Hi! Seeing doctor tmrw because of high blood pressure and elevated enzymes....nervous
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Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 9
Hi! Seeing doctor tmrw because of high blood pressure and elevated enzymes....nervous
Hi all,
I relapsed about 2 years ago, was sober for 7 years prior to that. The usual "I can handle drinking socially now" nonsense. My drinking has steadily increased to being quite heavy now, usually 14-15 beers a day give or take. There have been short spans of reduced drinking and even several days sobriety in there but I know I need to stop and have since I resumed drinking.
Anyways, about 8-9 months ago, my rheumatologist picked up on my liver enzymes being "elevated", though he said they were just barely out of the normal range. I had an urgent care visit for an infected finger 3 weeks ago, and was sent to my primary doctor for high blood pressure. Routine blood work again picked up "elevated" liver levels. I am starting medication the high BP and I had more blood work last week for liver function.
I am seeing my doctor tomorrow, and I guess I am just freaking out about this elevated liver enzyme level. I am not asking medical advice, but I do imagine it is just early stage fatty liver but it still scares the S out of me....that and the blood pressure(High stage 1). I have gone from *very* healthy 2-3 years ago with good weight and blood test results/blood pressure to this mess in just a couple years. Ugh.
Maybe I am just nervous about doing what I know I need to do, and that is come clean with my doctor about the alcohol abuse. Obviously it is the cause of the BP and liver and my unhealthy weight(or at least not helping them), but I just feel like I have been BS'ing/lying to them about not being more than just a social drinker the last couple years. This crap has finally caught up with me.
Oh well....what is done is done. On that happy note....Hi Forum!! Starting off again on sobriety....my 3rd time, and I hope final
Just venting this makes me feel less nervous about tmrw. I have been cutting down greatly on what I drink the last couple weeks, and I am ready to stop completely.
I relapsed about 2 years ago, was sober for 7 years prior to that. The usual "I can handle drinking socially now" nonsense. My drinking has steadily increased to being quite heavy now, usually 14-15 beers a day give or take. There have been short spans of reduced drinking and even several days sobriety in there but I know I need to stop and have since I resumed drinking.
Anyways, about 8-9 months ago, my rheumatologist picked up on my liver enzymes being "elevated", though he said they were just barely out of the normal range. I had an urgent care visit for an infected finger 3 weeks ago, and was sent to my primary doctor for high blood pressure. Routine blood work again picked up "elevated" liver levels. I am starting medication the high BP and I had more blood work last week for liver function.
I am seeing my doctor tomorrow, and I guess I am just freaking out about this elevated liver enzyme level. I am not asking medical advice, but I do imagine it is just early stage fatty liver but it still scares the S out of me....that and the blood pressure(High stage 1). I have gone from *very* healthy 2-3 years ago with good weight and blood test results/blood pressure to this mess in just a couple years. Ugh.
Maybe I am just nervous about doing what I know I need to do, and that is come clean with my doctor about the alcohol abuse. Obviously it is the cause of the BP and liver and my unhealthy weight(or at least not helping them), but I just feel like I have been BS'ing/lying to them about not being more than just a social drinker the last couple years. This crap has finally caught up with me.
Oh well....what is done is done. On that happy note....Hi Forum!! Starting off again on sobriety....my 3rd time, and I hope final
Just venting this makes me feel less nervous about tmrw. I have been cutting down greatly on what I drink the last couple weeks, and I am ready to stop completely.
Administrator
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 211,432
Hi and welcome James Going to the Dr the first time after we quit can be terrifying, but I think most of us found our fears were much greater than the reality.
Even of there were to be something wrong, the human body is pretty good at repairing itself, providing we stop trying to poison ourselves to death
D
Even of there were to be something wrong, the human body is pretty good at repairing itself, providing we stop trying to poison ourselves to death
D
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Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Upstate New York
Posts: 51,563
Welcome James! You found a great place for support & encouragement. Glad to have you with us.
I'm happy you're seeing your doctor. It feels so good to be honest about the drinking. I do believe this will be your final time - you sound ready.
I'm happy you're seeing your doctor. It feels so good to be honest about the drinking. I do believe this will be your final time - you sound ready.
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Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Oregon
Posts: 1,536
Definitely come clean with your doctor. I hide nothing now-a-days At first I was sure I was going to be shamed and kicked out so only shared if asked directly. There was no shaming, no hand holding either. . .just a "let's get to work on you" attitude and it really helps having a medical professional in your corner. I'm so glad you are going and are making this change. GREAT for you. Congrats and welcome.
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Join Date: May 2012
Location: US East Coast
Posts: 14,286
Definitely come clean with your doc! I did and it helped a lot. Elevated liver enzymes covers a lot of territory. Your doc will know what is needed next. My liver went from next to last stage to mild which is a huge relief! It's amazing how much the liver can regenerate.
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Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: South Florida
Posts: 508
FWIW, my BP was almost 200 when I went to detox. 5 days later it was 140. Still a little high, but a significant decrease. With the weight I expect to lose by not drinking, I know it will drop back down to normal.
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 9
Thank you all for the positive replies
I know my body is fine, I have dealt it worse in the past.....I just need to stop this madness.
My primary care doctor is cool, I have always liked her. She is far from a cold emotionless doctor, she is very humorous and caring. Still not exactly looking forward to it....but nothing bad can come from it
Ill report back tomorrow, or in a day or two....depends on the news :p
I know my body is fine, I have dealt it worse in the past.....I just need to stop this madness.
My primary care doctor is cool, I have always liked her. She is far from a cold emotionless doctor, she is very humorous and caring. Still not exactly looking forward to it....but nothing bad can come from it
Ill report back tomorrow, or in a day or two....depends on the news :p
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Join Date: Mar 2015
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Originally Posted by Bmac 
FWIW, my BP was almost 200 when I went to detox. 5 days later it was 140. Still a little high, but a significant decrease. With the weight I expect to lose by not drinking, I know it will drop back down to normal.
Congrats on the sobriety
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Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Somewhere in California
Posts: 1,136
Drinking drove my blood pressure up to high levels. I've been on medication for two years, but didn't stop drinking until nearly four months ago. Since quitting, it's gone down to the 120's/ 80's. Sometimes a bit over, sometimes a bit over- but nowhere near as high as when I was drinking stage one hypertension and above).
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Join Date: Mar 2015
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Well, I went to my doctor and it was not the doomsday I had worked myself up to it being. First, blood pressure was lower. Still high at 140/95, so she doubled my dosage of lisinopril, which I get little if any side effects from.
Liver function test shows my AST at 60(normal for test 10-42) and my ALT at 95(normal for test 6-45). My 'total protein' is at 8.3(normal 6.0-8.0). So she said they are high(obviously), but nowhere near alarmingly high, which she said would start around 4 times the highest normal reading.
I told her of the very heavy drinking as of the last years, and stated I will be stopping all alcohol use. She was fine with that, not the judgmental thing you always fear from doctor. She has me going for a hepatitis panel to rule out hep viruses, and for an ultrasound to see if my poor liver is fatty/inflamed. My anxiety jumps up, and I rush to fearing cirrhosis but seeing the stories here of similar high levels correcting after sobriety is encouraging. My grandfather on my mothers side died of alcoholic cirrhosis( or complications from it), and addiction seems to run in my family.
I am hoping this is just one of the earlier milestones down the road of alcoholic liver disease, and that I caught it early. I am still a bit nervous as far as the ultrasound, but I show no other symptoms whatsoever of liver problems. She gave me a printout of all my recent blood and urine labs over the last couple years, the most recent being kidney and thyroid function a month ago, and all are well withing normal levels.
I was near this point( it is a bit worse this time) around May 2005 with smoking, drinking, and being out of shape. I have no idea what my liver levels were at that time, but I was drinking about the same amount. I am 37 now, I would like to get back into healthiness and shape while I can.
Soooo....sobriety here I come. Again. This is the final time. Each time I relapse, the drinking and problems get worse, I do not want to know what the next round will bring. I always "worry" about how I will enjoy life without drinking, but only while I am drinking. Yet the most fun I have typically falls in the sober times. I started drinking in 1996. I was sober 2002-2003, and 2005 to roughly 2012-2013. FWIW, I quit smoking cigarettes 10 years ago this May 1st.
I'll update soon. If I struggle with starting sober, I am calling my doctor within days. I don't care if it takes residential rehab....as much as I hate it coming to that, I will do what it takes. But I have done this before, it is usually pretty easy for me it just needs willpower.
Liver function test shows my AST at 60(normal for test 10-42) and my ALT at 95(normal for test 6-45). My 'total protein' is at 8.3(normal 6.0-8.0). So she said they are high(obviously), but nowhere near alarmingly high, which she said would start around 4 times the highest normal reading.
I told her of the very heavy drinking as of the last years, and stated I will be stopping all alcohol use. She was fine with that, not the judgmental thing you always fear from doctor. She has me going for a hepatitis panel to rule out hep viruses, and for an ultrasound to see if my poor liver is fatty/inflamed. My anxiety jumps up, and I rush to fearing cirrhosis but seeing the stories here of similar high levels correcting after sobriety is encouraging. My grandfather on my mothers side died of alcoholic cirrhosis( or complications from it), and addiction seems to run in my family.
I am hoping this is just one of the earlier milestones down the road of alcoholic liver disease, and that I caught it early. I am still a bit nervous as far as the ultrasound, but I show no other symptoms whatsoever of liver problems. She gave me a printout of all my recent blood and urine labs over the last couple years, the most recent being kidney and thyroid function a month ago, and all are well withing normal levels.
I was near this point( it is a bit worse this time) around May 2005 with smoking, drinking, and being out of shape. I have no idea what my liver levels were at that time, but I was drinking about the same amount. I am 37 now, I would like to get back into healthiness and shape while I can.
Soooo....sobriety here I come. Again. This is the final time. Each time I relapse, the drinking and problems get worse, I do not want to know what the next round will bring. I always "worry" about how I will enjoy life without drinking, but only while I am drinking. Yet the most fun I have typically falls in the sober times. I started drinking in 1996. I was sober 2002-2003, and 2005 to roughly 2012-2013. FWIW, I quit smoking cigarettes 10 years ago this May 1st.
I'll update soon. If I struggle with starting sober, I am calling my doctor within days. I don't care if it takes residential rehab....as much as I hate it coming to that, I will do what it takes. But I have done this before, it is usually pretty easy for me it just needs willpower.
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Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 9
Originally Posted by GnikNus
Drinking drove my blood pressure up to high levels. I've been on medication for two years, but didn't stop drinking until nearly four months ago. Since quitting, it's gone down to the 120's/ 80's. Sometimes a bit over, sometimes a bit over- but nowhere near as high as when I was drinking stage one hypertension and above).
Just 3 years ago I think I was 115 over 80? Or something close to that.
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