Scared and seeking advice...

[GlenK]

Hi all,

I'm pretty sure I just realized that I've damaged my liver with excessive drinking (1 pint vodka + few beers per day for the last year). I haven't drank anything since the day before yesterday and don't plan on it. I don't want to go to my doctor unless it's absolutely necessary.

I've been drinking heavily from the age of 18 (I'm 43 now). 4.5 years ago I quit completely for about 1.5 years. Thinking I would be ok with a couple of drinks here and there, I started lightly drinking again (3 years ago) and it's progressed to the above (sometimes worse).

Two days ago I noticed the whites of my eyes starting to take on a yellow tint... not all the way to my pupils, but around the outer edges. My stool has also become lighter in color. Not always, but enough to become noticeable.

I should've also mentioned... my eyes are itchy (getting better today) and I've a very small amount of pain in my lower right back area. I wouldn't even really call it "pain" - mostly just slight discomfort. My appetite is fine, and I don't notice any fatigue or swelling.

I started researching it online and knew that I've finally over done it. I'm a 43 year old male, and now I'm kind of scared.

I started taking 2, 140mg, Milk Thistles yesterday (3 times a day). My question is:

How long before I can expect to see any improvement?

Can someone please share some advice?

Am I taking enough milk thistle?

What can I expect over the next couple of weeks?

What should I watch for?

Thanks - Glen

[jml1986]

I have no idea about the milk thistle, but I do know that if you stop drinking, the liver will sustaine itself. I would suggest that you have a liver check done. I think that the only way you can assure you are doing what is right to maintain good health is to find out where you stand physically, and treating it approperiately. Yes, it can be scary, but not doing all you can do to take care of yourself can be even scarier.

[GlenK]

Hi jml,

Thanks for your reply...

I had a physical about 9 months ago with blood tests.  I was worried that my liver levels would be scary then, but was relieved to hear from the doctor that my liver looked like it was functioning fine, however...

I didn't tell him how much I was drinking.  It wasn't quite as much then, but should I have told him I was concerned about it then?  

Meaning, do they test for different things (other than a normal physical blood draws) for an alcoholic?  If he didn't know he was looking for it, could he have missed it at my last physical?

Thanks - Glen

[Jacker]

I faced similar issues this year.  I finally decided to get myself checked out.  Bloodwork was fine, but a CT Scan indicated a Fatty Liver in February of this year.  I actually stopped drinking in December.  

I kept away from the booze and had another test last week (early June).  The ultrasound said the fatty liver was gone - I questioned the gastroenterologist and he told me it would have shown up on the ultrasound, so "keep doing what you're doing".

I don't know whether you've damaged yourself or not, but the liver can regenerate if you don't push things too far.  I was shocked that the "fatty" tissue was gone in 5 months- others told me it would take years to go away.  

Go to another doctor and tell him everything - tell him you want an image of your liver.  It will let you know where you stand.  As to the drinking, you may be okay if you stop now.  You can get some strange symptoms when your liver acts up (even fatty liver).  I actually had a pain in that area and it didn't go away for about 2 months after I quit drinking, so be patient.  

Good luck!

[jml1986]

I agree with glen. Get an image done and make sure you have not done too much damage, and then listen to your body and stop drinking before it is too late. You have been given a sign, now I hope you listen, you are too young to die from such a terrible disease.

Good luck!

[working dog]

you should be scared...a lot of the time you can have just fine liver enzymes ...alts and asts and in fact get great liver fuction test results but still have an impaired damaged liver...sounds to me like theres been some damage in your case ..i would stop drinking all together..and be ready for symptoms..anxiety and other stuff..for at least months..it's great that your looking into the health thing....good luck....billy

[GlenK]

I don't know if it's the milk thistle, or what - but the yellow in my eyes seems to be subsiding already.  You can only see it by looking very closely in the mirror.  I'm on day 3 of no alcohol and have been pounding the water (all day) and milk thistle.

I haven't had many withdrawal symptoms like the last time I quit (which I don't understand yet), but I guess I'm grateful.

Thanks to all of you for your comments... they're very encouraging.  I'll keep you posted and thanks for caring!

Glen

[johnself]

I've been there.  I'm just a tad bit younger.  It's only in the past few years that I've become a heavy drinker, but have had similar moments of crises like you describe.  I actually ended up entering an NIH research program and did a lot of research on my own.  If you're like me, you have fatty liver and there are two types of fatty liver: 1) brought on by excess drinking (me) 2) poor diet.  Fatty liver from excess drinking will muck up your system, but the good news is if you quit drinking it will dissipate within a couple of weeks.  The other fatty liver is a bit more chronic.  The downside with alcohol related fatty liver is if you keep drinking you will almost inevitably get cirrohsis of the liver, which is irreversible.  

[Suzyq0826]

I know my husband has liver disease...the only guage I have of how bad is that he has been a heavy drinker for over 35 years and his enzyme levels came back abnormal after the one physical I convinced him to get 3 years ago. he would not go back for follow-up blood work or ultrasounds/scans and never will. Do you know what the symptoms of fatty liver (from drinking) or cirrhosis that I would be able to observe? Maybe if I could point some of these things out to him I could convince him to see a doctor.

[TJack]

Milk thistle is a good natural product to cleanse your liver.  Does the bottle tell you how many to take?  I have to tell you it isn't pleasant to have to tell our drs. the truth sometimes but you need to do it.  I did it and she was compassionate and helpful and didn't come down hard on me, as she knew i was already beating myself up.  I first had to tell her i was hooked on the hydrocodone she had been giving me, got off of that stuff and the next thing i know 6 or 7 months ago my addiction turned to alcohol.  So, i went in and told her that one.  She wrote me a script for Campral, which has really helped with the cravings and i am going to therapy and aa.  talking with friends etc.  It all helps.
Don't be afraid to disappoint your doc.  They are suppose to be there for us, to help us.
Best wishes.  TJ