Fibroscan - Fibrosis F3

[MadJackMcMad]

Hello one and all,

I have just been diagnosed with F3 liver fibrosis today. I have had major issues in my life and hit the beer had resulting in damage to my liver. I have abstained now for just over 6 months and whilst I am not craving alcohol I do miss the occasional glass of wine when out with the wife or a night with the lads in the pub. I eat well and exercise at the gym a minimum 5 times a week. My liver function blood tests have come back normal, liver is the correct size and "slightly coarse" and I have no abnormalities. If I can keep it to drinking alcohol say once a week, which I am certain I can, would it be safe to do so or am I now looking at a lifetime without alcohol.

Any help or advice would very much be appreciated.

[mtk0925]

I think F3 is toeing the line for cirrhosis I would work for total reversal of fatty liver before you even consider having A drink. Like ONE drink and not a week more like one a month. I know how bad that sounds. I’ve been there I don’t have fatty liver yet but I treat myself like I do… I’ve learned drs miss things all the time so even with my scans not showing it I treat it as I do.. All I have right now is moderately high liver enzymes one to two points from normal and it was enough to make me almost fully abstain from alcohol now… I will say that I do have a drink or two on an occasion, but they are very few and far in between now, as my health is more important than feeling a little buzzed. It sounds like you have a great opportunity to turn this around. I suggest looking into non-alcoholic beer and now there’s all these really cool nonalcoholic drinks that have calming components in them they’re online and I see them on Instagram all the time I’ve been thinking about getting some for myself, I also have a medical marijuana card and I’ve been told that it helps reduce inflammation of the liver. I do that sparingly though.

[Iamsarah in reply to mtk0925]

I wish you good health. Can you please tell me what symptoms you were facing?

[Fibro2021]

Studies conducted on laboratory animals showed that for a complete histological normalization of the liver parenchyma after a single alcohol intake at least one month is required. F3 is almost cirrhosis. I would advise you to give up alcohol completely. Trust me, it's not worth it.

[Roy1955]

Only comment needed is.NOBODY DIES FROM NOT HAVING ALCOHOL!

Your body has proven to you that alcohol is causing damage so consider yourself allergic to booze (you are!)

If you had a peanut allergy would you eat a few just to see if they made you sick?

[CHRISR999]

Hi, I would suggest you quit drinking for good. I had too. Once the liver has damage it can progress really quick if the attack on it continues. Every time you drink alcohol it attacks the liver. It's a toxic substance. Just like smoking is. You can now call it your Scarborough warning. Wish u the best. Chris

[Readlots]

If a friend of yours told you they had lung disease and quit smoking for six months but wondered if the could get away with a cigarette every now and then what would you say to them?

[mozlaw]

what was yyour fibroscan reading?mine was 13.4 and i was told that i was approaching early cirrhosis .i gave up completely for 3 months lapsed a little for a week and have now gone backto abstinence .I asked the same question as you and people on this forum said dont drink at all.hoprfully after a years abstinence i will ask my consultant if i could drink a little.incidentally i still meet people in the pub and have i l.me or orange and soda

[mtk0925]

I feel like a lacroix gives me the same taste as alcohol did

[10864]

I knew when I read the title what the question was going to be and felt really sad immediately. The problem is not one drink every now and then. The problem is, earlier on you proved that you have a problem with alcohol. When you hit a bad patch in your life, you turned to alcohol for relief. I’m not having a go in anyway, because I did the same thing and also oddly, followed the same path as you medically. Actually ended up in icu with severely deranged bloods, enlarged liver, diagnosis f4 fibrosis / possible cirhosis, my liver and bloods were so bad they weren’t sure. 19x months now off booze, with the support and help of AA and it has reversed!! But I will never forget the terror I felt realising I may leave my children without a mother before they were 10….

You lean on booze when times are tough as I did - it’s a problem that won’t go away. You state you miss “one drink in the pub with the lads”. If you’re honest with yourself, would it be, was it ever, just one drink?? THATS our problem….

You are in a good place and if you use this time to really get your head around not drinking, I don’t preach AA as people sometimes don’t want that route, but if you have a support network to support, use this good time in your life to think about the possibility and opportunities and great things that have happened during your abstinence, it might be enough to get you through the next bad patch and avoid severely damaging your body…

It’s not one drink that will kill you, it’s the addiction and the fact it’s never just “one”

I wish you all the very best!

[55spenc in reply to 10864]

Hi when you say reversed ! What stage are you at now if you don’t mind me asking?

[10864 in reply to 55spenc]

So at my last tests and scans, all bloods good except GGT was slightly elevated but still coming down so extremely happy, scans show VERY little if no damage so stated F0-F1 fibrosis if anything.

Fibroscans are fairly new in our hospital so the first consultant scanned the. Said he wanted the head consultant (the driving force and very knowledgable consultant in fibroscans) to take a look. I was in tears on my own thinking the worst and it was now full blown cirhosis. He scanned and said “absolutely amazing, I can find nothing of issue or to cause concern at all so whatever you’re doing keep doing it”. I outright asked, when you say nothing of concern, I presume you mean for someone with F4 fibrosis and my liver problems, he said, nope, I mean nothing whatsoever. If I didn’t know you’re past and scanned you today I would clear you of any further treatment!!!

That was at around a year abstinent, I’m now 19 months sober going into my second sober Christmas with my children ❤️

[Onesmallstep1969 in reply to 10864]

Wonderful story! Happy Mother's Day for many years to come.