Alcoholic Hepatitis.

[hippie37]

Can anyone give me some 'personal' feed-back on this subject please!

Love and Happiness
Hippie
xx

[trixietrack]

Alcoholic Hepatitis.

hepatitis means inflammation of the liver. I guess if it's alcoholic, it's caused by the devil's juice.

it goes away if you put the juice down

[MyHeartIsDrenchedInWine]

Alcoholic Hepatitis.

Sup Hippie? I am going in to the lab again for a hepatitis screen due to elevated liver enzymes.

[hippie37]

Alcoholic Hepatitis.

Hi MyHeart! Looks like you and me are in the same boat then (besides the bigger boat we are ALL in!!!).
Thankfully it was only the AST/ALT enzymes that were really high so like yourself I have to go for an ultrasound so he can get a clearer picture of the liver. With my history and previous high results he is 'confident' his diagnosis is correct. To what extent though we shall have to wait and see after my 'screen' in a few weeks. Like trixie said though it is reversible over time and as long as I stay clear of booze then the liver will heal. My GP steered clear of using the phrase alcoholic hepatitis after his initial diagnosis as it does conjure up all kinds of negative thinking and it does sound a lot worse than what it actually is. I've been doing a lot of reading since yesterday so I have a much clearer picture now. I'd like to say I'm feeling more positive today but my mother has just had to go to the hospital as she was coughing up blood last night so I am sat here waiting to here some further update and news with much more than a little concern.

Anyway MyHeart let me know how you get on and likewise I shall do the same. At least we have to be thankful it's not cirrhosis of the liver and we can both do something about this.

Love and Happiness
Hippie
xx

[fickle]

Alcoholic Hepatitis.

Hey Hippie, MyHeart,

I really am not qualified but as a child my mother was diagnosed with hepatitis and many people in our small town said it was because she was 'dirty'. Totally shameful thing, however it is easily transferred between children and families.. much like worms and lice.. So no real need to feel bad if you picked up something from your preschooler right? Mom was a teetotaler housewife so no way she had caught it in any blameable way. (anyway if there is one???)

Years later I had friends using 'social drugs' involving injection.. again.. the old hepatitis thing.. hep B.. hep C.. there are quite a few and all different.

I have not heard of this 'alcoholic-hepatitis' and I am wondering if it is really what you think? Or something I have never heard of? Jeez.. I am thinking of you both and sending much love & cyberhugs.:l
Love you both and look forward to some better news

[paula]

Alcoholic Hepatitis.

Hippie/ my Heart, we are all at risk of liver damage if we drink too much. The liver is also very
resilient, it will recover from alcohol abuse if we abstain from drinking (easier said than done).
Milk thistle is good for de toxing . Best of luck, hope your Mum is ok Hippie.
Paula.

[memarcie]

Alcoholic Hepatitis.

I had Hepatitis C, I've heard of alcoholic Hepatitis as well. Trixie is correct that it is inflammation of the liver caused by drinking. It is reversible UNLESS you are cirrhotic.

Fickle, it depends on the type of Hepatitis you have, if it is easily transmitted. Hep A is the easiest(transmitted via fecal contamination), Hep B is next(bodily fluids - sexually transmitted), and Hep C the least easiest(blood contact only). My husband did NOT have Hep C and we've done the deed a few times before I found out I had it 2 years ago.

An ultrasound won't really show the true level of damage. A biopsy is the only way to do that right now. There are newer tests that aren't available everywhere that give results close to a biopsy, but are not invasive. However, knowing that you are clear now, I wouldn't expect doc to want a biopsy. Take care of yourself and hopefully everything else works out!

[5thaday]

Alcoholic Hepatitis.

Although this thread is a couple of weeks old now, I would like to weigh in. First off, I'm not trying to gross anyone out here, but last week, about 1 day after I decided to go AF again after a huge binge last Saturday, I went to the bathroom in the morning and was shocked to see that my stool was almost completely white and pale. This didn't clear up after a few days, so I went to my family doctor. She got me to rest on my back and prodded my upper right abdomen, and much to my surprise, it hurt and was quite tender, indicating that my liver is enlarged. Also, although I can't seem to really tell myself (I'll trust her years of experience), she claims that I appear mildly jaundiced, not my eyes, but areas of my skin.

In any case, although her diagnosis is speculative (based on my drinking history), she has told me that she suspects I am suffering from mild alcoholic hepatitis. She thinks it's mild because my liver function tests are normal and I still have energy and a normal appetite. The key reason I wanted to reply to this post is because my liver tests have always been normal, and still are within normal range for all enzymes. This is proof positive that we should not rest assured if we have normal blood tests after years of heavy drinking, as the damage can be much more subtle. I'm glad that this has happened, as I firmly think I'm stubborn enough that I needed something like this to occur to be motivated to stop. As long as I abstain, I have been informed that my liver will probably heal within a few months. Please don't take your livers for granted! I am only 28 years old, and this is already happening to me.

[tea]

Alcoholic Hepatitis.

Sorry to hear about your Mum Hip, hoping for better news for her soon. How do you/we know that we have something wrong with our liver? Is it just through liver tests or are there symptoms?

Lx

[hippie37]

Alcoholic Hepatitis.

What a novelty........"White poo made me quit drinking!!":nutso:

Joking aside thanks for chipping in 5. I know we've all heard it before, that the liver is a very forgiving organ but it still needs as much love and attention as our other organs, which it wasn't getting while we were drinking. Binging is the worst possible thing you could do to the liver as well. I'm taking a milk thistle supplement at the moment 3 times a day after meals as well. I've got my ultrasound this Friday morning to see just how inflamed the liver is. Will probably see my GP the following Friday to discuss the findings!!. The main thing I am doing to help the liver out though is not drinking. I am at the end of the day an addict and alcohol being my addiction I guess you could say I am an alcoholic so I cannot afford to just have ONE drink anyway. Moderating has never been an option for me.

Love and Happiness
Hippie

[hippie37]

Alcoholic Hepatitis.

Hey tea!!
Mum's doing fine now but still has to be careful of what she eats she had (funnily enough) inflammation of the gut and was prescribed a drug that is more commonly used for the treatment of nausea in patients recovering from chemotherapy. Funny old world innit!!. Tea if you read 5's post he/she mentions about the soreness of the upper right abdomen and was the same problem I had as well. My GP keeps a good eye on my blood tests though due to my history with alcohol so I get tested regularly. I'm lucky to have such an understanding GP. He also works as a police pathologist and on a ward where alcohol related diseases like chilrosis of the liver are common so he has a real understanding of this problem.

Love and Happiness
Hippie
xx

[5thaday]

Alcoholic Hepatitis.

hippie37;296281 wrote: . . . I've got my ultrasound this Friday morning to see just how inflamed the liver is . . .

I hope all goes well. I had an ultrasound done in Feb 2006; it's a nice, non-invasive test, but unfortunately is often not enough to truly gauge the extent of liver damage, so I wish you the best of luck remaining AF.

[Dolly Sunshine]

Alcoholic Hepatitis.

I need a DR like that!! Mine just blows off what I say when I try to be honest...b/c all my liver tests are "fine". Thanks 5th for mentioning they can be fine and we can still be affected. Maybe it will push me to find a new Dr.

[tea]

Alcoholic Hepatitis.

My GP repeatedly tries to get me a CPN/Alcohol Nurse but she know full well that I WORK within the team although in a completely different office so that is a complete NO NO.....

Lxx

[Dolly Sunshine]

Alcoholic Hepatitis.

That has to be difficult! This is such a tough disease. I have at times wished I had something people understand better. Then I feel bad b/c I know I do it to myself.