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Fear of Cirrhosis

Yes, I am a heavy drinker, but since my AST came back recently at 82 i have cut down to one to two glasses of wine a day. First, would quitting altogether be better? Second, approximately how long will reduction or cessation of drinking take to bring the AST down? Third, my Bilirubin is 0.4 (normal), so, should I still fear Cirrhosis which i have no way of knowing if I have, or does the normal bilirubin give me some comfort?
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1305762 tn?1311548999
Jacker's got a point. People who aren't problem drinkers don't obsess over their drinking. People who don't have a problem just don't think about it. It's not an issue to them.

If you're at that point where you're starting to wonder if you're drinking too much, if you're at risk, if you're done damage, etc... you're probably at the point where you should more or less stop. 1-2 glasses of wine a day doesn't sound too bad if that's indeed what it is. But if you've caused any damage to yourself you really should stop altogether and give it a rest.

Heavy drinking has no upside. Given time it will have a negative effect on nearly every major organ. Heart, liver, pancreas, brain, skin, etc...

How old are you, btw? And how long have you been drinking? At your worst, how much were you (honestly) drinking?
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Avatar universal
Let's put it this way: "A normal drinker does not get a liver problem and then ask if they can keep drinking and/.or resume previous drinking activity in the near future".  Addict63 is correct about the progression of alcoholism and the obsession.  Think about it......you have a physical problem that is caused by drinking, but you're still thinking about the next drink.  I'm not trying to offend you or anything- I was just like you and even had some liver issues.  Take a long break (at minimum).  

As for the physical issues, a blood test is one indicator, but you can find out more with a CT-Scan of your liver. I'd recommend digging a little deeper (with your doctor) before you go back to drinking again.  

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1218318 tn?1266808601
I can imagine only 2 drinks for me. I started out as a party drinker, then a heavy drinker and then a problem drinker. Now I'm a recovering alcoholic. Sadly, I can never go backwards to become that party drinker again.

Reading what you wrote helped me into remembering my drinking days. Man, I hated to "cut down". I tried to control it and I couldn't. Once I tried; I wouldn't drink at all on Monday, Wednesday and on the other week days I'd have just two drinks a day. I would be miserable, angry, shaky all week. On the weekends I'd reward myself and get smashed into blackouts. I remember hating waking up on Monday because it was on the wagon again. By the time I quit completely (I went to AA) I was back to getting smashed EVERY night and was about to lose everything, including my job.

In AA I quickly learned that my drinking was a mental obsession with a fatal progression. My drinker was broken and couldn't be repaired anymore. Not drinking at all became really easy. I haven't had one drink since, and I enjoy living life.

bo303, only you know you. You know in your heart what's really going on, especially with your health and your life. As for your wine, If you can honestly be happy, enjoy life, and still drink only two glasses of wine a day, God bless you! You're a lucky person.

I wish you the best.
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Avatar universal
COMMUNITY LEADER
Only you can decide if totally quitting alcohol is what u really need to do.if u've already had medical issues because of your drinking that should be a red light for you.
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