Backache or Alcoholic Hepatitis?
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Join Date: Jul 2018
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Backache or Alcoholic Hepatitis?
Hi all,
I discovered this website today; kind of glad I did TBH. I know that you guys don't give out medical advice, so I'll just ask about personal experience or hearsay. So I love to have a couple beers, especially ones that I have made myself (I'm a homebrewer), but lately I might have been over indulging. So I developed this upper backache, that would only really become intense after laying on my back for awhile. This was my only symptom; it lasted about a week before I went to see my doctor. It didn't feel like a typical muscle pull, something deeper, so went to the urgent care clinic and the physican said that it was just a muscle pull. I wanted to cover my bases, so I pushed for blood work to check my kidneys. I was called back into the clinic, and though my kidneys were fine, and my ALT was fine, my ferritin however was slightly elevated (like 10 over), so I pushed for another test of my liver and iron levels. Everything came back fine, except my ALT was slightly elevated (which was weird became 2 days earlier it was fine). I stopped drinking for 3 days at this point, going on day 4 currently. The backache is gone, and I have no withdrawal symptoms - never have really except irritability. I was asked to limit my alcohol consumption and come back in a month for further testing. What I'm thinking is that I may have had an inflamed liver, that pushed up against innervated visera when I laid down in bed at night, resulting in pain. Anyone experience a weird back ache like this? then have elevated liver labs? needless to say I am going to be cutting back on the beer until I have this sorted
I discovered this website today; kind of glad I did TBH. I know that you guys don't give out medical advice, so I'll just ask about personal experience or hearsay. So I love to have a couple beers, especially ones that I have made myself (I'm a homebrewer), but lately I might have been over indulging. So I developed this upper backache, that would only really become intense after laying on my back for awhile. This was my only symptom; it lasted about a week before I went to see my doctor. It didn't feel like a typical muscle pull, something deeper, so went to the urgent care clinic and the physican said that it was just a muscle pull. I wanted to cover my bases, so I pushed for blood work to check my kidneys. I was called back into the clinic, and though my kidneys were fine, and my ALT was fine, my ferritin however was slightly elevated (like 10 over), so I pushed for another test of my liver and iron levels. Everything came back fine, except my ALT was slightly elevated (which was weird became 2 days earlier it was fine). I stopped drinking for 3 days at this point, going on day 4 currently. The backache is gone, and I have no withdrawal symptoms - never have really except irritability. I was asked to limit my alcohol consumption and come back in a month for further testing. What I'm thinking is that I may have had an inflamed liver, that pushed up against innervated visera when I laid down in bed at night, resulting in pain. Anyone experience a weird back ache like this? then have elevated liver labs? needless to say I am going to be cutting back on the beer until I have this sorted
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Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 211,439
hi CBO
that sounds like Dr Google to me 
I have no personal experience to share but it sounds like the doctor was pretty sure it was a muscle pull.
No plans to quit drinking completely?
D
What I'm thinking is that I may have had an inflamed liver, that pushed up against innervated visera when I laid down in bed at night, resulting in pain.
I have no personal experience to share but it sounds like the doctor was pretty sure it was a muscle pull.
No plans to quit drinking completely?
D
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Join Date: Jul 2018
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Originally Posted by Dee74 
that sounds like Dr Google to me
D
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Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: northern michigan. not the U.P.
Posts: 15,281
Originally Posted by CBO
Yeah, since the liver doesn't have many nerves, its the surrounding viscera that causes the pain when the liver is inflamed/enlarged, not the liver itself. It was weird though because I experience no other symptoms of hepatitis, not even abdominal or flank pain - it was all in my upper back, right around the ribcage - bilaterally. Apparently severe cases of hepatitis can cause a backache according to Dr. Google.
dr google has me dead 8 years ago or living to 100.
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Join Date: May 2017
Location: Tyne and Wear, UK
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I was diagnosed with alcoholic hepatitis the other week, hence the whole take 2 thing that I'm doing.
If your doc thinks it's just a pulled muscle, you should be confident that it's a pulled muscle, although you are obviously entitled to get a second opinion.
But as has been said, don't rely on Google for anything as serious as a liver problem, let an actual qualified doctor look at you.
If your doc thinks it's just a pulled muscle, you should be confident that it's a pulled muscle, although you are obviously entitled to get a second opinion.
But as has been said, don't rely on Google for anything as serious as a liver problem, let an actual qualified doctor look at you.
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Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Atlanta
Posts: 8,674
I kept on drinking as relatively small physical hurts turned into near life threatening ones. I am alive and healthy at 29 mo sober today, by some miracle. Pushing it as far as I did is definitely not the best path.
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Originally Posted by Tynesider22
I was diagnosed with alcoholic hepatitis the other week, hence the whole take 2 thing that I'm doing.
If your doc thinks it's just a pulled muscle, you should be confident that it's a pulled muscle, although you are obviously entitled to get a second opinion.
But as has been said, don't rely on Google for anything as serious as a liver problem, let an actual qualified doctor look at you.
If your doc thinks it's just a pulled muscle, you should be confident that it's a pulled muscle, although you are obviously entitled to get a second opinion.
But as has been said, don't rely on Google for anything as serious as a liver problem, let an actual qualified doctor look at you.
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Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
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I'm sorry you drank again. Not to be a wise guy but I guess if the same thing happens you'll know it's not a pulled muscle.
Whats really important here tho is you drank when you had every reason in the world not to,
Do you think now that your problem (your overall relationship with alcohol) is going to need a little more than just cutting back?
D
Whats really important here tho is you drank when you had every reason in the world not to,
Do you think now that your problem (your overall relationship with alcohol) is going to need a little more than just cutting back?
D
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Join Date: May 2017
Location: Tyne and Wear, UK
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Originally Posted by CBO
What we're your symptoms? Did you have a backache? What labs did you have done and we're they elevated? The doctor said it was a backache as she tapped on my back and it didn't hurt - it only hurts when I lay on it for awhile. I stopped drinking and the dull ache went away. The liver was being effected as my ferritin and alt was slightly elevated. Had to push for those blood tests though as my issue was written off as a backache. So I'm 5 days sober now, feeling good, had an urge to have a few after work this morning, so I had some non alcoholic budwiser with breakfest - worked for me as I just like the taste of beer.
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Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Florida., USA
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I had not had any alcohol from January to April when I had pre-surgery blood tests. Everything came back normal except one of my liver function tests. I can't remember if it was ALT or AST, but whatever it was, it was less than 10 above normal. My doctor said it was the result of ibuprofen I was taking because of the pain I was in.
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Originally Posted by doggonecarl
So the risk to your health isn't enough to keep you sober. What's the plan now?
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Join Date: May 2012
Location: Wisconsin, USA
Posts: 16,945
Originally Posted by CBO
What do you guys think?
You won't find any recommendations here to continue drinking if that's what you are looking for, we are a community that promotes abstinence.
bona fido dog-lover
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: SF Bay area, CA
Posts: 99,780
You're afraid of having a serious condition, yet you continue to drink, knowing it could lead to serious conditions? I hope you'll find it in your soul to quit now while you're ahead. It will only get worse, ya know. 
Member
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: PA
Posts: 588
I understand your concern. I was drinking heavy beers - 10% or higher and lots of them. I got big side and back soreness. My ALT came in high and I was scare of the ultrasound test so i retreated in fear and booze even after medical bad signs. Finally quit 3 months later with help from my wife and family supporting me to get treatment. Intensive outpatient 3x per week for 3 hours each plus 2 meetings a week and step workshops. I just celebrated a year sober and he birth of my first child immediately after hitting that milestone. I have a doctors appointment this week to finally get that ultrasound scheduled.. took a little extra time because i got laid off too! But i found another job in less than a month and stayed clean. Setbacks. An happen but aren’t permanent if you take some action.
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Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Atlanta
Posts: 8,674
All alcohol is alcohol. When we are at the point of worrying about these kinds of pains or having dr spots and lab tests, we are negotiating with the devil by continuing to drink at all. I had to finally accept my situation for what it was, life and death.
I hope you make this a final quit. There is lots of support here and IRL.
I hope you make this a final quit. There is lots of support here and IRL.
Member
Join Date: Aug 2018
Posts: 16
Save the DIY google approach for those home brewed Ale's and go see a doctor for medical advice before you, like me, finish up in the ER for a few days for something easily preventable.
Where there's smoke there's fire. If you think you're abusing alcohol, you probably are. At least take a break for a few months. I'd be willing to bet you'll feel a whole lot better.
Off topic: like you, I also brewed beer. I actually worked my way up to a 1/2 BBL all grain stainless steel system, complete with pumps, burners, malt mill, commercial plate chiller, SS cone fermenter, etc. I even had a fridge outfitted with multiple taps to dispense the various beers that I brewed.
When it reached the point that I was going to run a line from the basement up to the kitchen, my wife had a "WTF" moment! Probably for the better. A guy like me can make a disaster of himself just fine without a Swimming Pool full of Beer 3 steps away!
Where there's smoke there's fire. If you think you're abusing alcohol, you probably are. At least take a break for a few months. I'd be willing to bet you'll feel a whole lot better.
Off topic: like you, I also brewed beer. I actually worked my way up to a 1/2 BBL all grain stainless steel system, complete with pumps, burners, malt mill, commercial plate chiller, SS cone fermenter, etc. I even had a fridge outfitted with multiple taps to dispense the various beers that I brewed.
When it reached the point that I was going to run a line from the basement up to the kitchen, my wife had a "WTF" moment! Probably for the better. A guy like me can make a disaster of himself just fine without a Swimming Pool full of Beer 3 steps away!
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