Liver disease at 18? Possible?

[adf8]

So I'm an 18 year-old college student, and like most college students, I drink.  I actually drink a lot, but I know it's not an alcoholism issue because I can give it up for weeks at a time and it's purely social.  Anyway...I've been having liver pains for the past few days.  I know that sounds strange, but basically there is a lot of tenderness exactly where my liver is.  It not a sharp pain or anything...it's really just tender.  It hurts more if I press on the sore area, and maybe after I eat- I haven't been able to determine that yet.  Anyway, could this be from alcohol?  I know I'm a heavy drinker- I drink 3 or 4 nights a week, at least 10-15 drinks, sometimes more.  I have a really high tolerance for a female my age and size so it's never been an issue until my side started hurting.  There has been some alcoholism in my family, but no one had anything health problems from it except my grandfather, who died from cirrhosis at 75.  Ok, sorry for the all the details!  I'm just really confused because I didn't think it was normal for people my age to have liver problems....

[Tink70]

The issue here is not whether you are an alcoholic or not... the issue is this...WHY are you asking medical advice from an alcoholism forum?????  GO TO THE DOCTOR!  

[anran]

are you sure it isn't your appendix??
anran

[Jacker]

From everything I've read, yes it is possible to have liver problems at your age if you drink in sufficient quantity.  Your quantities are pretty high and you should really cut back.  You have a chance to heal yourself, but not if you keep this up.  I was a college binge drinker (before I decided to become a daily drunk) and your quantities are about double the amount of what I used to drink in my day (and I'm a guy).  
I'm enough of a realist to know that drinking is part of college culture, but you don't have to drink this much (even if you have a tolerance for it).  Lay off for 2-3 months for the sake of your health.  At that point, you can decide for yourself whether you are capable of drinking moderately.  If you can't control it, then you should just lay off of it, period.  There are others on this site who would define the concept of an alcoholic differently than you - Specifically, - if it is causing you problems and you continue to drink in spite of those problems, then it is alcoholism. I don't whether this is the case with you, but now is the time to get a handle on this problem.  .