I've come this far. Need some advice I think.

[Bambino]

I've come this far. Need some advice I think.

Lush - luvvin the new Avatar !!!

But - I reckon MY reality is THE SAME AS YOURS !!!! hmmmmmm

And you're still bloomin baby !!!!



XXXXX

P.S I would also like to apologise unreservedly for assuming that Xtexan was a lady. I am going to check out your recommendations re supps. Thanks, and sorry again . :blush: !!!

[mojomuppet]

I've come this far. Need some advice I think.

xtexan when i grow up i hope i can be as strong as you have been.my whole family drinks and all my friends too so i just hang out here for now and hope.i understand how lonely it must be for you hang here these people will help you as im sure you can help us. have a great day!

[RoseKat]

I've come this far. Need some advice I think.

Question for xtexan

xtexan, you can count me among your admirers. You have amazing strength to have conquered such demons. Your experience and willpower are incredibly inspirational. Thanks for contributing to our boards.

I just want to ask you about the kava kava. I read something a few years ago that it was causing severe liver problems and I thought it had been taken off the market. I used to drink it in a tea, but avoided it after that news story. After all, the booze was hard enough on the liver already. Do you know anything about that?

Kat

[xtexan]

I've come this far. Need some advice I think.

RoseKat:

Most stores took Kava-kava off their shelves after the liver damage report. You can still get it from a lot of on-line suppliers. Its not banned or illegal. A quick Google search will generate many vendors who still sell it.

As far as the liver damage reports, there seems to be a small group who may be sensitive. Unfortunately, that group includes people with liver damage from alcohol. Check this link.

http://healthlibrary.epnet.com/GetCo...chunkiid=26373

I've used it in small amounts before bed to help with sleeping, but I also have had my liver function tested at least once a year. I am OK with it, but some people are not. If I was drinking still, I definitely would avoid it.

For some more perspective, I found this web-page interesting as well.

http://www.annieappleseedproject.org/kavaisitsafe.html

There is a risk, but not a high risk for a non-drinker. I made my decision to use it, after examining the risks, and having my own liver tests done. Please read those links, as they give a good assessment.

[surfer2]

I've come this far. Need some advice I think.

congrats and cheers

you have ridden the bull all the way so far and mega congratulations to you please keep an eye out for habits and triggers,which im sure you are aware of anyway just a reminder ------ and since im another guy i think i can say with some perspective don't get cocky and blow all the hard work------ all the best to you and keep coming here to help the rest of us
cheers and all the bestof luck to you and yours

[Lou]

I've come this far. Need some advice I think.

Hello xtexan!

Just wanna say that you are truly an insperation...i have been going through such a tough time lately an just reading your posts has really helped me. i do have a question tho...i dont really know much about liver counts an all that stuff but i was in hosp for 2 weeks a few wks back after a v silly incident with a lot of coproxamol an a litre of vodka an the doctor told my dad that my liver count was v bad and that i had the liver of someone who was 60 an had been drinking the whole time...im only 29, does your liver get better if you dont drink...or have i ruined it forever??? also, do you think the bad liver count could have been cause of the amount of v strong pain killers i took in my stupid attempt to od?? Im v worried that iv damaged myself beyond repair...any advice would be much appreciated.

Lou-Lou x x

[spacie]

I've come this far. Need some advice I think.

Hi,

I have read that your liver is one of the organs that can mend when given the chance.

Xtexan, I was thinking about how long you've gone with out drinking and how work has been irritating. Here's a thought for ya, last year I was ready to blow up at co-workers, rude drivers, etc., the slightest thing made me boil, I could feel the blood rising to my face. Besides the drinking, it turned out my blood pressure was a bit high not enough to warrant medication but enough to make me more irratable.

It's nice to hear from those of you that have sustained drinking for long periods of time and hope you know how much you are appreciated here.

A few years back I stopped for 4 months, then again this past April for about 72 days. I'm back on the pony and giving it another ride - woohoo!!

Later,
Spacie

[xtexan]

I've come this far. Need some advice I think.

Spacie:

Thanks for the good words. One thing I realize, is that there is no guarantee that I won't fall apart under a given set of circumstances, and get snockered. Thats one of the reasons I joined this forum, because I felt close to that point. Thanks to the support of the members here, I feel like I'm back on my feet again. Another work week starts tomorrow, and I just have to take the situations as they come. I have faith in myself, and the faith to keep on finding ways to help myself.

Lou:

I believe a human liver can regenerate itself up to a point. I'm not sure what that point is, but there is definitely a point of no return. I have personally known people who died from cirrhosis. Its not a very pleasant way to go, in fact, from what I was told from someone who found the body, a very horrible way to die.

I'm not up to speed on what things can help and protect your liver. I took NAC capsules regularly when I was drinking heavily, and from what I understand that it is injected by doctors directly for liver protection.

See these links for more on NAC, and liver protection. I have often printed out things like this from the internet, and shown them to my doctor. He is open minded about a lot of these things, and in a couple of cases, he learned something new from me. No one person can know everything.

I don't know if you ever saw the movie "Lorenzo's Oil", but I took it to heart. Good doctors are open to new learning every day.

http://www.newhope.com/nutritionscie...is.cfm?path=ex

http://www.nutrasanus.com/n-acetyl-cysteine.html

[xtexan]

I've come this far. Need some advice I think.

To spacie:

Spacie:


:thanks:
I think you really had a good idea on that blood pressure thing.

I took my little wrist BP monitor to work with me. I got to feeling out of sorts again, and I checked it.
It was 150/100. Normally at home, its 120/70.

My Mother has had problems with high BP, mostly related to low potassium. So I took a big dose of potassium tablets, and sure enough, my tremors and irritability subsided after a few hours.

I do have some prescription beta blockers, but they were prescribed to me a couple years ago for a different reason. They really zonk me out into a "dumb" state, so I avoid them.

So thanks for the reminder that I need to watch that blood pressure. So many things to keep up with to remain on a stable footing. After 35 years of drinking and smoking, I realize that it will take quite some time to learn how to be a sober, healthy person.