Doctor in A&E said liver disease quit for 6 months

[Cobra77]

Hi everyone i have been a binge drinker for as long as i can remember probably sinse 18 im 42 now, i started getting pain under my ribs about 2 years ago and then laid off the alchohol for a while/ cut down etc and it seemed to go away so i returned to drinking and kind of dismissed it as something like a stomach ulcer,then i was at work on a monday (2 month s ago)when i suddenly felt very unwell and had this pain, so i went to A&E because i couldn't see a doctor because i'd only recently registered sinse moving, so any way i got blood tests/ urine tests, i waited for about 4 hours and then the doctor said 'everything is okay but we can tell you have damaged your liver.' He told me it was nothing to worry about just give up drinking for 6 months and you'llbe fine, but he also said it was liver disease, so off i went and haven't visited a doctor, but i do plan on doing so. I haven't turned yellow or have swollen ankles or anything but i haven't drank for nearly 2 months but today felt unwell and i could fill it was my liver. Is he right in that 6 months is enough or will i have to quit for good. I would like to drink again but just moderately. anyone been told similar?

[Laura009]

Hi Cobra. As you've descovered, you gave up drinking and started again and now in severe pain and have damaged your liver. This is your wake up call to give up drinking for good. Alcohol is poison to your liver and to continue drinking will only lead to further damage, cirrhosis then at best if you manage to give up for long enough you can get onto the transplant list or at worst , a horrible premature death. The only way for your liver to have a chance of a full recovery is to give up the booze, start exercising regularly and eat healthily.

I wish you well

Laura

[Artemis61]

Give up for good, no question. My brother liked a drink regularly, last year he went yellow, legs and stomach swelled and he was admitted to hospital and then given a 20% chance or survival. Miraculously he pulled through and left hospital 7 weeks later. He's on medication for life and might need a liver transplant, but he's alive and very grateful for a 2nd chance. Your liver can only take so much - please don't drink again, it's not worth it. Take care

[briccolone]

Hi Cobra, welcome. Big wakeup call for you my friend-go and see your GP and tell the full story and get your bloods done and then you'll know what's what. Take care

[davianne]

Hi Cobra, and welcome to our forum.

As others have said, the only way is to quit for good. Consider yourself lucky that you had a warning sign which has given you the chance to dodge the bullet. I wish I had a warning like you, and then I wouldn't have F4 cirrhosis now.

Just stopping for a few months just isn't good enough, because you will go back to damaging your liver more again, and cirrhosis is not reversible.

David

[Hidden]

Good morning Cobra77,

Firstly, congratulations for giving up alcohol for 2 months- keep up the good work !

Secondly, I can see your are getting lots of encoraging support from our lovely forum members sharing their experiences.

May I suggest you visit your GP and discuss appropriate follow up.

I have included links to Liver disease tests explained, alcohol and liver disease and 'questions for your doctor'

britishlivertrust.org.uk/in...

britishlivertrust.org.uk/in...

britishlivertrust.org.uk/li...

I hope these are helpful

Best wishes,

Trust9

[Cobra77 in reply to Hidden]

Thanks for the links much appreciated!

[Cobra77]

Thank you for the responses everyone. I think from everything i keep reading that i will have to quit alchohol i wish i saw a doctor a long time ago and then maybe i could continue drinking. Im certainly going to make more people aware of it, i always thought that just drinking once a week i would be okay, but it's been many years without giving my liver a rest that has caused it. I think life is better without booze. It's just frustrating when you see people having a good time drinking the stuff, it's everywhere you look isn't it. I will definetely be spreading more awareness about it, it was quite shocking how i went from being resonably okay to very very ill. But im going to concentrate on better things in life now, and hopefully i will be able to quit smoking now that im free of alchohol!