Liver pain or not?

About an hour or two after drinking alcohol I develop a pain in my RUQ just below the right breast and sometimes a little lower.  The pain comes and goes for a day or two and is very localized. I am concerned that the pain I am getting is from my liver.  Is it possible to get pain caused by the liver within a few hours after drinking.  My liver function tests were normal.

[Kevin Pho, MD]

Pain from an enlarged liver is possible, but overt abdominal pain after drinking is less common in alcoholic liver disease.  If the liver function tests are normal, I would suggest further testing to ensure nothing more is going on.  

An ultrasound is a reasonable next step.  It can evaluate the anatomy and texture of the liver (i.e. looking for fatty liver) as well as the gall bladder.  I would suggest also blood tests looking for hepatitis.  

Followup with your personal physician is essential.

This answer is not intended as and does not substitute for medical advice - the information presented is for patient education only. Please see your personal physician for further evaluation of your individual case.

Thanks,
Kevin, M.D.

[foz58]

A related discussion, hyper dense liver was started.