I kind of know the response this question will get, but if it were possible for a well compensated person with cirrhosis to drink ‘in moderation’ I.e strictly limit to one or two drinks a day, would this ever be acceptable? Surely it’s not the case that one or two drinks can be the difference between life and death (or is it?) just curious if there is any actual science behind it, or if it is more of a precaution to stop people returning on the slippery slope.
drinking in moderation : I kind of know... - British Liver Trust
drinking in moderation
Written by
Lester14
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38 Replies
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Ps I’m not looking for a drinking pass I’m now 2 months sober
Well stay that way mate!!!! Dont drink
Don’t go there! If a liver has been damaged to the extent that cirrhosis has been diagnosed as a result of alcohol and then alcohol is removed successfully and compensated disease is maintained, why on earth would anyone return the substance that has caused the damage in the first place? It’s only going to go one way...and that’s down.
Hi lester .. Well I was compensated ,drank when I lost my dad as I couldn't cope due to being heartbroken..alcohol related liver disease.. my liver soon started to show signs I had pre diagnosis.
If alcohol was the cause of your cirrhosis then no .. your only then killing further remaining good cells and eventually the liver will fail
Please don't go there
Best wishes linda
I have cirrhosis caused by Hep C. I have a letter from a consultant that actually says if I stay within the government guidelines it should prevent the progression of the disease. At my last 6 monthly check up I was asked if I was drinking, I told him I have the occasional drink and he didn’t appear concerned. I am not looking for a reason to drink because I know it’s not good for anyone with liver disease, just telling you my experience.Take care
Ruby 1960, I’m surprised that a Consultant would actually issue any document advocating the use of alcohol to anyone with a cirrhotic liver. I am under the impression that anyone with cirrhosis should not drink alcohol, whatever the cause.
I agree ... madness !
in reply to Oscar21
Surely it depends what caused it in the first place?
AyrshireK in reply to
No, the fact that a cirrhotic liver is now struggling to function (regardless of cause of the damage) so therefore it will struggle to deal with the toxin that is alcohol and this will further damage the liver - like throwing petrol on a bonfire.
in reply to AyrshireK
Ah, thank you. Still learning about all this.
pushthrough in reply to
It doesn’t matter what caused it. Cirrhosis is cirrhosis. You don’t drink or do crap that would further damage the liver. My liver wasn’t damaged from aspirin but that doesn’t mean I can take it. I can only have small amounts of Tylenol.
I have liver fibrosis due to hemochromatosis, my hepatologist was clear zero alcohol, I have not drunk anything with alcohol in the last 3 years. Just as if you have diabetes you will not eat sugar, with liver disease you will not drink alcohol.
Nobody can tell you what is the right thing to do we are all different with many other things to take in to account, it’s your life your choice. All the best and good luck
Lester,fella. you really don't want to be going down that road. I can see my consultant now,looking straight at me,saying that if I continued drinking I would die.....it scared me that much. so haven't touched liquor in over 3 years. I'm not saying its easy because it isn't. but fella,its your life,you have to make your own choices. take care fella. chris
If you have a cirrhotic liver due to alcohol-abuse, then there is always going to be a possibility that tumours can begin to develop on the liver. This is why it is import to have six-monthly scans.
If this was to happen, then they can be burnt off using liver ablation. But once these little devils start to develop then the only sure way is to have a liver transplant.
If you are still consumming alcohol, or drinking alcohol-free drinks, then you would not be considered suitable for a liver transplant.
So, the question you really need to be asking yourself is, "Am I willing to risk my life for the sake of a beer? Even if you had just one beer every six months you still wouldn't be accepted.
Presuming the person in question has cirrhosis caused by alcohol, this implies alcohol was not used "in moderation" in the first place. Then the main question they should really be asking them selves, is not "would it kill me" but "why do I want that drink or two"? Under what circumstances would I have them? For what reason? with who? where? What would I get from it? Realistically there's nothing that alcohol can provide you with, that outweighs and alternative of leaving it alone. If it's to be socially accepted - address that. If it's boredom - address that. If it's addiction - address that, etc.
If you're asking the question here, I'd imagine you're already in two minds, or anxious about just doing it. Ask your self why, I'd imagine deep down you know. of a green light for having a couple of drinks is what your looking for, I think you need to truly understand all the "why's"
It really isn't worth it.
Take care.
Go and follow someone like SoberDave on Instagram. Starting to think about maybe having one or two drinks isn't a good sign. Two months sober is amazing and I bet you feel better for it. And maybe starting to think oh things weren't that bad. A few can't harm. But honestly, they can and will.Your liver has protested to the point of scarring. It isn't the invincible organ that people make it out to be, and one day it will have had enough. Why hasten that day by drinking something you don't even need to drink.
I've been sober 18 years ! Last year following a near fatal bleed . Ostophagus varacies . Portol hypertension. However I have chronic pancreatitis . Finally say I don't have chirrosis. Everything has been caused because of my CP , blockages in the bile duct . Causing pressure ! I'm so fortunate to be Alive The thing is I was horrified even I was told chirrosis . 18 year sober . Devastated. I'm relieved that I havnt ,although my portol hypertension will not go away , nor my wife vatacies . I have banding every 8-10 weeks now it was every 4 .
I have my life that's the main thing x
Good luck to everyone I can empathise with everyone on of you who has a drink addiction. Its so difficult to Stop ,although it can be done .
I've turned my life around after drinking. Best thing I did was enrol on a person centred counselling course lol .. which lead to me doing a Advamced Diploma and becoming a qualified counsellor. I drive . Had a good job in mental health, however, had to retire through ill health! I'm feeling good at the moment ,therefore, I live in the moment xx ❤
All the best to you all
Noted thanks for all the replies. I didn’t realise alcohol free beer was also a no-no.
Any amount of alcohol damages the liver as it’s metabolised. A normal one replaces damaged cells with healthy cells. In a cirrhotic liver it’s replaced with damaged, fibrous scar tissue making your cirrhosis worse. It is definitely a play silly games win stupid prizes option to carry on drinking once that much damage has been done.
As others have also said, would it really ever stay in moderation…
When my husband was diagnosed he was told if you carry on drinking you will die. They were right. Leave well alone !
Go ahead and give it a try. Let us know how that works out for you.
He won't be around to tell us 🤷🏻♀️
What are 1-2 drinks going to do for ya? Certainly not give you a buzz… so why bother?
My head has this exact conversation with itself whenever (infrequently) these days I wonder “whether 1 or 2 would actually matter”. 15x months sober last month after having a distended stomach due to grossly enlarged liver, fibrosis f4 poss cirrhosis, massive weight loss and almost lost my family. Thankfully ALL the above has incredibly reverse but I won’t be risking ANY of it ever again. ODAAT. It’s simply not worth just 1 or 2 mate…..
That’s some good work! And definitely no easy task! Relish in your hard work and your body’s healing 
I reach for a lacroix or setzer water if I’m tempted. I am thin but I have what my dr insists is fatty liver, I had pre eclampsia which swells up your organs during pregnancy which my liver never bounced back from. On scans it looks fine but my enzymes never went down. I am a hypochondriac the dr said a few drinks here and there are fine but it’s like why bother if I can’t get drunk. I definitely was a party girl in college but never a hard core daily drinker but I could get wild here and there 😂 so basically I just abstain except on Christmas Eve I’ll have a Christmas ale 🍺
If you have cirrhosis 1 or 2 causes the same damage as a weeks binging for a healthy person!
1 drink is the differance between compensated and serious illness.
Problem is you don't know which 1 drink is the one that tips your liver over the top.
god forbid you need a liver transplant but if you do they won't accept you if you are even so much as drinking alcohol free beer or wine. It was one of the first questions the alcohol nurse asked my partner. I know you need to want to stay off drink for yourself and your own health reasons but I think my daughter and I are suffering from a bit of PTSD from my partners drinking/detox and subsequent decompensated cirrhosis diagnosis - if my partner had even so much as a half a shandy that would devastate my daughter beyond belief, he needs to understand that and not put her through that again
Just out of curiosity. How would they know if you’d had one drink 4 months ago?
It worries me you still ask such questions. You sound like you really need help with getting away from wanting alcohol. Ultimately, you only cheat yourself, why would you care "how would they know". It can be detected in hair for up to 6 months.
But they don't wait that long from my understanding, if you are on the transplant list you get randomly called in for a test, fail one and off the list you go.
You have to do regular random blood tests where they test the blood for alcohol. You have 2 blood forms given, and they will ring up and ask if you can pop down and get a blood sample done. You never know when they will ring. If you stall for time etc. Its just going to ring alarm bells for them and you could get struck off.Also, when we had a call for transplant, they did an alcohol test along with all the pre-op tests. I remember thinking how gutting it would be to get so close to transplant and show up with alcohol in the blood. His call came on a Friday teatime, when you could easily have been sneaking in "an odd one". It's just not worth the risk.
I have to agree with ubwa....really fella, don't go there. If u had been in the hospital same time I was,3 years ago....i was very poorly. But the chap opposite me in the ward,was even more yellow than I was...having to have enemas several times a day,to rid himself of the toxins building up in his body.....the ward nurses and sisters,never got a response you could make any sense of .I was upset for myself....but also for this poor chap....I still often think how he went on. It was so frightening...that was it for me....no more drink....please take time to think what your doing.once you have esld,it doesn't go away. Again for myself next week, hospital bloods,the following week my 6 monthly ultrasound...you really don't want it fella. Take care.chris
If it’s a social thing and you feel you can’t go out and be social with out having a drink grab seltzer all night. That’s what I do seltzer water flavored seltzer etc and I always call it a night before everyone else. But I used to do this in college too so it wasn’t a big deal to me. When I got visit friends we all don’t go out. We were in Miami on south beach everyone was partying but I stuck to one margarita and 0 alcohol seltzer the rest of the weekend. So it’s doable I have what my dr thinks is fatty liver. My scans are always clear but I treat myself as if I have it. I was with my uncle when he died of cirrhosis it’s not pleasant it’s a horrible death. I also work for hospice and I see the end stage in it all too much. A lot of folks are in denial till they take their last breath
Lester I’m 39 compensated from alcohol. Don’t ever drink again. They don’t tell you to not drink because they think you can’t do it in moderation. They tell you not to drink because every sip of alcohol further destroys your liver. Alcohol in any amount is not acceptable. You and I are lucky to be compensated! You do not want to have the symptoms that come with Decompensation! Don’t drink everrrr again.
G.
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