OtterIsland

I'm looking to hear what others have experienced when their blood tests have come back with elevated white blood cell count and poor blood clotting capability. This is the case with my blood tests, however, my liver enzymes were normal.

What has your experience been?

Anyone ever feel like the right side of the abdomen is sore and wondered if it was your liver?

Just feeling out the waters here....thinking about see the Dr for add'l tests....just not sure if I'm imagining things or not.

Leonidas

Yep, sure have. Get my test results from the doctor on the 8th. Not gonna lie, I'm worried about what he's going to say.

EANx

I was able to successfully fool myself into things were fine until several moths ago I got the results of a liver function test back. My doc wasn't fooled by my half-truths and it stuck with me since.

tekink

Liver enzymes were high, I had black tar stools every time and a bitter bile taste in my mouth as well before the blood tests. I refused to do more testing despite getting a serious lecture but did manage to start trying to quit about a year and a half later. Haven't drank in nearly 2 years now.

I

Wastinglife

I have had abdominal pains recently. Still lingering now actually. When I drink on a daily basis for a prolonged period, I get this throbbing, dull pain. It stops when the drinking stops.

I have been through this before. Went to the hospital and turns out I had alcohol-induced hepatitis (swollen liver). The treatment of course being to abstain from alcohol. No lasting damage. This time I won't bother seeing a doctor. No point in waiting 6 hours in the ER only to be told to go home and stop drinking.

August252015

Yes, all of my functions were extremely high. So close to cirrhosis that it is astonishing I didn't actually cross that line from "just" a super fatty liver. That is- when I finally had them tested once I was faced - and HEARD - the dr who told me I had a yr, 18 mo to live if I didn't quit.

I was very VERY sick in just about every way, tiny part of my body, cells, whatever. And I was shocked and beyond grateful when my tests had normalized by about 90-100 days sober.

Never drinking since, again or ever is the only way I had a prayer of getting my liver and everything else healthy.

I'd tell you as terrifying as it is to finally face what is going on with our livers, it's the only way to choose how far we want to go towards the awful kind of death that alcoholism WILL bring.

noaddedsugar

My blood tests around 2 years ago showed I had just started to damage my liver. I carried on drinking and the next lot of blood tests I had back in July showed 'further damage but not yet acute' and obviously was told to stop drinking completely and that the damage was reversible with abstinence.

Stupidly I continued to drink up until last week. I had an appointment for further blood tests last month but I chickened out.. I've experienced the abdominal aches when drinking. I'm going to wait until I've had a couple of sober months under my belt and then see where I'm at but I'm pretty terrified.

Ghostlight1

I ended up in the emergency room twice with liver pain. Of course, didn't tell the doctors the truth about my drinking. But they knew.
I just left and kept on drinking.
Ten sober years later, my liver enzymes are still high. doctors don't know why.

ScottFromWI

Yes, had some abnormal test results myself. Our bodies have a pretty amazing capability to heal, but the only way that can happen is total and complete abstinence from drinking alcohol. Make that your #1 priority and you'll have a much better chance of a positive outcome.

My liver function wasn't the only thing that was messed up. My blood pressure was high, I was overweight, I was borderline diabetic, my skin was pale and bruised easily, the list goes on. All of them eventually came back to normal after I quit drinking and started taking care of my body. Part of the problem besides just the drinking is that I wasn't eating well or exercising at all either -I "drank" my meals quite often.

FlawedNFntastic

I went in and saw a doctor for a wonky liver function test in my 20s. I stayed sober for a month, and everything went back to normal. I flippantly said to the doctor, "And the liver is a regenerative organ. In ten years it will be like I never drank at all!"

The doctor shot back with, "It will only heal completely if you never drink again. And your body remembers the injury to your liver. If you continue to abuse it, the scarring and injury will quickly multiply."

I was like, "Stupid man and your medical degree, what do YOU know?" Turns out, he knew a lot. Go figure. I drank for another 20 years and my body remembered all right.

But the liver IS a regenerative organ, and the human body is an amazingly resilient thing. Take care of yourself, commit to sobriety, be honest with your doctor(s), and you will be amazed at what you get back. Sometimes it can be things you never had in the first place!

bossybutt

I have had every thing your mentioning. Liver levels have been all over the place the last four years or so. In this time I would drink heavily, stop for a while, pick it back up and eventually progress back to daily and all day drinking most of the time. March 2018 my liver levels were so insane I was denied a life insurance policy. Triglycerides were also off the charts. Drank from there on till September of 2018 when I had a fall and broke my shoulder. This landed me in the hospital for surgery. While I was in there they did some blood testing and such and many things were still elevated so my family doc ordered more. Liver levels in October were going down but still elevated. My blood counts were all low and caused for concern and I was put on iron pills immediately to come back for a six week checkup. All this time no drinking due to the fact I am unable to drive nor given the use of a vehicle even if I could (husband). After six weeks of iron pills and continued not drinking the liver levels were all very normal except for one that she attributes to the ongoing pain medicine that I am still taking. Nutritional levels are improving as I am also low in D, B12, Potassium, magnesium, protein. I have had labs drawn for various things in the last five months and every time a liver or blood count test is included they continue to improve. The clotting one is the only one not budging for me yet. not getting worse nor better. I drank a LOT. A fifth a day or more with a week off here and there till I could get a way back to the store to get more. I'm currently at just beneath 5 months sober and Doc said she expects to see my body continue to respond favorably and even more after my mobility increases from this shoulder. I too have the pain in my abdomen on the right side that you mentioned. Even something as light as my kitten wanting to walk on my stomach is too painful to bear. Anywhere from breastbone down is very tender. good luck to you

FoieGras

Two years ago (this month) I was diagnosed with fatty liver. I had been having discomfort in my right-mid back (I think the doc called it flank pain). Anyway, quit drinking and everything went away. Liver enzymes were normal after a few months.

Of course I figured I could start to drink like a normal person once summer started. One or two here and there. I don’t have to tell folks here how that experiment ended up.

Flank pain started again in November. I created this new name here to remind myself of my poor fatty liver. I know I need to make the change now - I’m 54 and, yeah. It’s time.

newhope01

My husband never drinks and had elevated liver enzymes on his test too and the doctor thought for sure he was lying about his alcohol consumption. He had to take some follow-up blood tests and it appears it may be some kind of benign genetic condition. I half believe the diagnosis because his mother developed an inflamed liver and she is also abstinent and his aunt had to have a cyst removed from hers.

Sometimes, we get sick because we get sick and not because we are booze hounds. I hate not having a cause or a complete diagnosis though.

Leonidas

I find out out my test results from my doctor tomorrow. I'm half scared and half want him to say something bad enough to scare me straight. Either way tomorrow is the day.

WaterOx

Big time!!

For the greater part of 3 years I had liver pain. I got tested multiple times. I was sure I had cirrosis and I was going to die. Did that stop me from drinking? Nope!

After all, the tests always came back normal. No scarring, no fat, apparently no inflammation, either. The doctors never seemed very concerned with it despite the fact that I was honest with my daily drinking for many years.

Not long ago when I relapsed pretty hard, the liver pain came back with a vengeance- despite having had a 6 month break. I'm back on day 8 and what do you know it seems to have gone once again.

In summary, whether the tests come back "normal" or not, our body is trying to tell us something. It's important that we listen.

Leonidas

Find out my results in a couple hours now. Yikes.

Ghostlight1

Here's hoping the news is good. Let us know, I you feel comfortable doing that.

Caramel

Leonidas - "the truth will set you free".

Always good to get the facts.

Leonidas

In the waiting room now. I don't expect good things but just hoping it's not super terrible. Either way I'll be glad to get this over with.

MindfulMan

I've noticed on here that a lot of people are terrified of liver damage when they stop, and sometimes have abnormal pain and liver enzyme results in early sobriety.

Nearly everyone is OK within a few months.

The liver has a lot of resilience if you give it time away from alcohol.