my partner was an alcoholic for 31 years, told to stop 7 months ago not cut down completely stop he has horrific side effects since and getting worse which are:-
Breathing goes jittery, Legs are painful,Unsteady on his feet,Verbal ticks,Neck jolts, Aggression, Confusion,Memory loss,Tired all of the time,Eyesight poor, pain in chest and liver area, yellow tinge eyes, and bloodshot eyes,
does anyone else get bloodshot eyes had no diagnosis of anything just awaiting liver specialist and wanting peoples opinions
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Emmaknott71185
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Hi Emma has your husband complained of blurred or reduced vision by any chance? If your husband has been dependent on alcohol for quite a while, withdraw symptoms may feel worse and may take longer before starting to feel better.
As l said in your previous post which appears to have gone, if you can't get any joy with the GP regarding the blood shot eyes, it would be well worth making an appointment with an optician. It may be conjunctivitis or can be a sign of something more serious. To my knowledge it is nothing to do with liver disease.As regards to the other symptoms and alcohol abuse, your partner needs to see a doctor urgently to arrange for tests to be done. Even call 111 for advice as to going to A&E, especially regarding the confusion and memory loss. This could be hepatic encephalopathy caused by the toxins in the blood stream affecting the brain. This needs urgent medical attention.
It will be alcohol related the eyes. I was the same . I was told opticians. A damaged liver can affect all the body. My eye were shocking. It's a slow process to recovery. All alcohol induced. Drinking poison for fun ain't a good idea.
I doubt it's a sight problem. The livers under strain n shows in the eyes. Just like it does sometime when we're sick. Eyes are a pointer that things might not be right. Sickness etc in some form. Not so much a sight problem .
He has been told it’s definately not HE which I still believe it is, they have done bloods etc and said he’s fine, he’s really not fine he’s not the man he was 7 months ago x
It probably isnt HE Emma. I suffer with confusion, forgetting things or conversations, repeat things I'm unaware etc... my daughter always tells me " weve just had that conversation" it frustrates me when I'm about to do something and I cant think what it was or go to the shop for something and I stand there figuring out what I went in for.
Theres lost of reasons why this could be. It could just be brain fog. When my concentration was 'off' I googled and it was either a brain tumour or HE... always the worst diagnosis. Coming off alcohol and trying to get better will bring on confusion, depression or low mood can also make you forgetful and loose concentration.
Try small things like write important things down, do word puzzles to keep brain functioning. If it's so bad your always reminding him to do things get checked out with gp who will order tests. But try not to think the worst because just detoxing from alcohol can bring on all sorts of symptoms. Dont be too alarmed with all the symptoms along with liver disease ... if your looking for them it's more distressing.
Have a look at Alzheimer type II astrocyte, this is when the ammonia causes the astroctes in the brain to become damaged. This reserch is still very much on going. I have a friend down at the UCL who is a research neurologist and is working in the field of HE.
Hi Richard the woman who posted says hes had tests and isnt HE. I did exactly the same and panicked too. I understand HE is serious and it is a major complication of ESLD. Automatically you do think the worst, but Emma did the right thing and got him checked out and tests say negative. But it is worth keeping an eye on it. Perhaps just keep a personal log so you can keep an eye on things and you can see if he deteriorates.
OMG , get a new doctor, that’s incredibly dangerous advice. I would speak to the practice manager. Also the liver trust have specialist nurses who will help you. What a nightmare you poor thing. I’m here if you want/need to talk. Your husband needs to reduce his alcohol slowly, you could try every other drink being zero percent or a low alcohol version. He needs professional help to stop. I’m not a fan of AA, I got support from my local alcohol team and am 8 years on! It’s a long slow journey remember baby steps and that the tortoise always wins the race with the jack rabbit lol xx
It would appear they don't want him in hospital for a full medical checks/ detox which seems essential to me ! Are you 100% sure he is not still drinking ?
Sorry for your troubles but your husband should see his medical advisor asap and hopefully it will be something minor. 20+ years ago, my now late husband developed an alcohol problem without realising it (I did, he wouldn't). Without going into the whys and wherefores. He stopped drinking alcohol without any treatment and it became a nightmare. Sickness, diarrhea, dizzy, sweating buckets and so on. I contacted Alcoholics Anonymous when the hallucinations started, the AA were brilliant and gave me information on what to expect and how to deal with it all. Good luck.
If he quit drinking several months ago his current symptoms will not be withdrawal related.Physical withdrawal is only a couple of weeks, possibly a month!
What your describing could be caused by a very sick liver and needs medical attention.
He should go to A&E and probably be admitted to hospital.
Hi Roy he had been to hospital numerous times has bloods then gets sent home with no joy but he is getting worse, the confusion and tiredness and now sharp pains in his right side in at the end of my tether 🥺🥺😟
You used the word, Alcoholic. Are you saying that your husband has an alcohol addiction problem? Approximately 84% of people who go on to develop liver cirrhosis or end-stage liver disease drink because they choose to.
There are many reasons why someone turns to alcohol, it could be due to mental health issues like depression, or the person may lead a lonely lifestyle. We are all unique, and some people have better-coping skills than others. Also, society has changed and we freely advertise alcohol. Go into any supermarket during the Father’s Day buildup and you see the shelves full of beer, whiskey etc. So, children associate Father’s with alcohol.
Over the past 8-years, Positive001 and I have been offering advice and support on here. During this time we have helped and heard many horror stories. When you hear these you can understand why a person has ended up going down the alcohol route. But at the end of the day, these people are drinking because they want to try and cope or to feel better about themselves.
Once the alcohol takes hold, people dread sobering up and try to avoid that hangover. They then have a drink in the morning to set their body straight. This is where the addiction starts to set in. Once the addiction starts, this then takes over, and they are now drinking because they have to, not because they want to.
The two phrases I prefer to use are
1. A person has an alcohol problem or issue.
2. A person has an addiction issue.
I hate the use of the word "Alcoholic". To me, this is just a label that is put on someone, and once it's used, it's there for life. "Oh, She's an Alcoholic", or "Jim over there is a recovering Alcoholic ". This label just stigmatises someone and belittles them. If a person already has a mental health issue, then this label just adds to their insecurity.
Many people who have attended an AA meeting are put off by this stigmatising and of the spiritual connotations. Many local drug and alcohol support also use this word. The danger is, that someone goes along to a meeting to find help and support, but is made to feel uncomfortable, so either they just give up or look elsewhere for support. Many turn to their best friend, the bottle. After all, it’s always there when they need it, and it tries to make them feel better.
The word Alcoholic isn't used in NHS circles, and I know that the British Liver Trust doesn't approve either.
These are just my personal views, but I know others on here share them too.
The eye issue could just be Dry Eye, and eye drops should help. Also, Diabetes and having a high sugar content in the blood can cause red eyes. A doctor should always be consulted and he/she should them diagnose the correct course of treatment.
the symptoms when added together could potentially be suggestive of something liver related, but of course may be due to stopping drinking. It is far better to know what you are dealing with. My partner was dependent on alcohol and underwent a medical detox in hospital over Christmas in thanks to his GP who (when he attended with some of the symptoms of your husband) realised something needed urgent investigating and insisted on them admitting him rather than waiting the 3 weeks the hospital had originally quoted for an outpatient appointment. I have said many prayers of thanks to this GP over the past 9 months or so as I really don't know what state he would have been in had we waited. His GP also told him never to give up cold turkey, it is very dangerous. Ideally, detox after many many years of drinking should be done under medical supervision.
There is nothing stopping you from presenting yourselves at A&E where at the very least he will get some alternative advice and be looked over by fresh eyes
Good luck, I know how scary it can all be but getting that first help and knowing what you are dealing with rather than being scared about 'what if's' really does help
Prior to my AIH diagnosis I had spider navigation and gross ascites.The sooner a Hepatologist is seen the better. They will determine what meds and scans are required.
It’s quite an array of symptoms that you describe and could indeed be liver related. I couldn’t quite tell from your post whether he’s stopped drinking completely or just cut down. If it’s the latter, that’s great, but the liver won’t be getting the rest from alcohol it needs to start to recover. He does, therefore, need to stop completely. As others have said, this has to be under medical supervision. Withdrawal from alcohol is potentially dangerous as the body can go into shock if alcohol is suddenly withdrawn, so it’s important to get to either his GP or to A&E (if there’s no joy with his GP). Personally, I’d be on the phone first thing tomorrow morning to book him an urgent appointment with his GP to review things. Write down a list of symptoms you’ve observed and give a summary of your concerns when he gets an appointment. Try to get a face to face and go with him. Explain to the GP that he’s had countless tests and just gets sent home from hospital, ask the GP to explain this to you. They will have been sent his discharge summary from the hospital so they should be able to look at his care in the round. It’s a better review environment than an A&E department as they will only have access to small parts of his record whereas the GP should have an overview. It may be possible for the GP to access more rapid specialist input through the hospital’s medical assessment unit, ask the GP if this is possible. I wouldn’t leave this...you may need to be a bit pushy. It sound’s like he needs urgent medical attention.
Can I ask how much was he drinking? That sounds severe. Have you tried using valium to help with the symptoms? valium is very good for a few weeks will help with sleep and also being a benzo can give a little bit of the feeling most alchs need. Believe me i know
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Eyes look slightly yellow( Photo attached)
Do my eyes still look jaundiced?
Upper Left and right sided pain/yellow tinge to eyes😩
Have I damaged my liver?
Yellow(ing) Eyes
