Liver disease

I stooped drinking since yesterday and will not touch it again. I am find with quiting. I thiink I had it for the past  year  months but the itchy skin started last week. Not sure how bad it is?

 

Itchy skin is a sign of liver disease.  Is your skin yellow, or your eyes?

I think you ought to telephone Alcoholics Anonymous,  you need to talk to someone

If you need help with a drinking problem either phone our national help line 

on 0845 769 7555 

These services are staffed by volunteer members of AA who will be happy to answer your questions or put you in touch with those who can.

I copied that from their website

 

I know all about alcohol and its damage and I am member of AA and I stopped alcohol for a long time but last week I started again. Since I heard the news, I stopped completely. I am still going to AA and completed my outpatient therapy as well. Thank you for your help. I alos ordered  Formulas Milk Thistle Standardized and liver detox . And I will order more. I am anxiously waiting to hear from my doctor Monday.

Thank you so much..I am worried..My liver has been hurting for a while but it only hurt when I drunk alcohol..I didn't know that I should pay attentionn to it. I ignored it. I think my kidney is affected as well because It my kidney is hurting . And some of the signs that I have seen could be from either one. But mostly from Kidney I suspect. Even though my doctor says that my kidney is functioning well according to their test. Not sure why is it hurting? They run another blood test and lets see what happens? I will post again about the result of the blood test and the exray of the liver.

Sorry, my first comment was short as I only had the phone to type on! Yes, hope you understood what I meant, it might be you'll still have high readings as you've only just stopped drinking. Hopefully you haven't done any permanent damage, but you may have to go and get another test in 3-6 weeks time to see if the levels are dropping.

its not uncommon for the kidneys to be affected by the liver not functioning correctly. My liver was killed by a strep infection (needed transplant) and the kidneys shut down to protect themselves.

if your kidney function is OK according to the tests, make sure you're not confusing the feeling with backache. The bottom of the kidney is "generally" just inside the rib cage (kinda belly button height) and the right is normally lower because the liver needs to go somewhere!! Lower back pain is often mistaken for kidney pain.

See how you get on with the doc on Monday, but please please please be brutally honest with him / her and explain about the drink (if you haven't!!). They should discuss your results this time (obviously) AND say to get another one done in X weeks time. Be very surprised if they don't.

When you say you've recognised the symptoms, what has been happening to you (jaundice etc.?). Sorry, how old are you too, if you don't mind me asking?

with regards the liver & kidney probs, I speak from in depth experience. Long story, will divulge if interested.

good luck for Monday, keep us updated as to how you get on!

 

Thank you and here is my story as I remeber. my short memeor is affected too. I am kind a confused sometiems. I have to think what was I doing and wanted to do or say. This is also new to me.

I am 45 and been drinking heavily since 2012 due to many issues in my life. But there is no excuse. I depended on alcohol heavily since mid 2013.  I was becoming an alcoholic and didn’t know anything about AA or any support group until I was forced to get help. The rehab and AA helped for a period of time but alcohol was always there in my head until I started again a few weeks ago and drunk out of control. 6 months ago I had swelled legs and stomach and high blood pressure about twice but it went away by itself.

A few weeks ago I started having bad Itch in my neck, body, upper legs and arms after I used the self tanning lotion and I was scratching myself so badly that the bruises are still noticeable. I thought it was an allergy so bought all kind of ointments to relive the itch and pain and last week at work suddenly I had severe pain in my lower back and felt very heavy also around my lower stomach. And I had hard time breathing and started feeling numb in my fingers, arms, neck, lips, tongue and my eyes were twitching and I felt very dizzy and could hear whistles in my head and ears and could not breath easily and then I felt pain on my cheat and my heart felt heavy and could feel my heart pending so hard and I started to shake and tremble. All that lasted until I took lasix and also a muscle relaxer, potassium and drunk lots of water for my spasms.

 

Then after an hour or two the symptom went away and I felt better. Since then it has been happening twice a day- same thing. Also have been having bad taste in my mouth like a copper taste and I feel yucky and don’t feel like to eat food a and my mouth is very dry.

 

 I went to the hospital told them that I have failed kidneys. They tested my blood and urine they said I don’t have kidney problem. It is perfectly normal. I didn’t belive them so I made an appointenent with my doctor and my doctor already knew because the hospital faxed the results to him. He seemed concerned and asked me why am I saying that it is a kidney failure?  I told him because of my research and understanding all sign that I am seeing in myself are because of kidney failure.He said, no!! It is your lever very high in something. And he ordered more tests and x-rays because I argued with him and didn’t want hear to accept what the hospital has reported. So now I have to wait and see what happens.

Oh Julie, I am so sorry for you and wish I was able to help you but, you have been to your doctor and he isn't giving up on you, which is good.  You must trust what he tells you to do.

Do you have any family or friends nearby?

I hope you have positive news on Monday.

 

I have friend far and I don't want to tell anyone.The first thng they would gossip and tell the family that she has dissease.stay away from her and she is drunk.My sisters would do that. So I can only depend on strangers or friends as before. Family pushed me deeper in to alcohol. They love to find a topic to talk about behind your back. My counserlors helped me to get myself away from my sister could not wait to hurt others by gossiping and making stories.

Meant friends not just one friend

Hopefully as you've only been heavily drinking since 2013, there's a good chance your liver will get back to a reasonable level. Some of the things you mention can come from withdrawal symptoms. You can get these symptoms the day after having a drink because your body craves the alcohol to calm it down again. Be careful taking potassium if it is a supplement and not something prescribed. Ask on Monday how your potassium levels are doing. It's something I had to reduce when my original liver died.

have a read up on "hepatic encephalopathy". I don't think you're at the stage when this could occur, but it's something to look out for. Basically, because the liver is damaged, it doesn't get rid of impurities and leads to a build up of ammonia in the blood. Messes with the head something rotten. I was talking a lot of gibberish when it happened to me. Had to take lactulose to try and get some out (lactulose gives you diarrhoea really really bad to clean your system out!! It's not nice needing to go every 2 minutes, especially when you're stuck in bed with a broken leg (subsequently amputated).

your doc might refer you to a liver specialist for further tests (ultrasound, MRI, chest x-Ray).

dont panic anyway. Easy to say I know, but just see what happens Monday. They'll be able to advise, help and (if any things wrong) fix you!!

I'll post what happened to me later today. 

People can be so unpleasant sometimes and if they don't know something, they make it up!

If you ever feel you want to chat, pm me and I will give you my email address.

 

Are you sure the self tanning lotion didn't cause the itching?  It wouldn't surprise me if it did.  The other things that happened to you might just be coincidence and your conscience might be making you believe that things are worse than they are.

Anyway, as Matt says, see what happens on Monday.

 

I am so sorry about your condtion..I hope you will recover soon. I pray for you. Thank you for your encouragement and positive notes. i needed it.

 

Mrsmop....I think the symptoms seem to be more like withdrawal symptoms (or as you say a coinky-dinky) What do you think?

Thank you so much..Yes, I would like to talk to you. I am scared and alone.

I'll pm my email address

I don't know if it was from liver, kidney or the lotion.  My arms are not healed up yet from scartches and bruises and it is itching again. It might be from my lotions , I am not sure. My neck is itching again too. I might stop using these lotions and creams for a while and lets see what happens.

Thank you for your email.

I discovered about 12 years ago, that I am allergic to formaldehyde and formaldehyde releasers, which are in all sorts of products.

I am now very careful what I use.

 

I think it is withdrawal and liver as well. Both symptoms are happening at the same time.