My liver
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: north carolina
Posts: 42
My liver
I need to be healthy. My liver counts are higher than they should be and I often have pain in that area of my abdomen. My doc says time's up - time to get serious before anything really permanent happens. I hope what I've read is correct - this problem will go away if I can do this. Any success stories regarding livers?
Member
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Homestead Florida
Posts: 297
The liver can regenerate when a person stops drinking. I have witnessed 2 family deaths from liver disease and it isn't pretty. I wish you luck in trying to stop.
Last edited by Straightshoot; 01-04-2014 at 07:18 PM. Reason: didn't like what I wrote
Member
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: NY
Posts: 190
Yes, it is possible for it to heal if you stop drinking as others have mentioned. My ALT and AST enzymes were elevated and I still drank for a for about a year and a half. I was very afraid too, but with regular followups and being sober, my bloodwork and ultrasound of my abdomen came back normal. You can do it 
Member
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 2,303
Though my enzymes were not elevated, I quit drinking because of liver pain (likely alcohol related inflammation) that I could no longer ignore. The pain went away within the first month of abstinence. Now with about 4.5 months sober I don't have that pain anymore, and soon I'm going to have my enzymes retested. Definitely get serious - I am in the medical field and learning about liver disease scared me straight. Do you have a plan to get sober?
Member
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Fremont, CA
Posts: 4
I had liver issues in the past with pain in my upper back as well as chest. I had severely high liver test results. Quit drinking for 28 days. Things went back to normal. Started drinking again then almost two years had the same, but much worse issues come back. Now i'm 13 days sober, and I can say I don't even feel like I have a liver (no back or chest pain swelling). I will NEVER drink again liver disease is no joke and is a horrible way to go... JUST STOP! You will be amazed how quick things will go back to normal! Plus if you don't have any major liver damage or cirrhosis that sucker will start to heal itself! Best of luck to you!
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: north carolina
Posts: 42
Thank you all for your encouraging comments. I have been a 3 time a week binge drinker for the past 5 years. I am 35 years old. My plan to stop is to replace the behavior with other things. I am a smart person and I know all the reasons to stop, but I keep pushing the envelope thinking "it won't happen to me." I am on day two and no withdrawls, but I often go two-four days without drinking. The real test (which I'm trying to plan ahead for) will be a night when I'm bored or had a stressful work day. Keep me in your thoughts. I will take this one day at a time. My next test is April 29th, and I pray everything will be back to normal. I have three kids and an amazing husband to live for!
Member
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Daytona Beach, FL
Posts: 425
My liver enzymes were elevated. Quit drinking - after 3 months I was fine. Just have to quit drinking - alcohol is really hard on the liver (and other organs). Not to mention all the other problems it causes. I only drank for 3 years, but as women, we are just not sturdy as the men folk. Although I saw a documentary about a 21 year old guy in UK - after a year of drinking had to get a liver transplant. Just affects everyone differently.
Member
Join Date: May 2013
Location: North East, US
Posts: 2,310
Welcome JoJo glad you joined us
Here's a link to a very powerful thread
http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...no-not-me.html
I hope Ms. Snoozy doesn't mind, and I hope it gives you some peace of mind!
All the best to you
Here's a link to a very powerful thread
http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...no-not-me.html
I hope Ms. Snoozy doesn't mind, and I hope it gives you some peace of mind!
All the best to you
Alcohol Free Member
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: UK
Posts: 482
I have lost 3 friends to alcohol, the first was a man in his 60s, who had a terrible accident where a child was killed by the vehicle he was driving. Although it wasnt his fault, he couldnt work after that and drank heavily for 30 years almost. He died two years in the the worst possible pain imaginable.
He was in constant pain as his liver ceased to function, kidneys, gall, pancreas and eventually heart all gave out. He did not die well.
I lost another friend, who couldnt give up despite spending thousands of pounds on treatments and rehab, he eventually took his own life.
My last friend, tried AA and managed to stop drinking for 6 months, then became depressed and was found a few weeks ago at home, she had died from alcohol poisoning.
It is so important to realise what a gift it is to be sober and to recover, there is no other option that works, we cannot keep on drinking.
Dying of Alcoholic Liver Disease is the most painful, miserable and just generally inhumane way to die. If an animal was in pain like this there would be an outcry to put the poor creature down. It is not painless, dont believe anyone who thinks it is.
He was in constant pain as his liver ceased to function, kidneys, gall, pancreas and eventually heart all gave out. He did not die well.
I lost another friend, who couldnt give up despite spending thousands of pounds on treatments and rehab, he eventually took his own life.
My last friend, tried AA and managed to stop drinking for 6 months, then became depressed and was found a few weeks ago at home, she had died from alcohol poisoning.
It is so important to realise what a gift it is to be sober and to recover, there is no other option that works, we cannot keep on drinking.
Dying of Alcoholic Liver Disease is the most painful, miserable and just generally inhumane way to die. If an animal was in pain like this there would be an outcry to put the poor creature down. It is not painless, dont believe anyone who thinks it is.
Still I rise.
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Oh Canada!
Posts: 1,121
Although my liver tests showed normal range, I started experiencing pains in that area--I was also a three times a week binger. I remember holding that area at work the morning after a binge and freaking out a bit, as I had read about such pains from this forum.
I haven't experienced any of those pains since quitting (Nov. 20, 2013!).
The cycle of three times a week was vicious--hangovers/anxiety the next days were brutal. The obsession and tolerance grew as well. It feels so good to be released from that hellish cycle.
Good luck to you; you won't regret sobriety!
I haven't experienced any of those pains since quitting (Nov. 20, 2013!).
The cycle of three times a week was vicious--hangovers/anxiety the next days were brutal. The obsession and tolerance grew as well. It feels so good to be released from that hellish cycle.
Good luck to you; you won't regret sobriety!
Member
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Homestead Florida
Posts: 297
The liver has many functions, among them removing toxins from medicine and alcohol. To drink stymies it's function. I surely hope that you will be well. You have a lot to stay around for, your husband children and most importantly, you.
Member
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: nineveh,in
Posts: 10
liver
Originally Posted by jojoreese 
I need to be healthy. My liver counts are higher than they should be and I often have pain in that area of my abdomen. My doc says time's up - time to get serious before anything really permanent happens. I hope what I've read is correct - this problem will go away if I can do this. Any success stories regarding livers?
Member
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Ohio
Posts: 18
jojoreese, you sound just like me.....I was a 2-3 day a week binge drinker and I'm on day 16 of sobriety. Granted I'm now on anti-depressants, prescribed sleep med, and high blood pressure med's but I'm ok so far. (if that's "ok) My doctor ran blood work on my liver just last week (I've had a drinking problem for 20 years and I'm 41). It came back clean except for low B12....so I guess I got lucky. One day at a time! This is the longest I've made it without a drink in well....the pre-mentioned 20 years. Best of luck!
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