Day 6 of sobriety...
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Atlanta Georgia
Posts: 6
Day 6 of sobriety...
I wrote out my life story and it got lost when I hit post - I suppose that might mean my life story isn't what a stranger wants to read.
So I will start over with the short and sweet version
Since my late 20's (now 40) I took up the habit of family to have a drink or two (or 3) at the end of the day to "wind down".
In the last 3 years stress at work and many big life changes have happened that began to affect my quality of life. Frequent panic attacks that were severe and brought on dangerous blood pressure levels, hair loss, lack of appetite and quality of sleep was something I thought I would only get once I was dead. I used alcohol as my mother taught me through her actions....it will make it all go away. It did, except the hair loss and appetite. Consumption slowly increased to nearly a pint of whiskey a day.
I had a physical a couple of months ago with elevated liver numbers. Never told how "elevated", just reduce alcohol and pain reliever intake and get a CT scan. I did just that. Down to a glass of wine a night since mid-June. Then I developed Ascites. I got my CT scan, to reveal an enlarged liver and obtained written results of all my tests. Holy cow. My liver related bloodwork was far beyond elevated. I quit on 9/13/13, the day I saw the results.
I was given a diuretic until I could see the liver Dr. (tomorrow) to help with Ascites. In just a week it is almost gone. I was thinking this could be great news! Well, 3 days of no alcohol my hair loss has gotten worse, showing slight jaundice for the first time and bowel movements that point to bile abrorption. I have been doing supplements and cleansers (B,Garlic, C + other natural stuff) for 3 months.
I am now concerned that my liver is far too gone but I guess I will a better idea after the Dr. tomorrow.
Has anyone experienced this? No "typical" symptoms until quitting? Even when I got my physical in June, I had no signs (although I now know it contributed to a few things I thought were just stress) of liver problems. And in just a short period of time BAM.
I am concerned this is far worse than I thought or maybe there is a cleansing and healing process....
So I will start over with the short and sweet version
Since my late 20's (now 40) I took up the habit of family to have a drink or two (or 3) at the end of the day to "wind down".
In the last 3 years stress at work and many big life changes have happened that began to affect my quality of life. Frequent panic attacks that were severe and brought on dangerous blood pressure levels, hair loss, lack of appetite and quality of sleep was something I thought I would only get once I was dead. I used alcohol as my mother taught me through her actions....it will make it all go away. It did, except the hair loss and appetite. Consumption slowly increased to nearly a pint of whiskey a day.
I had a physical a couple of months ago with elevated liver numbers. Never told how "elevated", just reduce alcohol and pain reliever intake and get a CT scan. I did just that. Down to a glass of wine a night since mid-June. Then I developed Ascites. I got my CT scan, to reveal an enlarged liver and obtained written results of all my tests. Holy cow. My liver related bloodwork was far beyond elevated. I quit on 9/13/13, the day I saw the results.
I was given a diuretic until I could see the liver Dr. (tomorrow) to help with Ascites. In just a week it is almost gone. I was thinking this could be great news! Well, 3 days of no alcohol my hair loss has gotten worse, showing slight jaundice for the first time and bowel movements that point to bile abrorption. I have been doing supplements and cleansers (B,Garlic, C + other natural stuff) for 3 months.
I am now concerned that my liver is far too gone but I guess I will a better idea after the Dr. tomorrow.
Has anyone experienced this? No "typical" symptoms until quitting? Even when I got my physical in June, I had no signs (although I now know it contributed to a few things I thought were just stress) of liver problems. And in just a short period of time BAM.
I am concerned this is far worse than I thought or maybe there is a cleansing and healing process....
bona fido dog-lover
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: SF Bay area, CA
Posts: 99,760
to SR! Best course of action is to talk with your doctor about your concerns. Early recovery has some strange symptoms and it's best you discuss it with a medical professional.Congrats on six days sober!
That's a good start to a better healthier life. 
Member
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Sonoran Desert & Southeast Asia
Posts: 6,561
The supplements and diuretic may also be exacerbating the issue - all that stuff has to be cleared through your liver I believe. I would be careful not to overdo the supplements. I understand you may have a nutritional deficiency but the best way to get nutrients is through whole foods. Are you getting enough good quality food and plain water? Not sure if that makes the ascites worse but water is so crucial to health.
Community Greeter
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Upstate New York
Posts: 51,537
Welcome to SR Winkmaster. We're so glad you joined us.
I'm glad you see your doctor tomorrow & can discuss your concerns. I had some troubles when I first quit, but everything turned out ok (and I drank for 30 yrs.). It's great that you have 6 days sober and are on your way to a better life. Please let us know how you make out tomorrow.
I'm glad you see your doctor tomorrow & can discuss your concerns. I had some troubles when I first quit, but everything turned out ok (and I drank for 30 yrs.). It's great that you have 6 days sober and are on your way to a better life.
Please let us know how you make out tomorrow.
Administrator
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 211,386
Hi winkmaster
sorry about your first post but the second post did the job
It's easy to think about all the things that could be going wrong and to worry about that and let our imaginations run riot.
Try to stay calm - worrying can;t change anything - it may even make you feel worse.
You're doing all the right things...you're sober now...thats a good start for any health issues - seeing your Dr is a good start too.
I hope you'll find, like most of us did, that - whatever the news - the reality is nowhere near as bad as we feared it might be
best wishes
D
sorry about your first post but the second post did the job
It's easy to think about all the things that could be going wrong and to worry about that and let our imaginations run riot.
Try to stay calm - worrying can;t change anything - it may even make you feel worse.
You're doing all the right things...you're sober now...thats a good start for any health issues - seeing your Dr is a good start too.
I hope you'll find, like most of us did, that - whatever the news - the reality is nowhere near as bad as we feared it might be
best wishes
D
Member
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Sonoran Desert & Southeast Asia
Posts: 6,561
I want to add that I'm personally not opposed to supplements, but bombarding your system with them can create problems. However, the one supplement I might consider (and have taken) if I had liver problems would be milk thistle (sylmarin), as it has been shown in some studies to improve liver symptoms resulting from excessive alcohol use. I would take a very minimal dose however, and combine it with good quality meals. And I am not a doctor, so do your own research. Just fyi.
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Atlanta Georgia
Posts: 6
Thank you all for such a warm welcome!
Advbike, thank you so much! I am doing Milk Thistle, I actually take two capsules a day, break them open and mixing in herbal ( containing herbs known for liver health) teas and 1/2 gallon of lemon water a day. I am not taking a drugstore of supplements, but I will review the list with the Dr. tomorrow. I am starting to wonder if the diuretic is doing as much damage as alcohol.....but having my mid section back sure is nice.
Dee74, I sure hope you are right. Thanks for the positive vibes.
The best part of this is how great I feel (like that is a secret to anyone here). And thankfully, being faced with serious health issues at hand, seomthing kicked into gear and I have had no cravings or thoughts of a drink....although I developed an insane sweet tooth the first 3 days. Now I watch it all sit around the house as don't eat sweets
Advbike, thank you so much! I am doing Milk Thistle, I actually take two capsules a day, break them open and mixing in herbal ( containing herbs known for liver health) teas and 1/2 gallon of lemon water a day. I am not taking a drugstore of supplements, but I will review the list with the Dr. tomorrow. I am starting to wonder if the diuretic is doing as much damage as alcohol.....but having my mid section back sure is nice.
Dee74, I sure hope you are right
. Thanks for the positive vibes.The best part of this is how great I feel (like that is a secret to anyone here). And thankfully, being faced with serious health issues at hand, seomthing kicked into gear and I have had no cravings or thoughts of a drink....although I developed an insane sweet tooth the first 3 days. Now I watch it all sit around the house as don't eat sweets
Member
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Long Beach, CA
Posts: 705
Originally Posted by winkmaster 
I wrote out my life story and it got lost when I hit post - I suppose that might mean my life story isn't what a stranger wants to read.
So I will start over with the short and sweet version
Since my late 20's (now 40) I took up the habit of family to have a drink or two (or 3) at the end of the day to "wind down".
In the last 3 years stress at work and many big life changes have happened that began to affect my quality of life. Frequent panic attacks that were severe and brought on dangerous blood pressure levels, hair loss, lack of appetite and quality of sleep was something I thought I would only get once I was dead. I used alcohol as my mother taught me through her actions....it will make it all go away. It did, except the hair loss and appetite. Consumption slowly increased to nearly a pint of whiskey a day.
I had a physical a couple of months ago with elevated liver numbers. Never told how "elevated", just reduce alcohol and pain reliever intake and get a CT scan. I did just that. Down to a glass of wine a night since mid-June. Then I developed Ascites. I got my CT scan, to reveal an enlarged liver and obtained written results of all my tests. Holy cow. My liver related bloodwork was far beyond elevated. I quit on 9/13/13, the day I saw the results.
I was given a diuretic until I could see the liver Dr. (tomorrow) to help with Ascites. In just a week it is almost gone. I was thinking this could be great news! Well, 3 days of no alcohol my hair loss has gotten worse, showing slight jaundice for the first time and bowel movements that point to bile abrorption. I have been doing supplements and cleansers (B,Garlic, C + other natural stuff) for 3 months.
I am now concerned that my liver is far too gone but I guess I will a better idea after the Dr. tomorrow.
Has anyone experienced this? No "typical" symptoms until quitting? Even when I got my physical in June, I had no signs (although I now know it contributed to a few things I thought were just stress) of liver problems. And in just a short period of time BAM.
I am concerned this is far worse than I thought or maybe there is a cleansing and healing process....
So I will start over with the short and sweet version
Since my late 20's (now 40) I took up the habit of family to have a drink or two (or 3) at the end of the day to "wind down".
In the last 3 years stress at work and many big life changes have happened that began to affect my quality of life. Frequent panic attacks that were severe and brought on dangerous blood pressure levels, hair loss, lack of appetite and quality of sleep was something I thought I would only get once I was dead. I used alcohol as my mother taught me through her actions....it will make it all go away. It did, except the hair loss and appetite. Consumption slowly increased to nearly a pint of whiskey a day.
I had a physical a couple of months ago with elevated liver numbers. Never told how "elevated", just reduce alcohol and pain reliever intake and get a CT scan. I did just that. Down to a glass of wine a night since mid-June. Then I developed Ascites. I got my CT scan, to reveal an enlarged liver and obtained written results of all my tests. Holy cow. My liver related bloodwork was far beyond elevated. I quit on 9/13/13, the day I saw the results.
I was given a diuretic until I could see the liver Dr. (tomorrow) to help with Ascites. In just a week it is almost gone. I was thinking this could be great news! Well, 3 days of no alcohol my hair loss has gotten worse, showing slight jaundice for the first time and bowel movements that point to bile abrorption. I have been doing supplements and cleansers (B,Garlic, C + other natural stuff) for 3 months.
I am now concerned that my liver is far too gone but I guess I will a better idea after the Dr. tomorrow.
Has anyone experienced this? No "typical" symptoms until quitting? Even when I got my physical in June, I had no signs (although I now know it contributed to a few things I thought were just stress) of liver problems. And in just a short period of time BAM.
I am concerned this is far worse than I thought or maybe there is a cleansing and healing process....
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