Hi everyone im new to this. I have fatty liver doc dnt seem t be concerned i can never get a definite answer so always turn to mr google lol. Spoke to 4 diff docs and several diff answers. If there was 1 right answer then they would all say the same thing. All i want to know is how long not to drink so my liver sheds the excess fat and returns to normal. I know fat in ur liver is normal but if its more that 5-10% then its classed as fatty liver which mine must be. They did say its not bad tho. So must be mild. If i drink i drink a lot can drink a bottle vodka and still feel fine but since they told me i have not stopped thinking about it and im always on the net looking for answers i want to be able to drink because i enjoy a drink lol but not too much cos i dont wana put myself at risk of cirrhosis. I am NOT an alcoholic just to be clear. I am 27 single mum of 3. White english. I have read on drinkaware and nhs site that if u abstain from alcohol 4 for 2 weeks then ur liver should return to normal and start shedding the excess. If u continue to drink after the 2wk then must be within guidlines so it gives ur liver the chance of recovering. So i did just that i didnt drink anything for 2weeks and then had a little drink but was around 15 units in the week but at one time. Stopped again for 2 weeks and drank few more times. Im just wondering if the fat has got worse if iv stopped for 2 week a few times. I use to drink around 40 units a week nw only 15 so i have cut down a lot only drink once every few week. Im gonna ask for another scan to see if the fat has changed. Also my liver function tests etc all normal.
Fatty liver: Hi everyone im new to this... - British Liver Trust
Fatty liver
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Yes alcohol causes fatty liver. If you stop drinking at this stage your liver can recover but even if it does do you really want to put it at risk again? Next time it could get worse and much more quickly. There's also the added risk of you becoming addicted to the alcohol, making it much more difficult to stop drinking.
As a single mother of 3, have you considered that at some point you may need to get 1 of them to a doctor or other emergency and if you've been drinking a) you won't be able to drive and b) your rational thinking will be clouded.
I'd use this fatty liver diagnosis as a wake up call and stop drinking now. Rather than as a timescale of getting better to enable you to start drinking again.
All the best
I dont drive and i hardly drink now and have never been that drunk i cunt look after my kids and take them to hospital
Hi jojo23, have a read of the blt's page on alcohol and liver disease if you haven't already. britishlivertrust.org.uk/li.... I don't want to sound preachy, we've all overdone it at times me included in my younger days, but a bottle of vodka in one sitting is not going to do any good to your body anywhere esp your liver, I dare say you're lucky your enzymes are ok for now. It's also likely going to take more than any two weeks for the fat to leave your liver, you may need to alter your diet and excercise as well as abstaining from alcohol. Its totally your choice, your body but if I were you I would be thinking about a long-term lifestyle change with regards to alcohol (ie sticking to proper weekly units at least) as Laura says this would be a wake up call to many. This is a link to show you what this amazing organ is responsible for if you dont already know britishlivertrust.org.uk/li... your screwed without it in so many ways! Wishing you all the best. Xxxx
Im healthy and always exercise weigh o stone. Eat very healthily so my diet isnt a problem always active. Yes im aware of what the liver does iv been on every site trust me lol
*weigh 9 stone
So why do you have fatty liver I wonder?
Alcohol as mentioned!!!!!
Well done .... but according to all your posts you enjoy drinking and don't want to give up and it seems you are waiting for someone to tell you it's ok you can continue drinking as you are the 1 person who won't get cirrhosis. Up to you love ......
Sowhat u sayin never drink again as long as i live lol. Iv stopped for weeks the had a drink there no harm in that only if i continue to ABUSE it. I wont get cirrhosis if i drink moderately lol. My original question was how long it takes to reverse a fatty liver!!!!!not an alcohol problem lol.
It can take months to reverse a fatty liver. Fatty liver is the liver starting to become damaged, it is telling you that it doesn't like alcohol. The fact you are only 27 and already showing liver damage should warn you about your future habits. Binge drinking is equally as damaging as regular alcohol misuse.
Imagine your liver as a smouldering fire it is damaged already with the fat infusion. Every time you have even one drink from now on you are throwing fire on that smouldering bonfire and each and every drink is damaging to your liver.
With three little ones to consider I would seriously think about your drinking future as all the others have advised - you don't need to be abusing alcohol to sustain cirrhosis, your damage is showing early which should sound alarm bells.
I have a life long t-total hubby here who nearly died from the side effects of his cirrhosis - he would have done anything to prevent his health getting the way it has but he sadly had absolutely no chance to as his immune system is the culprit in his liver disease and he already had cirrhosis by the time it came to light.
Do think seriously about your future health. Each and every single sip of alcohol is damaging to your already damaged liver. Fatty liver is NOT a condition to be ignored.
Katie
You can drink one glass with fatty liver given the fact ur liver is abel absorb so much alcohol each hour its the amoun i drank for the past year which is the problem. Binge drinking excess amounts. Drinking fast at one time more than my liver could deal wth. Plus one sight say stop for 2wk ur liver return to normal after this its safe to drink as long as within guidelinea anothet site says abstain for 6 weeks. Another says abstain for 2 weeks and dont exceed the guidlines.shouldnt be makin people confused with diff information. Also i have a little extra fat which is mild they said and one doc even said its not fatty liver disease and the other said it is so im still not 100% on doc. Get more answers from mr google.
The fact im 27 isnt the point. A lot of people young like me have fatty liver even from a few days of heavy binge drinkin. A lot of people get it but dnt no they have it cos they dont get scanned
If you think you know all the answers or are confused by them why are you asking the people here who have had and are experiencing the same as you and then arguing with us. Face it you have a drink problem which you either chose to face and quit drinking or ignore the warning signs and continue drinking.
Give this phone no to your kids 0800 358 3456. Its NACOA the chrity which supports children of alcoholic parents.... if feel they may need it. Good luck !
Sounds like you've got 1 to me ! If you were told you have fatty liver caused by peanuts which if you continue to eat or binge on them at times will cause cirrhosis would you keep eating them ?
Oh do 1 u are not helpin its not peanuts tho silly its alcohol and im not abusin it
I'm going to be blunt, I've been doing this for a few years now. I also went to school for medicine. Many physicians don't understand the liver very well. It sounds funny, but it's true. Many also blow off fatty liver or hepatic steatosis as if it's nothing to worry about. With that said, your liver is showing damage from the alcohol. Fatty liver can and will turn into cirrhosis down the road if it continues to get worse. As the hepatocytes are sufficated by the fat infiltration, they die off and turn fibrotic. That's when fibrosis can go from stage1 to stage 4 cirrhosis. The best thing to do is to adopt a healthy lifestyle and stay away from alcohol. Here and there isn't too bad, as long as you can control it. Most on here can't and end up back in trouble. Also, once your liver starts taking damage from alcohol, it becomes more susceptible to damage down the road.
Thanks for reply. I think the fat is from the amount i use to drink in one session lol but since learning about the fatty liver i have cut down a lot and only drink once every few week. U said fatty liver can and will turn to cirrhosis if continues to get worse well yes and it will only get worse if u continue to drink in excess but even them who do drink excessively wont defo get cirrhosis only a small percentage will not all. Mine shunt get worse cos im not drinkin excessively
jojo23pink, if somebody continues to drink with a fatty liver, then the percentage of that leading to cirrhosis is highly significant. It's a main reason why 78% of liver transplants are from alcohol. Up to 100% of heavy drinkers develop fatty liver, 20% will end up with cirrhosis. Many of the times a drinkers will lower the level of consumption before getting to that stage. My main point here is that your liver is already damaged, continuing to drink is like adding fuel to the fire. If you look at the confidence intervals of the studies. many heavy alcoholics wont make it to cirrhosis because there are other ailments that can take somebodies life prematurely before cirrhosis. You can go to a Hepatologist and ask them what drinking heavily on top of a fatty liver will lead to. With that said, it's a good thing that you have decided to quite. To say that only a small amount of heavy alcoholics develop cirrhosis drinking with an already fatty liver is the same mentality that causes individuals to end up with Alcohol induced cirrhosis in the first place. Too many stories of individual who had a fatty liver, didn't heed the warning and within a small number of years crossed the red line. Hopefully, there are others here who can chime in if they believe that i'm incorrect. A fatty liver turns into fibrosis, once fibrosis hits stage 3, it's a self driven process where the fibrosis bridges leading to F4.
Yes i understand lol thanks. But u said it yourself 20% of people with fatty liver(me) will develop cirrhosis. So not everyone with a fatty liver. So im not destined to get cirrhosis if i do keep drinking heavily. But i dont drink heavily anyway not no more and the fat will only increase if i abuse alcohol which im not
Drinking a little every few weeks wont make the fat worse. If i abuse it then it will. U can drink and ur liver can heal as long as u dont drink in excess.
About 20 percent of alcoholics and 100 percent of very heavy drinkers develop fatty liver, or steatosis. I never said 100% get cirrhosis. However, I did say, it can and it will turn into cirrhosis". For many people who don't don't stop their drinking habits that brought them to the stage of fatty liver, this is a reality. I worded it that way, because many truly don't believe that it will happen to them or that a fatty liver cannot turn into cirrhosis down the road. There isn't enough awareness about practicing succession after the diagnosis, hence why we have a problem with almost 80% of transplants resulting from Alcohol. Many are unaware that they have it, and about 30 percent to 40 percent of cirrhosis cases are discovered at autopsy, they aren't aware that their liver has been damaged to that point. Many times ultrasounds can under-diagnose the amount of hepatic steatosis. You're in good hands right now and slowing it down will allow your liver to heal. My main intent was to say, not to get complacent, because it can turn into a real issue down the road if not deal with early. Fatty liver is the first stage of liver disease, many don't make it to the cirrhosis stage, they either stop or they die from other complications due to alcohol or substance abuse. Fatty liver due to alcohol can progress to cirrhosis if alcohol intake is continued within 5–10 years. However the progression can be much more rapid ( 2–5yrs) if the patient is obese or is prone to binge drinking that leads to frequent episodes of ‘alcoholic hepatitis’. The only known and dependable way to halt progression is total abstinence from alcohol. I'm not saying you can't drink in moderation, it's those that drink heavily and don't work on healing their fatty liver that are the ones who turn into cirrhosis. I've seen too many stories and cases of individuals who said, "only if I took my fatty liver more seriously when diagnosed". 20% would be a deflated number for those who continue to drink heavily after having a fatty liver diagnosis. Again, like I said, you're making the right decision now, but you're at a cross-roads and I'm sure many here can attest to that. However, what do I know, I just went to school for medicine, I'm not a board certified Hepatologist. Just trying to preach the importance of succession once a fatty liver diagnoses is presented, this is BLT after all. You have to see where we're coming from, we get people all of the time coming here and posting. Then they disappear for 4 to 5 months, down the road, their back again with a drinking problem. Either-way, I wish you the best with your further endeavors. You're making the right choice by slowing it down. Edited to appease you Jojo.
U dnt make sense lol if u scroll up u said "upto 100%of heavy drinkers will develop fatty liver" then in another msg u wrote" 20% of alcoholics and heavy drinkers develop fatty liver"...??
Seems like im the one comin on here for people to educate me and im the one educatin them hahaha did u mean almost 100% of heavy drinkers will develop fatty liver but only 20% of them will go on to develop cirrhosis? Lol
What it was supposed to say was 100% of heavy drinkers, 20% of drinkers in general. To make this more confusing if you come down with a case of Alcoholic Hepatitis the number increases to 39-40%. Lets add those numbers are for the general population the confidence intervals are different for males and females. As a female has a higher percentage of this occurring. If most people didn't stop prior to hitting F3, then the percentages would be even worse. Also, the percentage of hepatocellular carcinoma is seen in a much larger percentage of individuals with ALD, than those with other liver diseases besides Hep C. Is that better for you Jojo since you want to nitpick things, it was also 2am when I was trying to type to you, I live in the States. If you don't want help or honest opinions then don't come on here. You come on the form drunk last night starting arguments with people and you don't think you have a problem? Which, you deleted the post that said you were slurred at 1am. Remember, the first step to fixing alcoholism is acceptance. Without acceptance, you're always going to make excuses for why the next drink is fine. I did that when I ended up in trouble from my medication, which I posted down below. Even if it's only 20% who end up with cirrhosis, according to google mind you, not physicians that deal with severe alcoholism on a daily basis. Once you hit that 20% its over, the liver is toast and the only thing that can help is a transplant. A life with a transplant still isn't great as there are many stipulations that go along with it. A large one being the immunosuppressants, which cause an increase probability of cancer. Liver disease is very silent, then it hits like an atom-bomb. Leading hepatologists have came out and said it normally takes about 18 months for the liver to heal from damage. 6 months for enzymes to fall into place, 6 months to start feeling better and 6 months for changes in tissue to reverse. That a liver previously damaged will be more susceptible to damage the next time around even after healing. I'm done trying to help you, good luck. Again, if this form isn't doing it, I recommend MDJUNCTION who has a group dedicated towards alcoholic liver disease. Moonwatcher is the group leader there who also works in the medical field.
Everyone is different... a small amount of alcohol may cause the same amount of damage to 1 person as a large amount to others and you've obviously decided the amount you drink isn't going to adversely affect your liver any further.... good luck
I would consider this diagnosis of fatty liver at such young age of 27 as a wake-up call. If you can drink a bottle of vodka and you do not feel any adverse effects following such quantity of ethanol ,makes me feel that your system is very much used to large amounts of alcohol. For your liver to recover you probably should abstain for at least 6 months, meaning nil intake during that time. I am sure you are strong enough to do the right thing by yourself and your young children. Please do not risk them having to loose a mother at a young age. Fatty liver can progress to cirrhosis if the cause is not removed--in your case it is alcohol. Just think about how worried you are about this diagnosis and how you would feel if one day the diagnosis were cirrhosis with limited life expectancy and severely compromised health. I have know someone, who would not stop drinking, fooling herself, that a couple of drinks/day was OK after similar diagnosis. Just a few days before she passed at the age of 52 she was very confused and suffering, but she also had some clear moments. She said that if she could time-travel back 5 yrs, she would have done things differently and would have stopped drinking COMPLETELY. Her 2 children would still have a mother and her youngest son could have shared his wedding day day with his beloved mother. I know this sounds bleak, but it is a true story and it breaks my heart, she was a close friend. You can have a wonderful life , be a loving mother yo your children, but you really need to consider the need to drink at all for the next 6 months and even beyond. Wishing you all the best, you can do it.
Well said
Your talkin about a 52 year old lol hw lng had she been drinkin. Its only the past year iv drank quite a bit and im 27 there a huge diff. Also a lot of ppl get fatty liver even if you drink a lot for few days but not all will develop cirrhosis u only risk that if u continue to drink heavily regulary which im not. Thanks for reply
You seem to be in denial about the seriousness of alcoholic induced liver disease, especially on top of having a fatty liver diagnosis present. I also know a 26 year old who drank for 2 years and ended up with cirrhosis, would you like his information? Everybody said, you're way to young, there's no way its cirrhosis. Well he ended up being one of those individuals who was highly susceptible to liver damage from alcohol. His name is Nathan and he's on MDJUNCTION. I also know a 30 year old and a family friend, named Jason who has cirrhosis. If you'd like to speak to him, I can arrange that as-well. You're right, if you stop drinking heavily, you are at a point where you can make a full recovery.
And how much alcohol did this person drink for the 2 years im not in denial
Sorry to butt in kurtymac , but jojo23pink please excuse me if I'm taking liberties, I think you would not have posted here if somewhere in your heart you did not have a nagging sensation of worry about your condition. I think it may be good to take a deep breath and absorb all this information in relation to your own circumstances before agreeing or disagreeing with the opinions of people who are genuinely concerned and wanting to help. Just a polite suggestion. Wishing you all the best.
Cas xx 🌸🌻
Not butting in at all Caspiana, I think your advice was spot on. I'm sorry Jojo, if I came across as hard or mean. I'm just trying to prevent people form ending up crossing that red line, where I've seen many patients go. At this stage, you're right, you can recover and live a great life. I also have a close friend that almost died because he wouldn't stop after he was told he had a fatty liver. I warned him over and over again to stop. It got to the point where he had a severe bleed out, ascities, a hernia, jaundice, his kidneys shut down, he was put on a ventilator, that's Jason that I mentioned up above. He was in his 20s when this happened, he didn't drink for years and year, he just binged a few days a week. Same goes for medications like Tylenol, what's safe for me to take daily, isn't safe for Caspiana or a 6'5 linebacker in the NFL. Different strokes for different folks.
You have 3 small kids and you say you can drink a bottle of vodka, and you think that's not an alcoholic. You need to leave it alone completely and if you can't stop...get some HELP!. Apparently, you think your liver and drinking is a problem..if not you wouldn't be googling on the internet.,I am sure you want a better life for your kids because drinking isn't something you want them to learn from you. I learned it from my parents and look where I am...having liver problems from drinking.
Nope defo not an alcoholic i dont drink every day or wake up in the morning and want a drink i want a coffee!!lol. Drinkin wot i did was binge drinking not alcoholism. I can stop for weeks and if i do drink its very little now and then abstain again for a few week. Fatty liver will progress into cirrhosis if heavy alcohol consumption is continued regulary for a good few more years and even them people only a certain percentage will definately get cirrhosis not all. I dont drink heavily regulary. I drink around 15 units in one day but thats it for another few week. I dont think thats a lot compared to them who drink heavily nearly everyday. Dont need a better life for my kids they are happy. Having a little drink dont make ur kids have a bad life lol. I dont think my drinking is a problem. Its my liver whats the problem and since they told me its fatty liver i have seen the light but im not gonna stay away from alcohol forever. I dont drink enough to cause cirrhosis. People who get cirrhosis tend to be the ones who drink heavily regulary for years.
I5 unit is a bottle of wine/day. Sorry, didn't mean to sound harsh but your previous post you talked about drinking a bottle of vodka and not feeling it.
Bottle of wine has 8/9 units in lol if its 12/13%. I dont have 15 units a day lol i have 15 units at one time only on one day and then wait a few more week lol. Yes vodka well to b fair it wasnt a litre lol it was smaller one haha
Basically id binge drink. Drink a lot once a week which is worse than 1 glass a day. Its ridiculous really how much i can/cud drink its cos i drank fast. To b fair when ur not aloud to go out and socialise cos of ur whinin partner and uv got 3 screamin kids up ur rear all the time and u r in the house all the time then having a drink is a bit of enjoyment and stress relief lol
Sorry, you choose to stay in the house all the time. Stop having kids if you feel they are stressing you out to the point you need to drink.
I dont choose to stay in all the time. Its part of a mans control. Pmsl like no mother gets stressed from her children....dnt msg me if ur gonna get cocky do1
I'm sorry jojo but you really are coming across as having a real alcohol problem. You are asking questions which are being answered honestly by people who have and are living through the reality of what the effects of alcohol does to the body of the user and to the families who live with them, then you argue if you don't like the answers you are given.
My husband didn't think he drank much was in denial for years developed fatty liver, cut down his drinking but didn't stop, developed cirrhosis. .. still in denial at 54 his liver shut down his kidneys shut down was in ICU developed pneumonia and died 8 years ago today! That's just twice the age you are now. I suggest you have a good long think about it
xx
Enjoy your children as much as possible, not drinking makes this better for you and them. I never drank when raising my boys as a single mom. It was hard but so glad I had all the time I did with them and can remember it, one died in a car accident at 27, still very sad about that but happy about our memories together.
Having read your statement that "people who get cirrhosis 'tend' to be the ones who drink heavily and regularly for years".
I don't have any liver issues, I am here because my dearest friend does. But I do have lung disease, and am awaiting a lung transplant, yet, I have never been a smoker. 😑 It's so hard to tell down the line what will happen. I guess it's important to best guard your health as much as possible. Because once there is severe damage as in the case of lung disease or liver cirrhosis, it is often irreversible. And no amount of regret will change it's course.
I hope you have a restful night. 😊🌿
Right and lung disease doesnt have to be from smokin many other things can cause it another reason y i dnt believe smokin is a known cause of lung cancer etc cos if a patient has never smoked and they get lung cancer etc then its obviously down to somethin else that has been breathed in!!! Like they say its ur life style eat healthy exercise dnt smoke drink do drugs and still them ppl get cancer and all sorts of diseases so prob down to ur immune system yep well my fatty liver is from alcohol that is the cause so yes if continue to ABUSE then cirrhosis may develop but im not goin to abuse it. Drinkin moderately wont make it any worse moderately once every few week!!
Dont eat fat lol well not a lot of it im healthy
chocolate ? sugar? salt?
Am on a diet so i eat healthy apart frm 1 sugar in my tea/coffee or natural sugars. Add tiny bit of salt to certain meals. Dnt eat choc. Y u ask?
ok, but you are choosing to stay in, you shouldn't have a man that is controlling you, Do you have daughters? what are you teaching them..(it's ok to have a man to control you)..not being cocky, just showing concern because I have a daughter also and wouldn't want a man controlling her and wouldn't want her to feel she has to drink because her kids are getting on her nerves. Sorry, take care
U dnt need to b concerned bowt me lv am gud ta nd the man is their father and i have 3 daughters.
I dont feel i need t drink cos kids r gettin on my nerves i never said that i said stressed. Anyway 1.32am now shattered taraa
Jojo you said it's your fatty liver that's worrying you not the fact that you binge drink do you not realise the connection?
You don't know what you're talking about you are rude and aggressive towards everyone on here. Not wasting any more time on you. There are genuine people here with genuine problems and are grateful for help and support. Cheers
You see you don't even know that do you cos you just won't listen and absorb the info you are being given ... your loss
Know what?
You seem to think an alcoholic is defined by being slumped in the corner clutching a bottle of cider in 1 hand and whiskey in the other from the minute the wake til night. That certainly isn't the case. They come from all walks of life, work and function perfectly normal but find every reason or excuse under the sun to drink. During this time the alcohol is wreaking havoc on their liver and internal organs. Very often the symptoms are minimal but by seeing a doctor in the early stages and taking advice the progress of the early signs ( fatty liver) can be reversed. This means stop drinking.
Stop drinking excessively not all together forever. Once fatty liver is healed u can drink moderately
Yep you're absolutely right. Enjoy a bottle when yours has recovered 😃
Look laura i am sorry 4 what i said and am sorry if i come across as rude and arrogant but im really not. And like someone said earlier a bit on denial but im not an alcy and sayin my kids need support really upset me so thata why i jumped on the band wagon.i no wot im doin i am healin the liver by cuttin out alcohol for so long and drinkin moderately which t ppl seems to b a problem. I cant say im never gonna drink again cos i will i enjoy avin a drink but only moderately. I appreciate u and everyone else messaging me.
Ok sweetheart. We really do want to help and I've no doubt you are doing the best for your children... I know how hard that can be on your own I've been there too. I really wish you the best of health do listen to advice and hope you feel better soon. Take care xx
Thanks xx
People can be an alcoholic with just one drink. I don’t judge anyone. I just say to them “ look what alcohol did to me now chose your own way in life”
Brett
Shame about the limited vocabulary. Must be the drink talking.
Sobar as a judge when i wrote that lol but thanks
I’ve got F4 cirrhosis. 80% of my liver has been pickled. The 20% left seems to be doing an ok job at the moment.
Really sorry about this brett. Is it from drinking? What are the options for u? If your liver is still functioning and it wont damage itself anymore then cant u just carry on as normal if the condition dont get any worse? How old r u if u dnt mind me askin. I might coms across as rude etc in previous posts but im really not its the way i am and i do care x
Dear JoJo23pink
We have removed a number of comments on this thread from yourself and others that were not in the spirit of the forum.
In answer to your original question we would suggest you be very careful when using Google as there is a lot of misleading information out there which is not properly referenced or backed up by research. Stick to websites such as NHS Choices, British Liver Trust, Patient UK, Alcohol Concern, and other main charities.
The British Liver Trust has information on alcohol here: britishlivertrust.org.uk/li...
There is a downloadable publication on this page which we would recommend you read as it discusses binge drinking and regular drinking and how this is processed by the liver.
You asked how long your fatty liver would take to return to normal if you abstained but there is no specific formula for this as everyone is different and can be affected by alcohol in different ways. There are also other factors which affect your liver and its ability to recover such as whether you smoke, have a healthy diet, exercise regularly, are overweight, have any other health conditions, are taking any regular medications and more. Your doctors are the best ones to advise you as they should have an overview of your general health and lifestyle.
We are all entitled to our personal opinion, but please can everyone bear in mind the principles and guidelines for use of the forum and post with respect for others opinions and in the spirit of supporting and learning from others.
This thread is now closed to further comments.
Thank you.
British Liver Trust admin team
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