Quick history about me: I'm 32 years old I work a physical job that keeps the beer belly off and I eat quite healthy. I never visit my doctors I'm not a hypercondriac before 'this all started I don't think I went to my doctors ever in 15 years.
For ten years I drank 6-8 beers normal 5% beers after work 6 days a week. The last year and a half only every other day so 3-4 times a week.
Just before Christmas I started having pains in my right side beneath my ribs that sometimes move slightly to the centre. The pain is never bad only a dull ache. It will come and go it will often feel worse the morning after drinking but not all the time. I know I've had times when I've woke up after a session and felt fine. But mostly I have this constant dull ache I would only have 3 days a month were I feel normal. The pain never gets above a 5 so I don't think its a gallbladder attack.
So I've had 3 LFTs bloods all normal, in fact I was told I couldn't of had better results. I then had an ultra sound everything clear all normal gallbladder, Liver all clear. I will mention that on the day of my ultrasound it was one of my very rare pain free days.
So after such good results. I'm told I'm fine by my doctor and to quit drinking!🤔 but hang on I'm like to my doctor "if I'm fine why do I need to quit drinking? as I'm only drinking 3 days a week at the age of 32 is that really that bad? And on one of those day I might only have 2 cans. If there is nothing wrong with me surly I can drink?"
The doctor then says it's all in my head and is a muscle or trapped wind... and I'm fine. It's not I know my body.
So I book a private fibroscan at a cost of £400🙈 I get a score of 6.1 KPA over 12 scans. they also tell me I have a normal liver.
Can you have fatty liver pain with that score ? has anyone got any ideas as to what could be wrong with me ? How reliable are these tests ? Has any1 any knowledge or similar experience?
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Kevinplus
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Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but you drink more than the recommended number of units of alcohol for the whole week in just one night.
Taking the upper figure of 8 pints of 5% beer / lager this is 2.8units @ 8 = 22.4 units. The recommended weekly intake for a man is 21 units.
Because you have the recommended three days with no drinking, it doesn't mean you can drink so much on the nights you do drink.
You are incredibly lucky to have no damage to your liver, if you want to keep it that way, you really do have to do something about your alcohol intake.
I don't know why your GP told you no drink at all. I would have expected him or her to give you a leaflet about sensible drinking, advice on diet and exercise and send you on your way. Maybe you misunderstood or the GP knows something he hasn't told you, which is unlikely. Maybe you should book an appointment and go over his/her advice again.
I was drinking around the level you describe and I thought nothing would touch me. Within a 14 month period I went from diagnosis to a liver transplant.
Have a thorough read of this from the British Liver Trust and I hope you take the opportunity to save yourself from the anguish of liver disease.
I agree with jim as for me a female i was drinking well over the limit an still was in control so i thought ,rarely got drunk because my body became so tollerent to it but you can only go so far then the dreaded pain the jaundice whichis a horrible sight ,especially for a woman ,i wish you well kevin dont be fooled into it wont happen to me because like me it caught with me best of luck x
Hi thanks for the reply. I used to drink 4.8 % beeer 440ml cans they were 2.1 units a can. I stopped drinking for 3 months no improvement of symptoms.
I’m still no closer to finding out what’s wrong with me I’m not saying alcohol didn’t cause my pain/problem Pancreas maybe ? Stomach? Gallbladder? I think I will he to wait in till I’m basically dead and they will tell me if only we caught if earlier...🙈
not sure about the meaning of your Fibroscan result - when I had mine I was not given an actual result, just that I have Cirrhosis........ What I can say is that I also have fatty liver and that was diagnosed on ultrasound so if your ultrasound didn't show it then I would say you are clear of fatty liver as it doesn't 'come and go' on good/bad days.
Hi thanks for the replay. I also don’t think this is a liver issue I still have no anwsers I even started to think panceatits but that’s meant to be crippling pain with tender abdomen mine is a dull ache
Fibroscan works like this.
Any score under 7 KPA is seen as normal anything above 12.4KPAis really bad score goes up to 40 KPA
From what I know a Fibroscan score of 7 or less is a 'good' score. It's measuring the stiffness of your liver and therefore looking for scarring. The harder your liver the higher the score.
The liver has no nerve endings so it doesn't 'feel' pain as such. If you've had an ultrasound and it's shown a healthy liver that's good.
You can read more about the kinds of tests and what they show on the British Liver Trust website. britishlivertrust.org.uk/li...
I suggest you go back to your GP and say - well we've ruled out a lot... but we haven't found the cause of the pain yet, so what are the next steps?
Best wishes
Anna
Ps the new weekly recommended units for alcohol is no more than 14 units for men and women.
I don’t think I have a liver problem. But I could easily have a pancreas problem or bad gastritis. My bloods always come back fine ultrasound fine fibroscan fine. But something is up
I’ve tried this they say I’m to young for this or that. with a good ultrasound and perfect blood tests im healthy, but I’m in constant pain I’m finding it impossible to get other tests.
5-6 blood tests =perfect results every time except one that showed really low amylase next test normal
I’ve done food diary= No iBS
2 different anti acid medicines for four months with no change in symptoms but I have read people with really bad gastritis can have it for 6 months. Or more but I’ve taken it seriously and only eaten the blandest foods with no improvement.
Hopefully they will run more tests to get me out there hair I do have another ultrasound Tuesday
ok the ultrasound will show fatty liver if that's what it is although it won't pick up low levels -post again after the scan-hopefully its good news and your digestive issues are due to something else.
I’m still in constant dull pain. I have another ultrasound sound on Tuesday I’ve changed doctors as was never taken seriously from my GP. I was always told as my bloods and ultrasound were ok and not to worry.
I have done everything asked of me. i quit drinking for 3 months no decrease in the pain I’ve done a food diary for two months to check for IBS....I don’t have it
Had stool samples taken that came back fine because I had steatorrhea for a few months. Swollen abdomen(still do)
I’ve had two different types of gastritis meds percebed over 4 months as my doctor was convinced I had gastritis. If I do it hasn’t eased.
I’m no closer to finding out what’s wrong with me now than I was a year ago. NHS waiting lists are to long. Ive been fobbed off time and time again. With blood test after blood test.
I’m living in pain. They don’t seem to believe me and say I’m to young to have this or that. One even said abruptly We’ll you don’t have cancer or you would be dead by now. So I’m supposed to walk around in constant pain that has got worse because it’s not cancer? It’s just so hard to get scans done on the NHS. I work hard and pay into the system. The system doesn't care . Before this I never went to my doctors in 15 years
hi and welcome-firstly-you can get liver pain from fatty liver believe me. As others have said you're lucky your liver isn't showing obvious damage but it doesn't like the binges. Maybe your doctor is just sending out a warning.....I had a fibro score of 7.2 a few years back and I had fatty liver confirmed by ultrasound-also have elevated GGt again from drinking. If you moderate your drinking to the new levels(14 units per week) or quit completely I'm pretty sure that pain will go. Try if for 6 weeks. Cheers
Thanks for your reply .I’m starting to think something else is at play and not my liver. Ive stopped drinking for 3 months-with no Relief in symptoms. But it was always worse the day after spicy food and alcohol. I’ve done liver flushes drank nothing but fresh apple juice and water for a month while eating nothing but vegetables and chicken for weeks on end no relief.
I’ve had steatorrhea for weeks on end I tell my doctors they don’t seem bothered
Hi Kevin. Have you an update on your progress? I am 35 years old, and had a fibroscan today in Australia. 12 measurements total.
Averages: Fatty Liver Level(CAP)=201 dB/m. This is meant to be a pretty good result.
Stiffness(E)=6.1kPa. The nurse who gave me the test said that I shouldn't be too concerned about a 6.1, but I should cut back and get another test in 12 months to see if I can improve the numbers.
Of course, they were the averages, Worst CAP was 246db/m and E was 7.5. So hopefully they weren't the most accurate results of the lot...!
But same as you, I have some soreness under the ribcage. She booked me in to see a gastroenterologist in a couple of months, but she didn't seem too stressed about the cause. It sucks when you can't get a diagnosis on the spot. That's the thing about worrying about cancer (if it is cancer), the quicker it takes to get a diagnosis, the better the outlook! I'll let you know if anything changes with me if you do the same mate. Cheers.
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