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Convinced I have cirrhosis after renewed heavy drinking due to stress/bereavement

Posted , 10 users are following.

gav44887
gav44887

Well, I think I have to admit it: I am alcohol dependant and it has now permanently wrecked my physical and mental health.

I had two serious binges again due to unparalled stress and ended-up in hospital.

Despite all blood tests being in normal ranges, but platelets now lower end of normal as opposed to high-end of normal before, my body is telling me that I am at the point of no return.

I feel done, mentally and physically.

1 like, 19 replies

19 Replies

  • Sober_As
    Sober_As gav44887

    Posted

    Hello Gav.,

    I am sorry to know that you are suffering so badly, mentally and physically.

    Have you had Liver Damage, in the past?

    I know that my body has had more than enough.  I am taking the medication Selincro/Nalmefene, just now.  It helps you taper down your alcohol intake.

    Do you have Depression?  

    Alcohol Use Disorder is torture, especially when you realise that you are out of control.  I feel that alcohol controls me... my life... the mess that I have made of things, because of it.

    Please get help.  You need support to beat the addiction.  I hate how I am.  I don't understand how things can have become so bad.  I think you know what I mean, by that.

    This Forum is great.  People on here will give you other links, to more help.

    Good Luck on your Road To Recovery.

    Alonangel 🎇

    P.S. What age range are you in?

    • gav44887
      gav44887 Sober_As

      Posted

      Thanks, Alonangel.

      I am 47 and feel like every day is going to be my last: drained, can't eat, awful thirst, weight falling-off me, etc, etc.

      This is not life - I am existing and fading.

    • Sober_As
      Sober_As gav44887

      Posted

      Do you have anyone at home, with you, who could help?

      Keep drinking water.  Try to eat something.  I had symptoms like yours about 6 years ago.  It was diagnosed as Alcoholic Hepatitis.  I still drank on for months... just could not stop.  Eventually, I managed to control things and did not drink for 20 months.  My liver recovered.  Bereavement triggered a return to the bottle... I have been drinking excessively again, for 3 years.  I will run out of chances, one of these days.  I am 60, now. My general health is not good.  

      Can you focus on any reasons to survive?

      Do you have children?

      I am wishing you well, take heart.  Do not give up hope, new friend.

      Alonangel 🎇

  • RHGB
    RHGB gav44887

    Posted

    Having spoken to Gav in the liver forum, I have a slight head start here. Gavin, I would suggest you copy and paste your original list of symptoms from that forum. We have one qualified person here who specialises in alcohol addiction and I would be interested to hear his opinion on them.
  • ADEfree
    ADEfree gav44887

    Posted

    Gav, it sounds like you can recover from this, but you likely need some sort of medical treatment to help you keep off the drink. Are you in the US or the UK?

     

  • gav44887
    gav44887

    Posted

    I am in the UK (Northern Ireland).  I have an insatiable thirst and both shoulders are now sore and I can feel my pulse through my abdomen.

    There is no blood from my mouth, penis or rectum, just several bruises in various parts of my body, which are not sore to touch.

    I have never felt so unwell in my life, though I'm sure fear, anxiety and depression are making it all worse.

    • ADEfree
      ADEfree gav44887

      Posted

      Gav, along with RHGB's suggestion, maybe go over any of the medications that you're currently on.

      When did you last talk with a physician about this? 

  • gav44887
    gav44887

    Posted

    Last Friday (three days ago).  I felt reasonable (physically) but started to feel like this on Saturday morning, then it improved a bit, but I have felt like this since yesterday evening, but feel it is getting worse.  I am also sleep-deprived.

    I must have drank at least two litres of water, milk or juice today - no alcohol - and seem to be urinating normally, and it is pale, not dark or bloody.

    I am on Ramipril, Omeprazole, Simvastatin, Aglomentine and Zolpidem.

    • ADEfree
      ADEfree gav44887

      Posted

      You might want to look up the effect that alcohol has on each of those. Also, googling Ramipril Brusing (for instance) yields information that you might want to know about, as an informed patient.
  • Misssy2
    Misssy2 gav44887

    Posted

    platelets are low after a drinking binge and then climb back up..like a rebound effect...that happened to me..I have no idea what my platelets are right now...I didn't drink for like 75 days...then drank 2....my body wasn't happy for 3 days.

    ​Its a good thing you feel done gav...now maybe  you can start healing.  I hope for your sake....you are done.  And for mine...I like to see people suceed because it makes me stronger.

    ​Withdrawal is h*ll as you know....but fortunately for us...with alcohol problems if you can get thru them..next week at this time will look a whole lot better.

  • gav44887
    gav44887

    Posted

    The suddenness of this insatiable thirst is also pointing me to diabetes.
    • ADEfree
      ADEfree gav44887

      Posted

      Well, I'd say you should get ahold of your doctor(s) again and let them know what's going on, what your situation is and remind them of the meds you're taking. None of us here are physicians, so I really feel that's your best route. If it's due to the alcohol or the alch and one of your meds, at least they can tell you what to expect. I'd suggest you do it straight away.
    • Sober_As
      Sober_As gav44887

      Posted

      Gav., do you have a N.H.S. Helpline in Northern Ireland?

      These helplines advise... on what action to take on symptoms.  Sometimes you have to go to hospital to be checked out.  It's an Out Of Hours service.  They send an ambulance, if necessary.

      I would check online and phone.

      It is best to be as safe as possible, when you feel so bad.

      Take care,

      Alonangel 🎇

  • h1954
    h1954 gav44887

    Posted

    So sorry to hear you are in a bad way, but with your blood tests being normal it seems you have survived.  Hopefully you want to survive.  You have admitted your dependence on alcohol.  I hope you get the help you need.  Stick with this site - there is lots of support
  • gav44887
    gav44887

    Posted

    Thanks for various replies.

    I phoned the 'out-of-hours' GP and explained the situation to them.  The GP told me to go to hospital this evening to get tested for diabetes.

    I did so, urine and blood tests were normal.  The doctor also said that liver function and other blood tests (checking kidney function, maybe?) were also normal, "which surprised" him given  what I told him.

    I still feel very rough, but am relieved that I don't appear to have diabetes.  I'm not entirely convinced that the liver is fine, as I've read that liver function/blood tests can be normal even in advanced liver disease, but that wasn't the doctor's opinion.

    I am due to have an endoscopy on Thursday but, in the meantime, the doctor put it all down to severe stress and anxiety.  He didn't mention alcohol wtihdrawals, but I wonder could that be part of it?  I hadn't been drinking THAT much - about ten units per day for a fortnight, with some days off.  But I guess I am 47 now ....

    • ADEfree
      ADEfree gav44887

      Posted

      The stress and anxiety certainly could be caused by withdrawal. What did the doc say about the bruises? Presumably you let them know what meds you were taking and they didn't find a serious problem there, but have you researched to find what side effects might be involved when you drink on those meds?
    • Sober_As
      Sober_As gav44887

      Posted

      Hi Gav.  So far, so good on your tests.  Your hospital results should be sent on to your G.P.  When you get an appointment, ask about the number for the G.G.T. part of the Liver Function Test.  It is the result of damage caused by alcohol.  I think it should be less than 40.  Mine was 396, when I was ill, through alcohol.  I eventually got it down to 26.  I don't know what it is just now.  I was scared to ask about last test ... the hospital had not sent it on to G.P., then I just didn't ask again. 

      I hope you can relax a bit .  Keep drinking water and " healthy" fluids.

      Think strong... beat the booze !

      Alonangel 🎇

       

    • gav44887
      gav44887 Sober_As

      Posted

      Thanks, Alonangel.

      GGT was part of the test and was within normal range.  The highest it has ever been when measured was 121.  That was three days after a week of VERY heavy drinking last July/August.  Of course, I'm concerned about that beause my GP told me he has seen GGT's of 1,000-2,000.  Mine has never been anywhere near that, and it concerns me that the reason for that is that my liver has not been working properly and gradually been damaged over 25+ years of regular, social drinking, so there's not been enough healthy liver left to "irritate" and produce very elevated enzyme results, and the more recent irregular binge drinking has just brought the problems to the fore.   I don't know whether this is rational thinking or not.

      My AST figure at the start of last August was 96, again the highest it has ever been, but two weeks later it was 25.  Doctors said that showed the liver had quickly recovered once the bingeing had stopped.  It has not been higher than 42 since, despite me also being on a couple of meds that are not liver-friendly, too.

      About the bruises: no more have appeared, but I had already been worried about a downward trend in my platelets count during regular, routine blood tests.  After last years binges, when I also had bruises, my platelets were very high end of normal: 387K.  The last time I asked what they were when tested a few weeks' ago, they were down to 206K.  That seems like a very worrying drop to me in a short time.

      I don't feel quite as ill as yesterday, so far, but am worried sick.  Now I have an upper GI endoscopy to "look-forward to" on Thursday, and am panic-stricken that it will reveal or, worse-still provoke, varices in my oesophagus or stomach.

      :-(

    • Sober_As
      Sober_As gav44887

      Posted

      Hi Gav.,  I am glad to hear that you are feeling a bit better.  I am just back home from Hospital Clinic visit... not re alcohol... I have to go back again tomorrow and will see Consultant. I was so stressed about being there today that when the nurse... whom I know... asked how I was... I just completely broke down !  I guess I'm not that well, then !!

      Never mind,  I hope your Endoscopy goes well, with minimal damage.

      Take care and keep drinking the blessed water !!! ('didn't want to say bloody)

      Alonangel 🎇

      P.S. Some anti- depressants cause bruises on me.

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