Worried about CT results

[Ac16]

Had a Ct scan last night of abdomen and really worried for the results, is no new good news? I don’t even know if they’ll write to me with the results or call me or what, I don’t have a follow up booked. They said my Gp wouldn’t get the results and it would go back to the consultant. I feel like they’re going to ring me up and tell me my liver is destroyed, my body feels so tired and I don’t sleep well which isn’t helping my anxiety at all....on a more positive note I haven’t drank for nearly 8 weeks, in Asda tonight I thought about buying alcohol free wine and thought actually what’s the point it might make me want actual wine....does anyone else drink alcohol free beer/wine or is it not recommended?

[AyrshireK]

Hope you get your CT results soon and hopefully nothing untoward found.

As regards alcohol free versions of alcoholic beverages then there are several trains of thought and whenever discussed on here the subject can get a little heated.

As you thought to yourself - they really arn't a substitute for the 'real' thing, If you are managing without booze why go and have something that tastes something like your regular tipple but it doesn't quite hit the mark .............. is it a potential trigger for reaching for the real thing.

If you were a transplant candidate and alcohol had played any role in your liver disease then it is absolutely contraindicated to continue to drink alcohol or even any of the alcohol free versions. Cooking with alcohol is even not allowed.

The other train of though is the no-lo drinks are becoming ever more widespread and popular in pubs etc. and people are genuinely drinking them as an alternative to actual alcohol versions and this helps reduce alcohol intake - that's all fine and well if say you are a designated driver, non-drinker BUT again if you have been used to drinking there is that trigger argument again. They might taste the same as the real thing but they will never quite cut it in providing the same 'sensation'.

Better to stay clear and seek out an alternative altogether - there are some amazing alternatives in cordials and non alcohol drinks.

The link below is a pre-transplant brochure given to patients

flipbooks.leedsth.nhs.uk/LN...

This is an excerpt from the above brochure.

What about shandy or low/no alcohol beers and wines?

You will be informed during your assessment period that you should not drink low

alcohol or ‘alcohol free’ wines and beers either before or after your transplant. The UK

guidelines for transplanting people with ArLD are very clear that being abstinent means

not using any of these types of product. They are usually made by brewing in the same

way as normal beers and wines, and the alcohol is then removed. This means that there is

likely to be a trace of alcohol still present. Some of the methods used to test for alcohol

are very sensitive, and can detect very low levels, which could result in removal from the list.

It is also possible that drinking ‘alcohol free’ beers and wines can make it more likely that

you will return to drinking normal strength products in the future. This is because, if you

continue to choose a drink because it looks or tastes like an alcoholic drink, you are not

giving yourself a chance to completely break the link with drinking alcohol. It may also

make it much more likely that you find yourself accidentally drinking alcohol, as other

people may mistakenly buy you a ‘full strength’ product, or you may risk picking up the

wrong drink.

What about alcohol in food?

It is important that you avoid alcohol in all forms, including food. This covers foods such

as sherry trifles, chocolate liqueurs and Christmas cakes, which contain raw alcohol, and

also foods which are cooked with alcohol, such as steak and ale pie or chicken in wine

sauce. It is your responsibility to read the labels of any pre-prepared meals you buy to

ensure that there is no alcohol in the ingredients, as the product name may not make it

clear that it contains alcohol. Alcohol may sometimes also be labelled as ‘ethanol’. If you

eat in restaurants, or at someone’s house, be prepared to confirm that an item has not

been cooked with alcohol before you eat it. This is because, although some alcohol may be

evaporated during the cooking process, there may well be traces left

All the best,

Katie

[Ac16 in reply to AyrshireK]

Thank you for this, this is very useful! And to be fair I stood there for a while contemplating it but I was always very fussy on which wine I’d drink anyway, if my other half bought the wrong one I’d send him back out for another and wouldn’t want to drink the one he’d provided even if I ran out because I wanted to enjoy it....I think that fussiness helped me not be bothered about buying an alcohol free bottle tonight because I thought it won’t be the same anyway so why even tempt myself...was just interested to see what others did but yes I’m really enjoying the soft drinks and I think for me I’m probably best sticking with those 😁

[AyrshireK in reply to Ac16]

Totally best avoided.

Kind of different situation from you but we've had people on here who have been out socially drinking 'alternatives' only to find out that either servers or friends have actually provided/ordered the real thing.

[Ac16 in reply to AyrshireK]

Wow that’s awful! My partner is really supportive and has cut back to a couple of beers once a week at the weekend , he doesn’t want to completely give up....I haven’t really shared my not drinking anyone else though as I don’t think they really realised how much I was drinking x

[Corin1950 in reply to Ac16]

I bought a bottle of non alcohol fizz at Christmas from M&S. it was quite expensive and when I checked the label it was made from grape juice and green tea! Im saving my money and just buying pure grape juice which I can dilute with still or fizzy water. Mostly I just drink plain water. Much healthier and cheaper. I drink real coffee too which I’ve read slows fibrosis in the liver. Well done for giving up drinking and hope you get your results soon.

[Katmando in reply to Corin1950]

wow, that's interesting, think I will try that, thanks. I have a liver condition and though told alcohol makes no difference I do like 0% larger ( from Lidl ) Always enjoyed grape juice, but will definitely be on the look out for better quality/pure juice !

[DavyGravy]

Hi AC

That is wonderful that you have not had a drink in 8 weeks. Well done, habits are easy to make and tough to break... so keep thinking "A day without wine is a day that's all mine" that way you will fill your head with great memories not blurred fuzzy bits of the night before.

Personally, I'm not in favour of similar substitues. Alcohol free drinks are always a huge risk because, someone may accidentally give you an alcoholic drink, not realising you are working incredibly hard to maintain sobriety. Also every change from the old ways is a step further away from the problem

Radiographers are only trained to take the scans not to analyse or report, but if anything serious was apparent they would report it immediately to the radiologist or an A+E doctor and you would be called back very quickly.

so no need to worry. No news (or a long wait) usually, means good news

Dave

[pushthrough]

Hello AC I hope you get positive news. I have a history of anxiety and was just like you. Being anxious about my results did nothing but consume my mind for months. Try to think positive. As far as the non-alcoholic drinks, there's mixed reviews from people on here. I prefer not to drink them. It actually makes me sick smelling anything that remotely smells like alcohol. Others find they work. I would be hesitant to drink them though because as many have previously said some go back to drinking the real stuff.

[Zukosmile07]

There is no point what so ever in non alcohol related drinks, yes related, related because the Alcohol manufacturers and the government want even more revenue from the same reason as normal alcohol and the hold it has on people. Right you are suffering really bad from anxiety because you are not telling people about the amount you were consuming. The thing is you have already told all of us 🙂. So how much of a weight off have you already achieved....😊. Please try to fill your head with other thoughts when you feel the anxiety coming on. You wouldn't believe it but I was bad with it and I didn't bloody know what it was, I was like what the fxxk was that, go on piss off but it didn't. I realise that not thinking about it and keeping myself busy I was fine. Try to think as well if there was anything seriously wrong they would contact you immediately. You can also ask for your results to be emailed to you. Your Gp should get a copy (I don't know what that is all about).

Please take care and try not to worry.... you have all of us and that will keep you going for ages... hahahaha 😆 joking aside all the best Danny x

[gspleo]

My GP practice allows patients to go online and view the results themselves. I had an ultrasound last Saturday, viewed the results on Wednesday and was able to discuss with my GP yesterday