Symptoms relating to liver problems after drinking alcohol stops

[Emamul]

My husband was recently admitted to hospital for an infection and sepsis, whilst there scans showed he had a slight fatty liver and raised ALT levels (chance find and not linked to his admission) he hasn’t drank alcohol since he went in and now 4 weeks later is suffering with gout/itching, high bilirubin levels and generally feeling unwell, he has been back to see the Doctor and had further blood tests and the alt levels have improved slightly, doc said the symptoms relate to the liver working hard to repair itself since he stopped drinking and came of medication for the sepsis , he now waiting to see the gastro team. I think my question is just around how it seems that since he stopped drinking he seems to have liver related problems that he didn’t have before, is this normal, has anyone else had this?

[Hidden]

Hi, I certainly had an increase in issues when I stopped drinking. Even the soreness/pain over my liver increased And I’ve read others that have said this too. I went downhill fast and it took a few months to feel well again. Great that his alt is going down, shows the inflammation is decreasing which is positive.

Hang in there xx

[Chris884 in reply to Hidden]

Can I ask you a question

[Hidden in reply to Chris884]

Sure

[Danubian]

"doc said the symptoms relate to the liver working hard to repair itself since he stopped drinking"- I'm no doctor, but this doesn't make sense, if he carried on drinking surely his liver would be working harder and doin' overtime to repair itself. Maybe going "lukewarm turkey" is causing the symptoms.

[Ewife]

I think its quite common to feel worse initially after cutting drink. Although my husbands problems weren't strictly alcohol related, he suffered terrible gout etc for quite a while after. Consultant said that alcohol can mask things like pain to a certain extent. It does take time - folks told us 6 weeks to feel better but that wasn't the case for us - maybe because alcohol wasn't the only thing causing issues, and he wasn't binge drinking or having excessive amounts.

Atb

Xx

[chrisw740]

There's not much in your post that says your husband was a heavy drinker or so alcohol dependent that 4 weeks later he would be suffering certain withdrawal or unusual symptoms. It is implied in your heading though so he may well be but its not clear. Moreover if a slightly fatty liver was diagnosed then there maybe be no long term damage and nothing that can't be reversed. In other words this maybe a distraction from the serious after effects of the sepsis. As I'm sure you are now well aware sepsis is incredibly hard on the body. Elevated ALT is common with sepsis (amongst other things) Ailments like gout can develop because the kidneys really take a hit with such a systemic infection. Certain proteins can also aggrevate gout.

I would hope that he was having some further follow-up with renal and liver profile bloods being repeated soon enough. As his recovery continues you really want to understand what's raising the bilirubin and no doubt contributing to the itching too. This maybe normal for him in context of his recent illness and previous lifestyle.

As others have said, sobriety after regular longtime alcohol use can introduce many unexpected aches and pains. The direction of travel is what matters now. The liver is a critical part of our immune system so it has also been doing a lot of fire fighting recently (processing all of the extra medication will have been challenging for it also)

All the obvious advice about staying hydrated and eating a healthy diet aren't to be underestimated either. The recommendations of his Dr's out rank anyone else's opinions but you may need to push for more clarity and input if things don't improve.

[CHRISR999]

Hi the symptoms seem to come after you stop drinking... Can take 6 to 7 month before feeling well again. But no toxins now. I stupidly had a few fags n all symptoms came back. Then it's took a further 16 months to start feeling well again. It's so important not to put anything harmful in your body. The 16mth was a long haul and I regretted that mistake. Hope this helps

[CHRISR999]

I sent a message to dogmaspam. That was a reply to your post. Sorry.