worried about my daily drinking habit

[bo56]

Hi i'm new to this site,'ive been following the advice because i'm worried about my daily driking

[AyrshireK]

Hi bo56, welcome to the forum a place where you are sure to find lots of friendly and helpful people always ready to lend advice and support.  None of us (as far as I know) are medics, we are either all patients or loved ones of people with liver ill health in its many forms and we speak from experience and learned knowledge rather than formal health qualifications.  So, welcome aboard.

Well done on acknowledging the fact that you may have a problematic drinking habit going on - you do not need to be an alcoholic to end up with liver disease.  Some people 'get away' with a lengthy or prolonged drinking habit whereas in others even fairly normal drinking pattern can cause liver issues. 

If you are concered that your liver may have suffered as a result of your daily drinking then the first step would be a visit to your GP combined with a reduction in your drinking - a phased reduction to zero would probably be the advised practise rather than a sudden stop. 

At your GP you need to ask for a liver health check (you'll need to fess up to your drinking situation) - which will usually be a raft of Liver Function Tests (blood tests) and see what they throw up. 

If they are out of range then you may require some follow up to check on your liver, to see if it is fatty (showing change due to diet, lifestyle and booze) or if there is anything more serious going on (in the way of fibrosis or cirrhosis) - primarily this would be an ultrasound scan and/or a liver biopsy.

In the early stages fatty liver and indeed fibrosis can be reversed provided positive lifestyle changes and a zero alcohol intake are achieved.  With cirrhosis a lot of monitoring will need to go on for life to look for the other signs, symptoms and side effects which having cirrhosis brings.

However, you don't know what stage you are at until you visit your doctor, ask for that basic liver health test and take it from there.

Wishing you all the very best, Katie

[White-feather in reply to AyrshireK]

A great reply for bo56, Katie! You are so informed, its great! You clearly are an asset to this forum ☺!

Welcome, bo56

🍀

[h0b0 in reply to AyrshireK]

I second that. Katie is a godsend.

mal.xx

[briccolone]

welcome,

excellent response from Ayshire as usual. I would add the following-what particular issue is worrying you about the daily drinking? I'm presuming you're aware of the latest revised guidelines on alcohol intake per week which are now 14 units. Let me tell you that I exceeded these quantities for a considerable length of time 30 years plus. It resulted in me getting fatty liver-its not the end of the world and you can reverse the condition. How may units are you consuming? You've already said daily so that needs to change right away. Are you getting any symptoms? Early signs of damage can be digestive issues, itching, poor sleep patterns. Have you been for blood tests? If not go and get a full liver  panel including for GGT levels. You can search on this site for more info on that. Don't worry-but do get checked out and post results here-we're not judgemental.  cheers  K

[angse]

Hi bo56 if you are concerned about your daily drinking it would be best to stop, or if you can't go to your GP and explain your worries to him there is also alcohol counselling, and AA who does not judge you, I don't know if you have been having tests for your liver you do not say but we are all here to help if we can.  Annette

[bo56 in reply to angse]

Thank you both for replying so soon

AST levels - 22

GGT levels - 20

MCV levels - 96

I have heard, raised MCV levels, would b the first indication for signs of liver damage ?

[briccolone]

Don't know about MCV but those GGT levels are low if anything which does not indicate inflammation or damage...others will know more about the other scores

[scarecrow42]

Hi. I'm a recovering alcoholic, in my 7th year of sobriety, and it's amazing that I'm still around! Reading your post reminded me of my younger years. Liquor can cause all kind of health issues down the road. 25 year drinking career, and the aftermath was Heart Failure. Decayed hip which was recently replaced. I'm only 42 years old...Seek help, it's there! If you really had enough, Alcoholics Anonymous works! Go check out some meetings, And I wish you well...

[dckimberly in reply to scarecrow42]

Like scarecrow, I am also in my 7th year of sobriety.

The question is not how much you drink, but why. Of course, unless you've blown your tolerance, which can takes years, most of us do drink a lot.

We need more to 'get there'.

Do you have to drink daily? Can you just stop on your own?

Are you continuing to drink in spite of health issues, problems with relationships, or trouble at work, not paying bills on time, etc.

If you stop drinking do you get sick? For many of us, a few days in detox can be life saving, as alcohol withdrawal can kill you, if you drink every day and a lot.

I'm from the US and I find that here in the UK that AA is not discussed as much, but for me, meetings saved my life. Getting a Spenser, working the steps..all of it. Making friends who did not drink. It's a day at a time program. It gives you the support you need to stay sober, and also to change who you are..as far as the reasons you drink, etc. 

speak with your GP. If you do try to quit on your own and find yourself getting very ill or having any type of hullicination call for help right away. 

Good luck!

Cheering you on!

Kimberly

[bo56]

Thank yo all soooo much for your kindness and advice ♡

[briccolone in reply to bo56]

how much are you drinking?