I'm an alcoholic who's experincing pain in my right side doctors won't help

I've been to the doctors they've checked my liver funtions, and they've also gave me an ultrasound. No CT yet but they've done a fair amount of blood work. To my knowledge they've found nothing wrong. I was completely honest and explained the pain comes from my drinking the more I drink the more it hurts. However, even when i've stopped drinking the pain is still lingering. Which tell me I may be at the irreversible stage. I have slowed down on the drinking obviously to manage the pain.

I'm just curious if any other alcoholics may know what this is so I can tell my doctors. Could this be liver,kidney, gall bladder? The pain is located in my back and wraps around to my (right side). Its definetly internal and not muscle/skeletal.

Appreciate the support

[dominosarah]

How much do you normally consume?  How often?  If your pain gets worse when you drink why do you continue?           sara

[boogieman]

Hello. You may have done some damage, but the good news is the most often affected organs are usually the liver and pancreas, and they have amazing regenerative properties, If you stop in time. I was given a diagnosis of pancreatitis and ya, its rather painful. And you don't want to die an alcoholic death. It is slow and excruciating. If your doctor won't help you for whatever reason, find another one. Keep trying. Take care, GM

[countesselizabeth]

I've had a ultra sound how were you diagnosed? And will the doctors still help me if i'm an alcoholic? My sister had a liver transplant at the age of 20 she wasn't an alcoholic and her age so they told us thats why she was able to get a liver to save her life.
And, to answer Sarah why do I drink if it causes me pain?
Because i'm an alcoholic.

[Burrpatch]

Ahhhhh.. the mad, mad, madness of alcoholism. Your post reminds me much of my own drinking career. I had the pains your describing for years. I went to the doctors and received the same diagnoses of ..... "Everything looks good". -- So, despite my pain I continued to drink.

I mean, "why not", I would reason. "The doc's found nothing wrong, and after all, I AM an Alcoholic!!" ---  I can't count the times I've used the "I'm an alcoholic" excuse. The more I reflect on it, it seems as if I was daring the pain to come back. Or that somehow I was hoping that I was not like the rest of the alcoholics I knew who had liver problems and the like, that could no longer drink, were hospitalized or dead. -- As if I was out to prove that despite some pain I was invincible to the ravages of alcohol, or that I could continue just a little longer before the doctors told me I had to quit.

That is much like waiting for your engine warning light to come on in your vehicle to tell you it's time to check or change your oil. LOL!! I used to do that too! Those vehicles are now in the grave.... er, I mean the junkyard.

I won't go into the sordid details of my madness or how insane and deep it became. Instead I'll fast forward to the night of the screams. After drinking my usual obscene amount of alcohol one night, I passed out in bed only to wake a couple of hours later in agony. The pain was unlike anything I had yet experienced. It was horrific. I could only rock back and forth in bed and scream. Sweat was pouring out of me at an alarming rate as the moaning and screaming went on and on for what seemed a lifetime. It felt as if a dagger was twisting and turning within me as my internal organs throbbed and throbbed in sickening waves. As I screamed I tried to make peace with God for I knew I would not last the night.

I must have passed out, for I woke to bright sunlight as I lay in my sweat soaked sheets. I could scarcely believe I was alive. Upon rising I felt very sore and had to baby step for a couple of weeks. However, my little 30 year experiment with my body was over. I had to stop, NOW, with or without a doctors diagnoses. For I had heard of people that had suffered the pain I had just endured for DAYS while in the hospital. The doctors could give them nothing for the pain because their liver and/or kidneys were too sick to process any medication.

I made the call that morning and admitted myself for the fifth time in my life into rehab.
That was two years ago and although I have cirrhosis of the liver, it continues to heal and regenerate. Of course, there was some irreversible damage that will certainly shorten my life, but there is nothing I can do about that. It's in the past. All I can do now is to remain sober by attending AA for support and to rely on my higher power to give me the strength to remain that way, one blessed day at a time.

My hope and prayer for you is that you do not wait until YOUR night of screams or something much worse, but instead stop playing games with your life by waiting for a doctor to tell you to quit or that you have damage to your body's organs. Pain is the body's way of telling you something is terribly wrong and you do not need a doctor for that. What you DO need to do is to do whatever it takes to get sober, the sooner the better.

NOW is a great time!! Make the call !! :o)

Good luck to you and God Bless !!  ~ Burrpatch

[Jacker]

I can't diagnose you, but I had an identical problem back in 2008.  In the end, a CT Scan showed fatty infiltration of the liver.  I've been told that a CT Scan has more contrast than an ultrasound, so it's easier to see any minor abnormalities in the liver.  

I stopped drinking and it eventually went away, but I would say there was lingering pain for about 3 months and that was after going alcohol free.  Trust me on this one though- cutting back will not help if this is your problem.  You need to quit 100%.

Think about it- you're drinking is causing you pain, but you continue to drink.  I fully understand it because I did the same thing, but 'normal" people don't drink when it hurts.....alcoholics do though.

[Jacker]

And Burrpatch - I'm in complete agreement. I thought I was invincible to the ravages of alcohol too.  I was special, and I could afford to drink every day of the week. Well, sooner or later there are consequences, but we can minimize them by stopping.  

It's amazing.....I didn't think I was capable of going 30,60, or 90 days without drinking, but I found the courage to do it when I was backed into a corner.  

[0s0panda]

Doctor's don't help i went last night to detox at the hospital and explain my self how much i drank and everything but guess what he kicked my out in less than 5 hours and today i called a couple of detoxing centers but guess what??????? because i dont have insurance they wont take me can anyone help on how to go and detoxed my self from this horrible disease?

[working dog]

your liver can't give you pain...although the area around your liver can be painfull as inflmmation pushes against nerves..no matter if the inflmmation is increasing or decreasing pain is often there...so if you quit and still feel pain for months this could be your liver getting better(inflmmation going away)....if you want to avoid really nasty health issues then you better stop all the way...maybe get a biopsy if you want to find out what grade your liver is..the damage to your brain will never come back all the way..the longer you drink the more you change...for good....good luck....billy

[boogieman]

Hello. You've been given some good advice here. As far as pancreatitis, there are tests for levels of certain chemicals which often indicate its presence. Take care, GM