Hey everyone, bricking it here a little bit. Had a liver function 3 months ago and the doctor said my scores were normal. Continued to drink.
I mentioned to the doctor 2 weeks ago that I’m tired all the time, sleep 13 hours per day, lost concentration and severe short term memory loss along with a few other liver damage related symptoms so he looked at my recent (ish) blood work and realised I had not been tested for a GGT when I had my bloods done last time. Got the results today and I received a GGT score of 150 and was told to come back in 1 months time to be tested again as he is aware I was a heavy drinker that had only just quit. I had my bloods done 10 days ago into my sobriety.
35 year old male, heavy drinker all my life who has finally kicked the habit 17 days now.
Anyone out there have received a similar score who has been a heavy drinker? What was your outcome please?
Also anyone ever experienced decreased urine output? I must drink minimum 3 litres per day of water, usually a lot more and when I was drinking alcohol averaging at 12 cans per day I would only go to the toilet just a few times.
Not been a heavy drinker myself, but if you've stopped drinking hopefully your ggt level will have reduced when you go back to the docs. Alcohol is known to affect that result in particular, although it isn't specific as other things can too.
In terms of the decrease urine output, mention that next time you go too. Its probably worth checking your kidney function which they can do with a blood test to look at the level of creatinine in the blood. They may not have done this initially. From that test they'll be able to derive your glomerular filtration rate (GFR), which basically shows how well your kidneys are working. Anything over 90 is fine, but also they are unlikely to worry too much about anything over 60 if there are no other signs of chronic kidney disease like heamaturia and proteinuria. They can test for those with a simple urine dipstick test. So be prepared to give a sample, lol.
Thanks for taking time to reply Kristian, I will mention this next time I go to the doctors
I'm 58 my gut had gone to 250 again just before Xmas heavy drinker still.everyones body is different,but doctor seems happy enough when my gut is in the one hundreds,but think the normal is 50 ISH.but as I say lower the better really,and bodies are all different.good luck
I first discovered GGT when I did my first Librium detox in my mid 30s. My doctor ordered weekly GGT to be sure I wasn't continuing to drink as drinking does pop GGT high. Mine normalized in 30 days, after which I promptly relapsed.
Had GGT tested after a boozy holiday a few years later which resulted in a level around 150. Continued to drink for another 20 years before I developed alcoholic steatohepatitis. Labs normalized swiftly during recovery, & a recent ASH Fibrosure showed no fibrosis.
I've read GGT should normalize swiftly with abstinence (in 30-60 days). When GGT hangs high several months into recovery, this is supposed to indicate a liver that is not bouncing back well from alcoholic insult.
You might also look to your ALT/AST ratio for more clues. Sometimes both of these aren't included in routine labs, but they are cheap tests and your doc shouldn't mind adding the missing lab if they have not been included in the past.
When AST is substantially higher than ALT, this is known as a "De Ritis" ratio inversion, which is often seen in alcoholic hepatitis and also alcoholic cirrhosis. Extreme exercise and exertion can also push AST over ALT, so there is a possibility of false positives, but if you're not playing rugby on the weekends or digging ditches for a living this shouldn't occur.
When GGT hangs high for over a month or two into recovery and a substantial De Ritis inversion (AST nearly twice ALT) also persists, this is the best indication of trouble from labs alone. An abdominal ultrasound is the next logical step.
Thank you metanoia, much appreciated. I guess it is just a waiting game now. I am surprised my doctor hasn’t picked up on my oversized belly or the fact I have also mentioned the light colour of my stools to him. Last time I mentioned these symptoms he just suggested it was diazepam withdrawal which I am 8 months off now
The first 90 days of recovery can produce some distressing symptoms... Fatigue, anorexia, & anxiety are all par for the course. I distinctly recall the 90 day milestone in my recovery as a turning point in how I felt.
Although it will obviously be distressing the main point is your sobriety. I'm sure the results will stabilise but remember one day at a time turns into weeks, months then years. Remember also your sleep pattern will also be erratic, alcohol makes you sleep but not quality sleep. Keep up the hard work and my warmest wishes to you.
I am not a medical man, but feel like I am because of the amount I have talked about this with my GP.
I have drank (socially, occasionally) for 30 years. I also took a statin, so my LFTs were checked. All of them were well within range.
I had two short, sharp excesses of alocohol two years ago & the GGT was over 100. My GP said he had regularly seen GGT over 1,000. He said that, if the binged stopped, & there was no drinking or a couple of glasses of win or a couple of pints of beer a couple of pints of beer 2-3 times a week, they would normalise.
I did as he suggested, & the GGTs were back in the 40s.
Please take it as a warning: moderate drinking won't do U any harm, but it will if harm has been caused. Take the doctor's advice. All the best.
I'm hoping u don't end up like me stop the drinking you done good your be bricking it more if you carry on not knowing .
I ain't got a clue what's going on 3yrs nearly not Andropov but I was drinking 25yrs 16yrs one litre vodka or whisky no what at all I was and still am uneducated but if what if my best friend was that bottle now it's my nightmare not only the illness the mentall am I ill wait ing don't chance don't be me do In haste repent at leisure yes I'm trying to say you may be fine and it's just to say look after yourself it's hard u can do it if I can then believe me I have shocked myself
Thank you for your support Faithfull. Staying off the drink is hard but the hardest thing at the moment is not knowing for me what condition my health is in so that is occupying my mind at the moment and making me not want to touch a drink more so. You sound like you’re doing very well keeping off the drink yourself. Well done to you I am pleased to hear that I can Imagine after 25 years that would be very difficult but you’re doing well keep it up
Thanks sorry about last reply i just wanted to shock you into omg that person had no clue and I didn't want u any one going threw the worry alone and believe me I no every inch of these 4walls driving meself insane with what is looking at me eyes me hands skin seeing if I'm right colour every panick attack I'm going to have a heart attack it's in me head but the waiting it like ur life is better yes we all miss that I need a drink or 10 I hate being normal it's to painfull reality but reality check is be good I have ADHD but I'm not putting as ! Don't forget the day after day you will get reminded I hope that this nut case would not shut the f..... Up!
Hope you get ok be lucky be good be sober xxxx
Mate I hope you're still staying off alcohol. There's no point in worrying about what could have happened to your health. You can't do anything about the past but you can certainly do something about the future. Your symptoms may one day subside and test results come back clear but for your own sake please don't take any more chances with your liver or your body in general.
Trust me you really don't want to go down that path. If you're ever in a hospital bed with tubes sticking out of your mouth because of something you did to yourself, you won't be thinking of the good times on booze. I'm sure it's hard giving up drinking but you probably don't even have to do that. A little moderation goes a long way. Besides 1 or 2 drinks rather than several occasionally means no hangovers either 👍.
Thanks KLDN, at present I have no intention of ever drinking again. It has been coming for a long time and to of come as far as 18 days I would not like to put myself through that again. At present I am just as happy with ice water and waking up with more of a clear head everyday
well done-keep it up-you're 20 days in. My advice would be to get the bloods repeated at 6 weeks-you're 35 relatively young-I would be surprised if you've done serios damage unlss you're realling been caning it. I would expect any synmptoms you may be experiencing should start to clear as well. Next time you get your results make a carfeul mote and ask questions on anything that is out of kilter. For the record-when I was first diagnosed with high GGT (180) it took me months of diet and abstinence to get down to 160 but then I was inly late 50s and 30 years of wine every day. Good luck
I have been drinking heavy for 15 years. The last 8 years more so. Since June last year when I finally tapered of diazepam I have caned it hard all the way to New Years everyday because of the withdrawals from that drug were so strong mentally. The only thing I have go going for me is I have always drank beer all my life opposed to spirts. 5% max but the shear volume doesn’t do me any favours looking back
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