Blood test comes back with some liver damage

[Guitarista]

Re: Blood test comes back with some liver damage

Good luck Scotskev. I understand that if we have reached the 'fatty liver' stage, then abstinence is the only way to stop further (irreversible) damage. If you just had a blood test, they don't always tell the full story with regards to liver health, especially if we have been big drinkers. A fibro scan (like an ultrasound) from most hospital liver clinics can give more info if needed. Did you check for alcoholic hepatitis too? Or any hepatitis? I think it might be a seperate blood test that you have to ask for. Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver and sometimes we don't know we have it as there aren't always symptoms until it's too late. I'm not trying to put a dampner on things, just hoping you are covering all bases with the tests. All the best bro!

[scotskev81]

Re: Blood test comes back with some liver damage

hi. My GP said no further test requried but can have another one after a few months if i'm still worried.
I will do that early in the new year. thank you

[Byrdlady]

Re: Blood test comes back with some liver damage

Scot,
I am thrilled that your test showed improved liver readings.
I am almost 100% sure you won’t listen to what I’m about to say, but in a year’s time, you will look back and wish you had.

In in your first post above, you said “I am never drinking again”. Then a month later, you are drinking again. I KNOW you say, not as much, but to a liver that is already showing signs of damage, ANY AL is bad news. But here is the thing, you made a rule about AL and broke it. You went from ‘I am never drinking again’ to sipping some wine, to having 2-3 beers. In the words of the late Robin Williams, we break our standards faster than we can lower them. If you are like most all of us here, we have an AL addiction. It just won’t stop at a few sips on vacation. I have seen that play out 1000 times in the 9 years I’ve been here. It won’t stop at 3 beers on the weekend. The only way to beat AL addiction (and save your life) is to quit. I was just like you....once the clear and present danger was passed, I thought I could control it. I could not. In fact, I have never seen anyone here that could. Don’t take my word for it, spend some time reading the archives, there are over 10 years of relevant history here. It’s just like A Christmas Carol, you can see the past, present and future right here. I wish I could show you how much better life is without AL. No worries about getting your fix. No worries about your liver readings. No worries about what you might have said or done. No hangovers. I figure I save about $10 a day from quitting, I have 2848 days AF. That’s over $28,000! But more than that, I’ve saved my poor liver from being burned up.
Nothing I can do or say will change your mind if you are determined to keep AL in your life, but I have to try. Otherwise, it’s like watching someone walk in to a propeller.
If I can do anything to help, I will do it. Blessings, Byrdie

[available]

Re: Blood test comes back with some liver damage

Scot, a month of not drinking is great and your liver showing a postive result is good news, however i am with Mr G and Byrd on this also.

We are alcholics or why else would we be on a drinking site. We have all thought we could just have one or two but sadly in the weeks that follow we slide back into the habits we had before until we are back where we were. We will drink because we are stressed, we will drink because it is sunny, we will open our book of excuses so we can justify why we are drinking until we again reach the guilts, shame and remorse stage and are back to where we started. We bargain with ourselves and we play russian roulette with our lives. Al will always win unless you completely stop.

From myself and G and Byrd we have all been where you are now, we have seen it a million times where we think we can moderate and succeed but at the end of the day we cant and for us abstinence is how it has to be. I fought tooth and nail for that not to happen to me and i was sure i was going to be the only one strong enough to moderate but epic fail. Now i will be 5 years sober next month and nothing will make me drink, al is not worth ruining what i have now but this attitude has all taken time. I have no angst getting any blood test now, my greatest fear is my cholesterol reading and thats fine, sadly i look forward to blood tests now!

Take care and you can only decide what is best for you.

[NoraC]

Re: Blood test comes back with some liver damage

All I can say is that I wish I had not wasted so much time worrying about 'only having 2-3 drinks'. All the hours wasted on thinking about alcohol even when I wasn't drinking. All these thoughts...........I'm never going to drink again. Oh well, I'll just have one. Well, it won't hurt to have another. I'll stop tomorrow. I won't drink this week. Well, I had a bad day so I'll drink today. And on & on and on.

I wish that I had the magic words to make you actually SEE your future.

Just like [MENTION=16186]available[/MENTION] said -

From myself and G and Byrd we have all been where you are now, we have seen it a million times where we think we can moderate and succeed but at the end of the day we cant and for us abstinence is how it has to be.

It's easier not to drink. :heartbeat:

[Pavati]

Re: Blood test comes back with some liver damage

I'm going to join the chorus, Scot...

If you came to your computer and googled something like "drinking and liver damage," and found this site, there's a good chance you already know, deep down, what the answer is as to whether you "should" drink or not.

I cannot express the long-term resistance I had to quitting - I was so afraid of my life, my friends, my fun without booze. My favorite saying was "I have to learn how to cut down so I don't have to quit entirely." I also cannot express the freedom I have found from not drinking.

We're here for you...

Pav

[scotskev81]

Re: Blood test comes back with some liver damage

Thank you for the words and advice.

My drinking has cut right down dramatically and included a month long rest.
This is good but I know it could be better. I do feel I need the occasional good time and slow relaxing beer when i’m social in pubs.
This phase may pass

[scotskev81]

Re: Blood test comes back with some liver damage

I would like another blood test early in the new year to see.

[NoraC]

Re: Blood test comes back with some liver damage

Good luck and I wish you well.
I do understand and again just wish that wisdom could be given to each other. Just to save someone else from going thru it.

My Dad had a liver infection (plus some cirrhosis from the alcohol) and was in the intensive care unit for months after they removed part of his liver. In that wing of the hospital, several of the patients had failing livers. We connected with other families and watched them grieve as their loved ones died. It was such a sad experience. (Luckily my dad lived for another 12 years)
And after I experienced all of that - swore I would never drink again........I then continued to continue drinking until I had given up.

I hope that your plan works well for you and that you don't fall into the trap that I did.

Take care and keep us posted. :heartbeat:

[Byrdlady]

Re: Blood test comes back with some liver damage

I fell into the trap, too, Nora. I never drank harder than the year I tried to moderate, in spite of bad liver readings. Because my liver was out of whack, I had high levels of iron in my blood. I had to go every two weeks and have a pint of blood removed to try and reproduce healthier new blood. Even THAT didn’t stop me from drinking. I just KNEW I could control it if ai tried hard enough. I was wrong.

I do wish we could give the gift of hindsight to others, in the case of AL and addiction, it is a road we must all travel on our own. I’m glad we have each other to talk with, normal drinkers just don’t get it.
Hugs to all, Byrdie.

[scotskev81]

Re: Blood test comes back with some liver damage

4 pints on Thursday (4%)
1 glass of wine Friday with meal
3.5 pints on Saturday (4%)
3 pints on Sunday. (4%)


Guess not really stopped have I but this is an awful lot lower than my previous level. Still take all you have said on board but I seem hooked.

[abcowboy]

Hey [MENTION=21863]scotskev81[/MENTION], why don't you try replacing those pints and wine with the zero alcohol variety, see how that goes for a while?

[scotskev81]

Re: Blood test comes back with some liver damage

Hey [MENTION=21863]scotskev81[/MENTION], why don't you try replacing those pints and wine with the zero alcohol variety, see how that goes for a while?

I’d rather just avoid that stuff as it is substituting and therefore keeps me hooked.

[Guitarista]

Re: Blood test comes back with some liver damage

Hi Scotskev,

2 things come to mind here for me. 1. My liver and general health. 2. My happiness.

So, if i am still happy with reducing my drinking levels, then ok. Maybe i can continue on in happiness. That's great. If i am happy with my drinking, then why would i mess with it. - But, if i am unhappy with my current reduced level of drinking, then what am i gonna do?

Do you remain counting drinks each week and thinking about booze every day, or do you stop and not mess around with your physical health? We all have different levels of punishment that our bodies/livers can take before some sort of serious problem strikes.

Good job on getting regular liver check ups mate. At least you're keeping your eye on it. Keep us posted.

[scotskev81]

Re: Blood test comes back with some liver damage

i know that cutting down doesn't work but for me it seems to at the moment. The reason is that I now feel when i’ve had enough and don’t want to keep going regardless. I think i’ve had enough and order a half pint instead of a pint or drink it slowly. Also get some water to go with my drink.

Before the bad liver news i would drink more