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Questions about right side pain, other symptoms

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tim20189
tim20189

Hello all, this is my first time posting.

Good news: I am 50 days sober today after about a decade of hard drinking. Have only been tempted once or twice to get a drink and it passes very quickly. I feel more like a person who doesn't drink than a person who is trying not to drink.

Bad news: What got me to quit is I started feeling a discomfort on my right side under my rib cage after a big 5-day binge. I freaked out and went to the emergency room and got every test done. CT scan, ultrasound, blood, urine, x-ray, etc. and the only thing they came up with was fatty liver.

Since then I've developed some other stuff - the most annoying thing is the frequent urination. I go every 30 minutes or so during the day no matter how much I drink and several times at night. The urine is normal color - light yellowish. It's a very urgent feeling and it's hard for me to go anywhere - if I see a movie I have to leave 4 times.

I have also had some muscle tremors - mostly on my right side - sometimes right in the liver area. A few times it woke me up in the middle of the night. 

Also have developed some itching in the right sole of my foot - there is no visible rash or athlete's foot or anything. It's in the arch and is a very deep itch that is hard to satisfy.

I keep freaking out and going to the ER or immediate care but my blood tests and liver function always come back normal. I eventually went in to get a Fibroscan which revealed I have the first stage of Fibrosis - a 7.6 on the scale. My doctor said that this is nothing to worry about and it's reversible as long as I continue not drinking.

However- everything I've read suggested that you don't get symptoms from fibrosis until a late stage. I've had pretty much everything else checked out - my gallbladder is fine, colonoscopy, endoscopy both fine.

Maybe I'm just special? Do other people experience these symptoms with low-level scarring or fatty liver? I thought these would have gone away by now.

I'm 33 years old and don't have any jaundice or vomiting or weird-colored stools, so I don't think I have cirrhosis but it's hard to get the idea out of my head. 

Next I'm going to see a urologist but I'm honestly out of ideas and exhausted from all the worrying and wondering what's going on.

Any input would be very welcome, thank you.

0 likes, 3 replies

3 Replies

  • sienna8912
    sienna8912 tim20189

    Posted

    Hi Tim, have you been checked for a simple UTI, which is usually treated with antibiotics? Or has your glucose (sugar) level been checked?
    • tim20189
      tim20189 sienna8912

      Posted

      Hi - thanks for answering.

      Yes I've been checked for a UTI a few times - nothing there. I forgot to mention that I have occasional pain in the groin and my right testicle too. I thought I had an STD at first and got a round of antibiotics but they did nothing and all the tests came back negative.

      I was thinking diabetes for a while but my blood sugar has always checked out fine, too. 

      Tomorrow I'm going to see a urologist. I they can't tell me anything I might try eastern medicine - it's so frustrating not knowing after so long.

  • Guest
    Guest tim20189

    Posted

    I had unusual symptoms (liver pain, anxiety, anorexia) during the first 90 days of my alcohol recovery too. 

    It really does take 3 to 6 months to get back on an even keel, but most X-Drinkers do remarkably well provided they don't have advanced symptoms (ascites, jaundice).

    Keep the faith all will come right in the end.  I would avoid going on any antibiotics "just in case" your uro doc might prescribe.  Antibiotics are in fact the most common cause of drug induced liver injury.  If you have a positive urine culture, or possibly semen culture, then OK, but avoid any "poison pills" without a positive indication for them.  

    Hope you're feeling better soon.  I'm betting you will!  

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