would like an opinion please...

[blahblah39]

Hi all-

I am a 26 year old female who has recently cut back on drinking.  I never really drank until I was 21, and then after getting with my husband (he drank A LOT every single day), I started drinking.  I would classify my drinking as varied over the years.  Some weeks, I would only drink once per week (2-3 drinks), and other weeks I would drink 2-3 times a week (anywhere from 1-2 to 4-5 drinks.)  Occasionally (at least once per month), I would drink enough to get drunk. This would probably be like 5 or 6 drinks, sometimes more.  I completely stopped drinking when I was pregnant, and for a few months after.   So It went like this:  drinking for two years, stopped for one year, and then drinking for two more years.  

My question is this:  I have stopped drinking almost completely after having an episode where I was hungover for two days.  It happened when we had a babysitter for the night for a birthday celebration, and we went out and drank WAY too much.  This was in early March (two months ago).  I am wondering how much damage I could have caused my liver in those four years of drinking.  I have never had any signs of liver damage, i.e. jaundice, yellow sclera, varices, dark urine, or pale colored stools.  I felt right upper quadrant pain after the last drinking episode two months ago, but I really did drink a lot that night.  The pain was very subtle, and only lasted for a day or so.  Mostly, I had cramping in my lower abdominal area.  

I know eventually I should probably get checked out by a doctor, but I think I'm okay for now.  I just want to know how long it normally takes for someone to get liver damage (mainly cirrhosis), and can you get that after four years of intermittent, but sometimes heavy, drinking?  Sometimes I think this was probably okay, since I am stopping now, and there are probably a lot of college kids who drink for 4 years straight.  I rarely take  ibuprofen or acetaminophen.  I also do not plan to go back to drinking more than perhaps one glass of wine every few weeks, and I want to know if this is okay or not, or if I should just try to abstain completely.  (My husband still drinks about once a week, and when he drinks he goes for 3-5 drinks each time, so it is difficult to sit around while he drinks, but so far I've done okay!)  Thanks in advance for your help.

[Jacker]

It varies greatly depending on your body type and genetic make-up.  A simple blood test will tell you if your liver is working okay right now.  

[pooja_14]

hi dear .....i think u should stop drinking completely....as it is not very difficult 4 u....it is necessary if u want save your liver to be damaged. poison is poison either  u take in small amount or in large. try to control urself you may take healthy juice instead of wine.take care

[aMom21]

I would say the possibility that you have liver damage at this point is probably pretty slim but I have read of rare instances where it has occurred.  However, to calm your fears I would go to your pcp and ask for a liver function blood test, it is a good place to start.