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Addiction: Substance Abuse Community
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Lynn, this is the only way I know how to get your question the answers you need.
I have been clean now for 17 days, and to tell you the truth, I want to use every day. But I try to remember that each time I relapsed it was harder to detox than the last time. So it is easier to stay off the pills than it was to get off of them. I am sure you will get all of the help you need if you just ask some of these good people here to help!
Good luck,your friend ,Ken
What a jerk.
Thank you again for the help.
From 17 years of age until about 24 I drank what I consider heavily. It got up to splitting a fifth of whiskey each night with a friend of mine (with beer of course) or 4-5 bottles of cheap ass wine a day. This stopped when I acquired Mononucleosis at age 19. Of course when you have mono your liver is in jeopardy so I quit cold turkey for 2 months. Went off to college and drank at the minimum of 40 oz. of beer a day. Sometimes a pint of whiskey, vodka, Mad Dog 20/20 you name it. Never really "drunk" but definitely maintenance drinking. This continued until about a year after I got married. My drinking buddy was informed that his enzymes were high and should really cut back on his drinking. My life calmed down quite a bit after getting married, graduating college etc. and so did my drinking - in fact it dropped off so gradually that I still considered myself a heavy drinker when I was down to a beer or 2 a day. Of course this is moderate drinking to anyone except someone either devoutly anti-alcohol or someone who is in recovery. When I was told that my liver enzymes were at "54" and that I was "normal" (HA!) I asked them if they had made a mistake. In fact, I didn't abstain before the test at all. I am now 29 and have been drinking one to two beers daily for about 4 years. Like I said, much more before then. Anyway - if everything else is the same with both of us - i.e. no hepatitis, history of liver malfunction in your family etc. and your life is pretty comparable to mine - I would say you are okay. Of course, get it checked again in a few months for piece of mind. When I had a liver scare after some upper rib cage area pain and was awaiting my liver enzyme count from the "on call" doctor I ran into what you seem to be describing. I was honest with the doctor that I was (at the time) a rather heavy drinker (24 yrs.old) Well this doctor was ANTI-DRINKING BIG TIME. He called my parents house when he couldn't contact me (my parents were the emergency 2nd number on my chart) and he proceeded to ask my Mom if I was home. She said "No, can I take a message?" and he said and I quote "Oh, he's probably down at the bar getting drunk. Anyway, tell him that his liver enzymes are only slightly elevated and not the cause of his problem." CAN YOU BELIEVE THE NERVE? Well of course you can. Get at LEAST a second opinion from a doctor who doesn't have a bias one way or another. I am so SICK of doctors and their holier than thou bullshit that I could just...well...Anyway, sorry for the life story, but sometimes it helps to know that someone else HAS been there, worried themselves to death - and ended up O.K. anyway. So check back up on it. It's usually a very gradual thing with drinking enzyme wise. At least you have the smarts to be checking into it. I'll shut up now. Later.
Since my drinking has dwindled my enzymes were 54 last month. I didn't want to give the impression that my enzymes were 54 when I was heaviest into it. Thanks.
No need to apologize my friend. Your life story is helping tremendously!!! I have a doctor that is not 'realistic' (in my opinion). I can not stand a 'HOLIER THAN THOU ATTITUDE'!!! We aren't all perfect and truth be told .... I still enjoy drinking. Yes, I sometimes go 'overboard' but most nights just enjoy a quiet couple of drinks. My family has a long history of doing the same. I am a little more cautious of my health since my 34 year old wife suffered from cervical cancer last year which is why I posted my initial question. I am not going to go through life worrying about every little ache and pain I experience. Life is way too short for that.
Doctors need to give us 'realistic' facts (not ones they wish we would believe). I am not saying that happened here but I asked a simple question (I thought was straight forward) and I want a simple answer.
Mike, thank you so much for telling me your experiences. It means so much to have that as a bench mark. I know everyone is different but you (not the doc so far) have provided me with a 'realistic' measurment.
'PEACE'
-Matt