could very well be your liver saying it's had enough abuse. The great thing about livers is that they can regenerate and recover if the damage is not too severe--and since you are a young drinker, your chances are good that you can recover completely. Another reason for the pains could be pancreatitis--another organ that can't handle excessive liquor. If the pain becomes severe, or is accompanied by vomiting or fever--go to the ER right away--this can be deadly if not treated in a timely manner.

Welcome ! (I'm a newbie too, one day sober ):c009:

It's awesome to have a nurse on here. Hopefully as you said at my age, even with the Mono, my liver can recover. I've been checking my tempature a couple times a day and it's been normal. No vomiting and while I was in detox they checked about every organ in my body and I believe my liver was the only one elevated at least I think so or else I'd think they would have let me know down at the hospital. But again it's awesome to have a nurse on here. I've actually been thinking about looking into it myself.

Yes, it may take a long time to heal. Alcohol rewires our brains by shutting down our natural reward system and soon alcohol is our only reward. And alcohol rewires the liver too: after a long OR intense period of drinking your liver processes alcohol as it's primary nutrient. After putting your body through this stress you may be tired for a period of weeks and even months.
I experiences fatigue for almost 5 months. Not constant fatigue, it came and went. Your body is healing and needs the rest.

I didn't decide to go into detox, my body decided! I ended up in the ER.

I've read on the net that B-complex and zinc are good and I take those everyday. I am due for blood work in a couple of months to check on my liver again. Doc says: stay sober.

I did.

My doctor has assured me the levels will drop.

WELCOME to SR! It was wise of you to see your doctor. Have you made a plan for your recovery?

:c009: Welcome to our family! Good on you for taking the step of detoxing.
While we're not allowed to give medical advice, I do have a couple of suggestions for you.
The first is pretty easy. If it hasn't already been suggested please read Under the Influence ( Milam & Ketcham ). It will tell you how alcohol effects your body. It also has a great diet plan at the back of the book.

There are also excerpts in the stickies section, all in all a very informative book.

My second suggestion would be to not wait until your next scheduled doctors appointment if your still in pain. Pain is our body's way of letting us know something isn't right and it could be that it's just your body adjusting to not drinking.

Sometimes people present different symptoms for common ailments, ie: I had two weeks of extreme back ache, thought I had just pulled a muscle. Turned out to be gallstones. I also get chest pains that I have to use nitro for, but it's not my heart. For whatever weird reason, they will go away if I can belch, which I'm unable to do once they start but the nitro relaxes something inside that allows me to blech and wa-la I'm all better ( doc's still don't have a clue )

Worry always seems to make the pain worse, so try not to worry too much but do make that extra appointment thats what the doctors are there for. Make a list and ask questions.

Hope you feel better soon:ghug3

Linda

Thank you. I saw my doctor on Friday and he still believes I'll be fine as long as I stay sober. The pain seems to be subsiding a little more each day and becoming less and less periodic (I'm only on day 6 of being sober) which has me hopeful. The past two days it seems more like pressure/burning sensation, rather than pain, in the area of my liver however I am still concerned. I'm going to try and stick it out a little while longer and if the pain doesn't subside I'll likely make another appointment with him. As I stated earlier what has me most concerned is the fact I drank while I had mono, because at the time I had no idea it caused mild hepatitis, but hopefully my age and sobriety will work in my favor.

I'm still kind of looking for an answer from those of you that did get liver pains on how long it was after stopping the drinking that the pain finally subsided.

Anyways again thank you to all of you for your support. I hope that in little less than a month when I get my next test I have some positive results. It'll be a long month but I know I can make it through.

I had pains near my liver, I have been sober for a little over 3 months, I don't have any of that pain anymore.. but honestly I can't remember when it (and all the other effects of chronic drinking) went away. I'm just glad it wont come back!