Day 1 Tomorrow - Liver Worries

[briseus]

Before I begin, I just want to start out by saying that I am a total hypochondriac. I am not sure if this is a result of my anxiety/OCD but I always think something is wrong with me.

Anyways...when I got checked out by 2 docs last year (August-ish) I was told that my liver enzymes were a bit high...and that I need to tone down the drinking (needless to say, I didn't).
Tomorrow is my Day 1 and I am eager to get to it and have been on a bunch of forums and sites reading about alcoholism and whatnot...
But now I am so paranoid that I have something severely wrong with my liver.

A little background on me...I am female, 26 y.o, a bit overweight, 5'5"...I have been drinking the last 2-4 years - heavily the last year and a half - drinking wine and whatnot. Have had episodes of blackouts and some hangovers here and there, never vomited from drinking.
Now I have quit for a few weeks here and there in the past and I have had no withdrawal...no shakiness, vomiting, nausea or anything. I have anxiety but I have had anxiety all my life and it is something I need to deal with drinking or not.
How likely is it that I damaged my liver totally? I don't have pain there or anything...don't have any of the symptoms...but I am still so paranoid!
I know that by seeing a doctor I can stop worrying about it but I can't see him for another 5 weeks (which doesn't matter because I plan on being 30 days sober starting tomorrow).
I was just wondering if anyone worried about this...what is the likelihood of doing some serious damage...

The first year or so I drank a couple times a week, never binged or anything, was normal with drinking...then it went to everyday...but I didn't feel like I needed to "have" it...then the last year it has been heavy...every night...maybe a month of all day drinking or so...

I don't know. I know I am seeking reassurance - which is pointless when you are obsessive compulsive because the thoughts are going to keep going regardless...
I just wanted to hear some people's opinions to put my mind (if possible) at ease.

And tomorrow will be day one for me.
I am excited and nervous...but I gotta do this.

[briseus]

Day 1 Tomorrow - Liver Worries

Oh PS...not sure if this matters or not but I don't take any OTC medication at all and have been taking milk thistle for a period of time and other vitamins - have eaten relatively healthy most recently and have lost some weight...not sure if this matters.
I know that OTC meds put strain on the liver as well and people who take them regularly can develop liver issues as well.

[Struggles 106]

Day 1 Tomorrow - Liver Worries

HEY BRIS

With a relatively short drinking history it's unlikely that your liver has sustained a lot of permanent damage. It's an amazingly resilient organ, to a point.
The high enzymes indicate that the most important functional liver cells have been damaged. These numbers will go down with abstinence.
You are so young-now is the time to learn to live without alcohol. There is fun to be had sober but when you become accustomed to alcohol being associated with every occasion it's hard sometimes.

If you don't stop it will get worse. Anyone here will tell you the same thing. Believe me you do not want to be 50 years old and facing huge consequences from drinking. It is SO not worth it!

Take care and be strong!

[briseus]

Day 1 Tomorrow - Liver Worries

Thanks so much Ann.
I understand what you're saying. I keep hearing that a lot of people have to drink lots and lots in order to get something like fatty liver or hepatitis.
But still...I can't think of that or it will just give me another excuse to keep on drinking. AND I CAN'T!
I really need to learn how to have fun sober...and I KNOW I can. I keep thinking of a night the boyfriend and I went out and had a great dinner and then relaxed the rest of the night, it was such a great time and there was no booze involved. It is just hard to tell that voice to shut up at times.
I do hear it gets better with time though. So I am optimistic.

[dixon]

Day 1 Tomorrow - Liver Worries

briseus;1323879 wrote: Before I begin, I just want to start out by saying that I am a total hypochondriac. I am not sure if this is a result of my anxiety/OCD but I always think something is wrong with me.

Anyways...when I got checked out by 2 docs last year (August-ish) I was told that my liver enzymes were a bit high...and that I need to tone down the drinking (needless to say, I didn't).
Tomorrow is my Day 1 and I am eager to get to it and have been on a bunch of forums and sites reading about alcoholism and whatnot...
But now I am so paranoid that I have something severely wrong with my liver.

A little background on me...I am female, 26 y.o, a bit overweight, 5'5"...I have been drinking the last 2-4 years - heavily the last year and a half - drinking wine and whatnot. Have had episodes of blackouts and some hangovers here and there, never vomited from drinking.
Now I have quit for a few weeks here and there in the past and I have had no withdrawal...no shakiness, vomiting, nausea or anything. I have anxiety but I have had anxiety all my life and it is something I need to deal with drinking or not.
How likely is it that I damaged my liver totally? I don't have pain there or anything...don't have any of the symptoms...but I am still so paranoid!
I know that by seeing a doctor I can stop worrying about it but I can't see him for another 5 weeks (which doesn't matter because I plan on being 30 days sober starting tomorrow).
I was just wondering if anyone worried about this...what is the likelihood of doing some serious damage...

The first year or so I drank a couple times a week, never binged or anything, was normal with drinking...then it went to everyday...but I didn't feel like I needed to "have" it...then the last year it has been heavy...every night...maybe a month of all day drinking or so...

I don't know. I know I am seeking reassurance - which is pointless when you are obsessive compulsive because the thoughts are going to keep going regardless...
I just wanted to hear some people's opinions to put my mind (if possible) at ease.

And tomorrow will be day one for me.
I am excited and nervous...but I gotta do this.

Hi there,

I have been paranoid always about health since my teenage but now not too much as I have learnt many things that associated to our brain.I must accept at all pros and cons and try to treat what's going wrong with me but in sober mind.If I am not sober my treatment to my body would go either way.
Regarding the anxiety, I have now realised that Liver plays a vital role to process our diets ,foods or drinks.So it must be always in normal status .If it is not a normal it cant through out the toxic chemical from our body and go to direct bloodstream and then to whole body , our brain cant escape from it so we get more anxiety ,depression ,fault thoughts, suicidal etc.
So now my whole focus is to maintain the liver first ,once we maintain it other organs like hearts,kidney,brain would be healthy.I found this a mother board of our engine.
Its nice that you are optimistic ..so keep it up and please focus on this .Everything we can do if we are alive !!!!!
Take care,
Dix

[briseus]

Day 1 Tomorrow - Liver Worries

Everything that you say Dixon - makes absolute and total sense...no doubt about it. Not sure what you mean though that your hypochondriac side of you "went" due to "associated to the brain".
Could you elaborate more?
I know in your case the liver should be "considered" more then anything..but my issue is high blood pressure...so that is my case. Was just wondering what you meant about everything.
Thanks! xo

[dixon]

Day 1 Tomorrow - Liver Worries

briseus;1323993 wrote: Everything that you say Dixon - makes absolute and total sense...no doubt about it. Not sure what you mean though that your hypochondriac side of you "went" due to "associated to the brain".
Could you elaborate more?
I know in your case the liver should be "considered" more then anything..but my issue is high blood pressure...so that is my case. Was just wondering what you meant about everything.
Thanks! xo

Hi Briseus,
My sentiments associated with brain is I was not aware of how Al effects on the brain. Now I am a little more clear on its correlation with the brain and compelled to think about this isssue,I have lost my memory powr is about to 10 % camparing in the early stage when I started drinking to gain a weight .At that time people were considered educated,rich if theu were comfortably fatty.So my interest was to become a little bit fatty.One of my friends brother suggested me to take a bottle of beer and meat as a snacks daily so that I could achieve my target.I followed him and achieved that as well when I achieved that I started feeling to cut down it because the trend were changing again.
Now I can realized that highly consumption of alcohol only gives us so many drawbacks on health,finance,job,relationship and social status.So it is clearly associated to brain and its judgement.
I am not sure if I hve been able to clarify or not ?
Thanks ,
Dix