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Alcohol effects on medical tests

Old 12-20-2019, 07:03 AM
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Alcohol effects on medical tests

I guess this is the important wake-up call. My AST (liver enzyme) is 40 (doctor says it should be 32 or lower). My ferritin is 259 (should be 150 or lower). My A1C is 5.8 (should be 5.6 or lower). I am 50 pounds overweight, which affects these things, too, but the NP thinks it's due to alcohol.

It's easy to say I have no DUIs or arrests, no problems at work, no falling down drunk at parties or at home, almost never vomit (less than yearly) or have bad hangovers. It's harder to say I have been drinking nearly every day for 12 years except for a one-month period a couple years ago. It's harder to say I can go through a bottle of wine from dinner to bedtime or a fifth of vodka in 3 days. And I go to different liquor stores so I'm not buying at the same place 2 or 3 times in a week.

The medical tests are the wake up I needed. I must stop the drinking ... and drop 50 pounds, too. My plan is to come here often. If that isn't enough I will consider AA. I hope to be 1 year sober and 50 pounds lighter at the end of 2020.
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Old 12-20-2019, 07:37 AM
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Originally Posted by LilyLady1 View Post
I guess this is the important wake-up call. My AST (liver enzyme) is 40 (doctor says it should be 32 or lower). My ferritin is 259 (should be 150 or lower). My A1C is 5.8 (should be 5.6 or lower). I am 50 pounds overweight, which affects these things, too, but the NP thinks it's due to alcohol.

It's easy to say I have no DUIs or arrests, no problems at work, no falling down drunk at parties or at home, almost never vomit (less than yearly) or have bad hangovers. It's harder to say I have been drinking nearly every day for 12 years except for a one-month period a couple years ago. It's harder to say I can go through a bottle of wine from dinner to bedtime or a fifth of vodka in 3 days. And I go to different liquor stores so I'm not buying at the same place 2 or 3 times in a week.

The medical tests are the wake up I needed. I must stop the drinking ... and drop 50 pounds, too. My plan is to come here often. If that isn't enough I will consider AA. I hope to be 1 year sober and 50 pounds lighter at the end of 2020.
Go for it!

When your values trump your addiction, there is no addiction!
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Old 12-20-2019, 07:38 AM
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I'm glad you've made the decision to stop drinking and to take care of your health.
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Old 12-20-2019, 02:18 PM
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I was at your level of drinking over a decade ago. No consequences besides weight gain/deteriorating health. I kept drinking and it didn't take long before the real bad life consequences began. DUI, injuries, job loss, broken relationships, bankruptcy etc.

Alcoholism is progressive.
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Old 12-20-2019, 03:01 PM
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Glad you are here and I do hope you quit. It won't get better if you keep drinking - or if you quit for a short time and return to it. Hope will be something you find but it isn't a plan for sobriety- so making new choices based on sr (Dee for example used it from the start) or AA (people like me at death's door, or far less dire but just as much an alcoholic) or any of a number of other recovery programs.

You can get well and be able to handle whatever alcohol-free scenarios your body presents over time.
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Old 12-20-2019, 03:23 PM
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Sounds like a good incentive LilyLady
Welcome back

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Old 12-20-2019, 05:24 PM
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That was me 13 months ago. Now I have lost the weight 30 kg and all my blood results are perfect. My liver was highly inflamed and my numbers were a lot higher than yours. I am 54 a man. So it can all be reversed but you need to quit, for good.
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Old 12-20-2019, 08:05 PM
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My health got a lot better when I got sober. Stop drinking now and in a year I think you'll be surprised and happy.
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Old 12-21-2019, 07:39 AM
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No problem not drinking yesterday. My husband had 2 G&Ts while we were watching The Irishman. But I don't drink gin (ick) and intentionally have no chardonnay or vodka in the house. I stuck to diet coke and water.

Oh, and not having had anything to drink, I did not wake up for an hour at 3 am.
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Old 12-21-2019, 08:03 AM
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Here is some good news. My liver enzyme test was 48. Two months after I stopped drinking it was 26. There is hope.
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Old 12-22-2019, 06:48 AM
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Your tolerance levels indicate you drank daily for a long time....you can reverse most or all of this if you stay stopped!

You can do this!!
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