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Am I experiencing liver disease? please help

Hello. I am a 29 year old heavy drinker and have been for around 10 years. I am very into exercising and weight lifting. a couple of years ago I took a legal supplement to help improve my results at the gym. While using, I continued to consume heavy amounts of alcohol. I also noticed that I experienced sharp pains in my upper right quadrant. A physical showed abnormal LFTs. A follow up exam revealed that they had returned to normal, and I continued another cycle. I experienced the pains again but LFTs were normal. I found out that the supplement is toxic to the liver so I stopped taking immediately. I continued drinking heavily with no pains until this April. I noticed that my right rib cage and just underneath was severely tender. I went to the hospital- enzymes were fine and imaging was normal, They said pains were from constipation that I was also experiencing.The constipation was relied but the pain continued and I continued to drink- My doctor said that my liver is absolutely fine. When I don't drink the pain goes away, but I continue to drink moderately, I have noticed several different types of pain that range from itchy and irritating to dull and nagging, as well as sharp biting pains. I have also started to notice confusion and disorientation. I mix up words and find it difficult to communicate sometimes. I just returned from a business trip where I drank relatively moderately with a couple nights of excess, and my pain/ symptoms have never been worse. I have a doctors appointment scheduled, but my doctor acts like I am crazy when I communicate my liver concerns. My question is: is it possible to have liver disease when all tests (imaging and LFTs) return normal results? And if so how far along could I possibly be. I plan to stop drinking for a while but cutting alcohol out of my life would require me to cut many important people out of my life as well, and also change my career path which I love and really do not want to do. Any help is much appreciated
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Avatar universal
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Hello and hope you are doing well.

Considering your history of alcohol consumption the abdominal pain could be due to pancreatitis or acute gastritis. It could also be due to a liver infection. Disorders of the colon could also cause pain. Kidney disorders too produce colicky and sharp pain. Sometimes anxiety with flatulence can cause this pain. Please discuss this with your doctor am sure he will provide further assistance.

Hope this helped and do keep us posted.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Thank you very much for your reply. Since I posted I had blood work drawn again as well as a CT scan. Both tests came back normal. The GE told me that there was no damage to my liver. I have also since drank three times at relatively moderate levels. Each time the pain/discomfort has returned (straight through to my back). So i guess my question is: if all tests indicate that there is no damage, is it my liver that is causing this pain or is it likely something else? Thank you again for your response!
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Avatar universal
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Hello and hope you are doing well.

If the imaging studies and liver function tests are normal, then its unlikely that alcohol has affected the liver. Check to rule out pancreatitis, as this could cause the pain.

Alcohol  is a drink that  gives a  false  feeling of  self-confidence and mood elevation temporarily. If  you  are so dependent on it, it  means that you have a psychological  dependence and has to be analyzed  by a  psychiatrist. If you have physical dependence, you  must be  admitted for de addiction  before   any psychological  treatment is administered.

In any case, you  must be aware of the physical damages  to your liver  and the brain  in the long term  causing  memory loss and psychosis and also  impotence.

There  is  no other way other than to go into a  hospital  for  de addiction and  follow it  up  with a  psychiatrist consultation. Surely, if you are interested in living healthy for the rest of your life,  here is the  chance.

Hope this helped and do keep us posted.
Helpful - 0
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