Hi there first time posting 😊I’ve been a drinker for many years mainly fosters on a night after work and on a weekend , for three weeks I’ve had pain in my liver area , ive freaked out and had scans and blood tests there all showing normal , but the pain is still there ! Anyway I’ve stopped drinking by cutting down and finally drink free for 5 days now 😊I am going on holiday in morning still in pain but can’t let all the family down , would I be ok drinking non alcoholic lager ? I’m convinced there’s something wrong with my liver and I’m going back to docs when I get home to ask for more tests etc , if by a miracle the pain decides to disappear then thank the lord but my days of drinking are over anyway 😊the pain is right under my rib cage and sharp when I take a breath and for it to have been there three weeks it’s a big worry xx
I’m new 😊: Hi there first time posting... - British Liver Trust
I’m new 😊
Hi Lesmail,
Welcome to the group!
Maybe ask your gp to check your gallbladder? ☑️
Hi there yeh they checked that on the scan and said it was ok , after holiday I’m going to ask for another scan in case they missed something I’m just terrified I have something wrong with my liver , even though they said bloods and scan was fine 🤔has anyone on here has liver pain and is it real
Sore xx
Hi there never had any pain whatsoever in my liver however I ended up with an enlarged spleen which causes great pain at times and shoulder pain but since having a liver transplant my spleen side has shrunk slightly from 19.9 to 13.3 centimetres and the pain has gone down loads.in saying this everyone with cirrhosis has different symptoms.wish you well.paul
Good afternoon Lesmail,
We would always suggest with any ongoing pain that you visit your doctor for physical examination and investigation if appropriate - you have said you plan to do this soon.
With regards to 'alcohol free' products I have included a link which may provide guidance for you.
britishlivertrust.org.uk/go...
For further information if have also included links to alcohol and liver disease and liver tests and screening:
britishlivertrust.org.uk/li...
britishlivertrust.org.uk/li...
On a slight side note if you are going on holiday, I would suggest you have appropriate travel insurance in place prior to travelling .
Hope you manage to have a lovely holiday
Trust9
Ditto what Trust9 says about GPs.
Low alcohol drinks divide opinion on here hence I won’t give an opinion, but I can give my experience.
I was a heavy drinker (70 and then 40 units a week). I had vague aches and pains in the liver area, and an ultrasound diagnosed a mild fatty liver. I stopped drinking, but I still drink a few cans a week of a so-called beer which is labelled as no more than 0.05% alcohol.
Now, to put less than 0.05% alcohol in context, bread contains up to 0.2% alcohol and orange juice 0.5%.
I had a private fibroscan eight months after the ultrasound. All was OK, the fat had all gone as had the pains.
Well done Coco on more than 8 months of sobriety! 👍😀
Thanks. The alcohol free beer did help with the transition from being a drinker to a non-drinker, even if some people think less than 0.05% alcohol “beer” is still beer.
The first time I ever saw alco free beer was at a company-sponsored annual picnic.
In previous years, employees had to bring their own alcoholic drinks if they wanted them. The picnic was held at a forest preserve, and grilled meat, side salads and brownies were provided, along with water and soft drinks. We played games and they had pony rides for the kiddos. One year, the head honchos decided it was more responsible to provide an alternative to their employees who drank.
It went over very well. Everyone remembered how they got home, and there was a lot less trash talk afterwards.
The company culture gradually changed, people were becoming more health conscious.
I honestly don't know how anyone could object to that!
Hi, It's all in the mind. I find they helped me with cravings and continue to drink Alcohol free. I'm sampling numerous new offerings including German wheat beers. What is good for you? I tried loads of sugar free soda, now they're bad f4u. Have a look at joinclubsoda.com its Uk based.
A couple of posters objected in the past to me mentioning alcohol free beer brands, so I won’t, but I just had a 275ml bottle of a less than 0.05% “beer” which contained 0.6g of sugar and 39 calories.
Keep an eye on the sugar content, though, as one or two other brands have too much sugar.
Sorry to bother you but why are sugar free sodas bad for you? What about no added sugar fruit cordial? Thank you in advance x
Dozens of studies have linked aspartame — the world’s most widely used artificial sweetener — to serious health problems, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s disease, seizures, stroke and dementia, as well as negative effects such as intestinal dysbiosis, mood disorders, headaches and migraines.
Evidence also links aspartame to weight gain, increased appetite and obesity-related diseases. See our fact sheet: Diet Soda Chemical Tied to Weight Gain.
Evidence linking aspartame to weight gain raises questions about the legality of marketing aspartame-containing products as “diet” drinks or weight loss products.
At the same time, artificial sweeteners have a long history of controversy. Aspartame was developed around the time the FDA banned the artificial sweeteners cyclamateTrusted Source (Sucaryl) and saccharin (Sweet’N Low). Lab tests showed that massive doses of these two compounds caused cancer and other disorders in laboratory animals.
When it comes to aspartame, your best bet — as with sugar and other sweeteners — is to consume it in limited amounts.
Contrary to popular belief, drinking diet soda causes weight gain. According to a recent nine year study, adults who drank diet soda continued to gain weight over the years. The study went on to state that drinking diet soda everyday increases the risk of becoming obese within the next decade by sixty five percent. Another study found a link between diet soda and an increase in metabolic syndrome, which may lead to diabetes and heart disease.
Thank you most sincerely for your very informative replies. I will read the info you provided fully 😊
Lesmail, don't worry about what you don't know about. This could be as simple as a pulled muscle, constipation, anything. I had no discomfort at all before I had my liver transplant last year.
Hi when my wife's liver failed she had no pain at all maybe some people have and if you did have liver problems your bloods would be bad so I would be very surprised if you have any liver problems as others have said might be something close by
Daave
That should be the case. I drank way too much for years and had a fatty liver. My liver function blood tests results were always fine.
I did ask about the pains and got the vague reply that people with fatty livers often have such pains. What I will say is the pains have long since gone.
Lesmail, I'm not qualified by experience or in any other way to answer your question so if you don't mind, may I ask you one? If the ritual of opening the can and either drinking the contents from it or pouring it in a glass is part of what you enjoy, would a can of sparkling water do it for you? I ask that because it is easy to think that alcohol is the only poison just because it kills you quicker. Colourings, flavourings, sweeteners are also toxic and if a choice of a substitute is open to you, could this be someting you'd want to think about at the same time? I hope you have a great holiday 
I’ll try and answer based on my experience.
I drank anything from tonic water to alcohol free beer to fizzy sugary energy drinks. It sort of recreates the experience but without the alcohol, and in those weeks, the body will start getting used to the idea of having no alcohol.
It’s hard to emphasise to a moderate or non-drinker how difficult those first weeks are with the cravings, irritability and lack of sleep. I wouldn’t say it was the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but it’s in the top 5.
I do appreciate your position in this and no further explanation was needed by me about your choice. I wouldn't for a moment suggest an alternative to someone who has found a working solution.
The reason I asked the question is, in my understanding of Lesmail's post he hasn't yet made a choice. In my experience when I haven't made a choice, it helps me to consider different options.
I offered this to Lesmail in the tentative spirit of one who knows exactly how difficult it is to cope with life without something, the lack of which makes life itself seem so impossible as barely to be worth it.
I don't underestimate anyone's struggle, or anyone's intention to help if possible, and I'm sure you wouldn't either.
No worries.
Last time we had this debate, I was criticised for saying fizzy sugary drinks are a lesser evil than alcohol. Whatever works to get through a few alcohol free days can’t be wrong.
whatever works, as you say.
Thankyou
To you all so much I’m
Currently waiting for ct scan results pains been there 8 weeks now , I don’t drink during the week now just on a weekend if we go out , but it may have to stop
Completely if the results show it’s my over I’ll keep you all informed thanks again xx
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