I had a private liver fibroscan check yesterday. This test, which takes 10 minutes, sends electrical pulses through the liver to check its stiffness and fat content. The liver can become stiff from fibrosis and scarring (cirrhosis) caused by a number of medical conditions but also alcohol use.

Before I talk about the results, it’s relevant to give my background. I’m 50 and drank a bottle of wine a day for around 15 years. I was very overweight and had nasty aches and pains under my right ribcage. I cut down on drinking and lost around 40lbs to become slim, but an ultrasound diagnosed a mild fatty liver. The pains were still there albeit less often, and I was still drinking half a bottle of wine per day.

This was my first fibroscan, and the results were good. The stiffness of 7KPa is normal, and the amount of fat was classified as zero. The ultrasound test which saw fat was eight months ago. Whilst you can’t compare ultrasound with fibrosis results, that eight months of sobriety has allowed my liver to fully recover.

But I don’t like this message. Our livers are too kind to us. A heavy drinker could in theory take a few weeks or months off, in which time their liver MAY heal, allowing them to start again. Note that a lived with fibrosis or cirrhosis won’t heal as these conditions are irreversible.

My concern is that the rest of the body isn’t so forgiving. Heavy drinking hugely increases cancer risk as well as the well-publicised heart and diabetes problems. I guess the message is it’s never too late to quit, but do so before any serious damage starts.

As drinkers and ex-drinkers, we have a higher cancer risk than non-drinkers. Not much an ex-drinker can do about that, but as my results above show, there’s a lot to be gained by quitting totally.

Thanks. I did that a couple of times in the past, i.e. revert to old habits after a good medical reports. The doctor did say I could tone up my belly a bit as that central fat isn’t good for the liver.

I had to laugh as I’m quite slim and toned elsewhere, but that’s a good doctor report - good but could do better 😀

Thanks Badga, hope your results are good too. I’m 50, but I drank about the same amount for the same time, so even if your results aren’t great this time, give it six months or so. My liver showed its appreciation. Yours will too.

I know what it’s like going from 10 units a night to zero. You will have had a restless 14 days - I never want to go back to feeling like that - so hang in there. My urge to drink has been I would say 95% non existence for months. Keep going 🙂

P.s. And please do post the results, Badga, it’ll be inspiring for others who are maybe drinking a bit too much and want to see the doc. It’ll show there’s no disgrace or shame in drinking too much - alcohol tastes great and makes us feel better, but it’s just so unhealthy ☹️ - and that doctors are sympathetic.

Thanks, us ex-drinkers have been given a huge second chance.

I am lucky too.... i have no idea how my liver is still normal after such abuse! Time to celebrate by.... definitely treating it well going fwd!