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-   -   Liver disease (https://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/newcomers-recovery/185428-liver-disease.html)

jdaisymae 09-29-2009 03:11 PM

Liver disease
 
Has anyone ever been diagnosed with any liver issues due to alcohol? I am really worried about irreversible damage that I may have caused. I am a 36 yr old female who was a binge drinker on and off for the last 3-4 years.

Anna 09-29-2009 03:15 PM

Hi,

You really need to talk to your dr. He can do blood tests and give you an idea of what is happening with you.

Dee74 09-29-2009 03:40 PM

I cannot agree enough with Anna.

I know it's scary, but I was glad I went.

I got a clean bill of health which still amazes me.
Go to your doctor and get checked out and put the worry behind you :)

D

tommyk 09-29-2009 03:45 PM

There's really nothing anyone can say or do here to affect a possible liver problem one way or another.

Have people ever had liver issues due to alcohol? Yes.

But that has no bearing on YOUR situation.

Follow the suggestions of the previous posts.

Keep coming back. ;)

Herman 09-30-2009 06:36 AM

Well I have been drinking for the past 25 years...the last 7 pretty heavy. I made a appointment with my Doctor to get tests done. For better or worse I figure it is better to know where you stand and what you can do to improve your health. I have stopped drinking and am taking steps to make the change permanent this time.

holdfold 09-30-2009 07:02 AM

No Question... go to the quack and BE HONEST. I did the same and my numbers were wildly high, just before I quit and now 5 weeks later I am back in the normal range, no pain or twitches from my liver etc.....

Make the appointment now, if anything for your piece of mind

north 09-30-2009 07:39 AM

In my own case I've had consistently elevated liver enzymes - a "fatty liver" - for several years before I quit drinking. After I quit the booze, my levels fell to within normal levels within weeks. http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...ml#post2361029

There were no apparent symptoms but I understood the potential risk of allowing such a condition to go unchecked ... that is to suddenly progress to a cirrhotic liver, for example.

There are good reliable information sites provided by the trusted providers like the Mayo Clinic and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) that can provide some good background information to compliment your visit to your doctor. At some point in one's life, it makes sense to start "getting fluent" about all the various metrics that need monitoring as we age -- cholesterol levels, triglycerides, liver function, blood pressure, etc.

I am overseas and stationed in a country with a nationalized medical service, where due to resource constraints on treating each patient many physicians simply will not take the time to provide a complete A to Z explanation of the significance of the various liver function tests. (In such a situation - "go see your doctor" might not necessarily provide the complete answers you are seeking).

As others have indicated, you really need come clean about your drinking with your physician - and your willingness to quit drinking if necessary. One of my relatives - a physician who administered the blood work and tests never once advocated quitting the booze - only "cutting back". I finally had to ask him why? (not just to me but to almost all his patients with similar conditions). He indicated he thought getting a patient to quit drinking altogether was a near impossible recommendation for them to follow, so he was advocating 'the next best thing'.

Tazman53 09-30-2009 08:16 AM

Well I would first go to your doctor and be totally honest about your drinking and your concerns, your doctor can do blood work to check your liver enzymes.

I can tell you that I had a swollen & very tender liver when I went into detox, it was diagnosed as fatty liver.

With in one week after I quit drinking the tenderness was pretty much gone, after 90 days of not drinking my liver enzymes were back to normal meaning I no longer had a fatty liver, it was functioning properly, the swelling was totally gone after 6 months without a drink.

My health experience more then likely will not be the same as yours, only your doctor can tell you what is up.

I will say this, no matter what, if you do not drink you will not harm your liver any worse and unless you have cirrosis of the liver it will heal, even if you do have cirrosis, the rest of your liver will heal.


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