Wine!!!!

[pally]

Hi , I'm 54 years old and I know I must have a liver problem, I've always been a heavy drinker and since my husband died 6 years ago it's got worse😪

I've been dry all week until last night, feel awful today, gonna start again today, I've booked for blood tests on Tuesday as I have an awful pain on my right dude , under my ribs, and I have had numbness in my left toes ( two of them) for over two years!

What should I expect back from the results!!

[susieanna]

Well done re staying dry all week! withdrawal symptoms? You have to be very careful just stopping altogether without proper medication. Depending on how much you have been drinking etc etc. When you say, you gonna start again today...do you mean start drinking again? The results cant really be predicted. Get the results and make sure you get a thorough explanation of what they mean ; and take things from there. Good luck.

[briccolone]

hi Pally,

you can expect a whole range of strange issues after stopping drinking. If you've been overdoing it for a long time it can take weeks/months to reach some equilibrium. You've almost certainly got fatty liver which has a diverse range of symptoms including pain in the liver area. As for blood tests-cant predict obviously but you may have raised ALT/GGT levels-the doctor should explain. Come back to the site when you've got the results-by the way-ask for a copy of the results so you can use this as a reference going forward.

Dont despair though a lot of us have been through similar experiences. For now-if you can stay off the wine then stick with it. You will eventually start to feel better.

Come back when you've got the results.

all the best

[allofatremor in reply to briccolone]

Briccolone can I ask in your opinion when fatty liver is dx, and you completely change your habits, stop drinking for say (with me its 3months now) go on low fat/low carb eating routine, and excercise every day, what are the chances of a fatty liver becoming stable and no worse? I only drink now on holiday,Xmas,and odd special occasion, which is maybe 3 glasses of red wine, just thought I'd ask, hope you don't mind. X

[briccolone in reply to allofatremor]

dont mind at all-chances are good at remaining stable. To be perfectly frank I've been less than clever at handling my fatty liver. Plenty of people on this site have fatty liver and they've never touched a drop. There are no guarantees in life but the alcoholic consumption your'e talking aboout is highly unlikely to cause further issues. I think the new govt guidelines are a useful pointer-this is for nomal livers i.e. 14 units a week with fatty liver then halve that. Many people on this site would urge abstinence and strictly speaking this is the correct course of action. I remember talking to michael mosley (trust me a I'm a doctor) and he recommeded the 5:2 diet and with alcohol thats 2 days a week alcohol free and the the other 5 days 2 units per day. In your case maybe a 2:5 regime i.e 5 days a week alcohol free and the other 2 days 3-4 units per day. That's pretty light drinking by any standards and sounds like you're bettering that already-wish I was...

cheers

[allofatremor in reply to briccolone]

Thanks for that it's really helpful, and extremely informative good health xxx

[briccolone in reply to allofatremor]

cheers

[HoneyBerry in reply to briccolone]

That sounds very interesting if you control your dirnking, but if you're like me and my family, you can't just have one. This is why I think we are alcoholics. Once we open a bottle of wine, we have to finish it. That's why I try never to have that first drink but it's hard. I've been getting that pain under my right rib a lot recently and I thought it was due to having a hysterectomy. My blood tests are always fine. Now I'm worried.

[briccolone in reply to HoneyBerry]

Yes I was like that for a long time and still have that tendency

..wine is my Achilles heel...I'm not like that with other drinks and don't touch spirits. I try and avoid occasions where wine is flowing. Your livervpain could be fatty liver which may not show up in blood tests...if you're worried then go for a fibroscan....best k

[Raksha1964]

Hi well done on your first week & am sure you can do it. Jump straight back on with none drinking & healthy diet.

When you get your results back make sure they explain properly so you understand & the way forward. Would it be possible to ask GP if there is extra support in your area.

I can't offer much advice as not a drinker, my liver just failed suddenly. But you are in the right place on here, lots advice, experience, support & ears just so you can vent & ask questions. X