Advice please

Guys I come to you often for advice . Long story short history alcohol problems stopped for a while now .

I pushed for liver Biopsy , results from my specialist letter are (copied word for word)

No significant inflammation or pathology . There is only minimal changes of inflammation the features are not diagnostic of any significant changes in the liver

What you think ?

My alt and AST are raised other lfts all normal ?

Thanks

[MisterX]

I think your liver's fine. Don't destroy it by drinking.

If you read what you've posted it seems pretty clear. Nobody here will have any reason to contradict it.

The fact that you pushed for a biopsy and asked for clarification of what is a very clear, unambiguous and normal biopsy finding - indicates you may suffer from panic or anxiety - unless there was a good clinical reason- (which sounds unlikely with normal blood results). You should talk to your doctor about that as it may affect your ability to see situations clearly and may push you into inappropriate ways of dealing with them.

Best of luck.

[Hidden in reply to MisterX]

The reason I pushed for it was constant elevated Alt and AST.

The biopsy lab report says minimal chronic inflammation in portal tracts but nowhere else .

I feel pretty rubbishy health wise . Chronic means long lasting that's what concerns me but what the specialist wrote appears ok and I suppose could of been worse .

Thanks for replying . I do suffer anxiety X

[MisterX in reply to Hidden]

Constant elevated ALT/AST - how much and for how long after you stopped drinking?

[Hidden]

I've been stopped a year that's the problem they won't resolve

[dckimberly in reply to Hidden]

Hi there.

I'm a little confused by your post and responses, but if I read it right:

Let me just add my own comment here please. I stopped drinking 7 years ago. I was in a 90 day treatment center, one of the best in the USA. One of the things we very lucky enough to have there was a Addictions Doctor on staff. He gave lectures, and treated us individually.

I learned a lot. One big thing is how people don't realize how long alcohol and other drugs stay in the system, or can effect us after we stopped. For instance, pot can hide in you fatty tissue for months.

But for alcohol, there is a general rule of thumb...as far as 'getting back to normal' or feeling normal again, and your body coming back to a normal. Healthy place, it's one month per year. In other words, for each year you drank, it equals one month of recovery time. If you drank 18 years, you may not feel right, or get back to true health for 18 months. I believe the cut off for this is 24 years, or 2 years of sobriety.

This is important also, because many folks are diagnosed with mental or emotional illnesses that show the exact same symptoms that alcoholism does, example, bipolar, depression, paranoia, etc. they say to get retested for those emotional issues at least a year or 18 months after you quit drinking and drugging.

Finally. If you are like me, and quit, got sober, but you already had liver problems and hep C,even though I'd never been ill from these things, quitting only helped so much. at 3.5 years sober I got very ill, and was diagnosed with end stage liver disease and told I would need a transplant, if I was a good candidate.

I was stunned! I thought, like many recovering alcoholics my liver would heal itself. It did delay me getting sick, but I was already down the rabbit hole, the Hep C causing cirhossis to move faster.

People don't realize (goodness knows, I didn't!) just how bad alcohol is to the body, it's literally like pouring poison all over your organs day in and day out, so feeling better, having normal test results, just feeling healthy again can take some time. It's hard to be patient...to be honest, it had been so long since I'd been healthy, I did not remember what it felt like.

So, if you didn't already have cirhossis, or Hep, or some other liver disease, give it time..the best thing is to have a really healthy diet, as much exercise as possible, as this makes the brain kick in natural endorphins (that substance in your brain that makes you feel good) and go to meetings. Talk to your sponsor. Try new healthy sober activities..maybe take a free class online..there's a lot to do out there, as I discovered..before I got sick I went back to school and was getting my PhD...lol, at 41. I sure miss school now, but maybe one day..who knows.

Hope this info helps you!

Cheering you and your sobriety on!

Kimberly

[Hidden]

Alt 111 AST 80

[MisterX in reply to Hidden]

Interesting - sorry I misread your original post to say ALT/AST were normal.

If it's been a year they should have normalised unless something else is happening or you have a different normal to others which is possible.

What has your doctor diagnosed? So far it would seem your liver is ok. It's possible it's not a liver issue - AST/ALT are also released by other cells.

[Hidden]

The alt went to its lowest of 96 but then went up a bit.

I've had CT scan too all fine

[Hidden]

I am going to she the specialist next week so will see.

Also raised is Creatine Kinase which apparently to do with the muscles so he may refer me to muscle doctor.

I'm just worried they are missing something and I've clouded his thoughts cos of drinking etc.

I know that I currently have only minimal inflammation just wish the bloods would come down . I know that even people with ciroshsis can have normal bloods once the inflammation is taken away .

Just slightly confused the biopsy says minimal mild inflammation only in portal tracts .

Will see what he says

Thanks

[Hidden]

My bones ache too

[ballie52]

Sounds like a good result if you ask me

This report says it all..nothing to worry about right now.X

[briccolone]

you were right to be truthful about the alcohol but it can take a long time to get rid of alcohol related symtoms-also fatty liver can make you feel rubbish. Doesn't look like the bloods are pointing in that direction. what about diet etc?

[Hidden]

The biopsy didn't show any fatty liver . I just feel awful everyday and I ache slight pain in liver and my ankles feel swollen but everyone tells me there not . Albumin levels are fine.

I am suffering massive anxiety too.

It is me just deleted my account then saw you replied X

[briccolone in reply to Hidden]

I'd stay on this site as there's lots of good advice available-I would take heart in that no major damage to the liver :-}

[Hidden]

I'm frightened and fed up