ToyotaMan1991

Hello guys,

Been sober from my daily binge drinking for 3 weeks now. I just got checked out by a doctor.

Everything was normal, EKG was normal, liver enzymes was normal, cholesterol however was 229. Supposed to be under 200. Can this be caused by binge drinking as it's a cause of concern. Also, I've been clean 3 weeks. However, the normal level for AST is 40 and under and mine was 39. The other number I believe ALT is within 9-60 and mine was 32 so right in the middle. Is this concerning? Also, how do I get the cholesterol down and how long will it take?

spadge

Hi hun I can only comment on your cholesterol. Mine was high while I was drinking so doc put me on some tabs for it. I get my results again tomorrow.

mav

Hi Toyota... Congrats on your test results and your 3 weeks!

You won't get any medical advice here, but your cholesterol is probably more due to your diet. You could look to improve that. Also - 3 weeks is a huge achievement but give it time... In the grand scheme of things.

ScottFromWI

Daily binge drinking can wreak havoc on all different parts of your body. Another factor in play is that many of us had poor diets and exercise habits while we were drinking, which can also contribute to health issues.

Things like cholesterol levels and liver enzymes take time to normalize, keep in touch with your doc and make some follow up appointments. At the end of my drinking my cholesterol was high along with my BP. My liver enzymes were slightly elevated and I was deficient in several vitamins/minerals. Quitting drinking and starting to eat better/exercises improved nearly all of them for me.

BBQBOY

My "bad" cholesterol was always on the high level from alcohol. Alcohol does increase that level. It takes some time for it to lower. Since being a non-drinker my " bad "cholesterol level has dropped and my "good" level has increased. Just another benefit of sobriety!!!!

hopeful4

My brother in law had very high bad cholesterol. The dr wanted to put him on drugs for it but they agreed to take 4 months for him to control it through diet and exercise. Thankfully, it worked, and he is back to normal. You can do it!

Congrats to you for three great weeks, and for facing the fear of going to the doctor. Keep up the great work!

ToyotaMan1991

Besides diet and exercise and maybe dropping some weight (I'm 5' 10' and 213 LBS, wonder where I got all those empty calories) is it possible the losing the alcohol will help too?

GussWest

Whole-Food, plant-based diet will drop cholesterol like a rock.
Read up on Dr. McDougall and Dr. Esselstyn to start.

The Western diet is killing us. Literally.

doggonecarl

Great questions...for your doctor.

least

Your doctor would be the best person to answer your questions. I was put on meds for my cholesterol and it went back to normal levels in several months. Your results may be different.

Ariesagain

If your doctor didn't say anything about it, I wouldn't worry about it too much. Cholesterol is a very confusing issue and there are several competing theories out there...especially since the guidelines for "high" cholesterol just happened to be lowered about the same time that the pharmaceutical industry received approval to market statins...drugs designed to lower cholesterol.

My own cholesterol levels seem to be most responsive to how much aerobic exercise I get...the healthy HDL type in particular.

If you're really concerned, why don't you call your doc's office and ask?

Congratulations on getting checked out!

Dee74

I'm glad you saw a Dr - better to be safe than sorry

D

Soberwolf

Good job

ToyotaMan1991

So guys I'm back.

I relapsed.

On 05/16/2016 I went back to drinking, I spent an entire day at a bar and got into a car.

I crashed my car into a concrete staircase and fracutred my hip, almost killing myself. I did not get charged with DWI but was brought to the hospital and needed an 8 hour surgery to put screws sand metal plates in my hip.

I was on crutches all summer, homebound for 3 months. I remained sober for a month after.

Then I went back to drinking. Lost my girlfriend, spent most of the summer boarded up at home drinkign feeling bad for myself.

A few nights ago, I went on a real bender, having about 20 beers. I woke up the next morning (Yesterday) feeling all anxious, out of place, eye sensitivity to light and panicky and sad.

I'm done. I've made 10/20/2016 my sober date. Haven't had a beer since 10/19/.2016.

In the hospital they ran tests. My AST And ALT were very high, but within two weeks of normal abstinenece it went back to normal range and low levels.

I'm sure my AST and ALT are high now due to the abuse but if I stop now is it too late?

Considering it bounced back within 2 weeks I suspect it was fatty liver. If it was Fibrosis I suspect it would have taken longer.

I'm now using apple cidar vinegar, taking milk thistle and eating a lot of green, leafy veggies.

I"m trying my best and today here in NY it's cloudy, rainy.

I just got back from class and I'm feeling all sad, crying to myself and I don't know why.

I hope I can bounce back from this and change my life. Right now I'm day 2 sober but hopeless about the future.

ToyotaMan1991

I'm really dying here..just wanted to bump it up..

Oct142016

Personally, for me, alcohol does that. If I drink, the next day or 2 or 3.....I will be all emotional.

Stay here, stay here all day if that is what it takes to keep sober.

wehav2day

Toyota,

It gets better, man. It always does.

Unless you drink. Then it gets exponentially worse, as you have realized.

Don't drink today. Sometimes early on, I had to get through the day one hour or even minute at a time. I wasanxious, emotional, I obsessed over whatever medical damage I may have done. I got through it. You can too. Just don't drink.

Algorithm

You were very lucky that you did not fracture more than your hip, and that you did not get charged with a DUI. Your life would be a nightmare in that case, with potentially months of DUI school, big fines, criminal charges and/or a criminal record, possible license, suspension, insurance rate hikes, future problems with employment, etc.

You can absolutely bounce back from this, but this stopping drinking as an experiment to see how it goes has to stop. You will need to quit drinking for good, and never drink again, under any circumstances. No more 'relapses'.

I don't have any problem telling you any of this, even though it doesn't sound very nice. You may not realize it, but you were actually very fortunate with the car accident. You could have killed someone, and even if you didn't, you could have been criminally charged and convicted. You placed the general public, and yourself, in danger, and only narrowly escaped death.

However, the fact that you went back to drinking after that painful event is highly indicative of a deep functional problem with alcohol. I don't care if you are "an alcoholic" or not. The next "wake up" moment will almost certainly be worse, or possibly fatal.

You must never drink again. Under any circumstances.

What is your present plan, exactly?

ToyotaMan1991

My plan right now is to take this drug Naltrexone which I was prescribed by my doctor to help take away the urge to drink. I have read about it possibly being hepatoxic so I'm a bit worried to take it, but I Figure it's much better than drinking the beers again.

On top of that I'm trying to exercise and I plan on starting to attend AA meetings. I'm also working two jobs and trying to finish school, though my drinking partially made me drop 2/4 classes this semester. I feel horrible that I will be graduating at 26 and a half with a bachelors degree in computer science, but I guess that's the consequence.

I recently got a girlfriend, but she's a bit coldhearted. So I don't know what to do with that =\

Algorithm

Are you saying that you are planning to drink again if you do have urges to drink? After all of the trouble that alcohol has caused you, and probably will cause you in the future?

Graduating will be a blessing compared to where you may be headed if you don't get a grip on the drinking very soon. Do you understand that?