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Posted , 10 users are following.

gwen45436
gwen45436

Hi guys - it is a little quiet on here at the mo so thought I would ask your opinions.

On my ultra last year I had some indication of fat infiltration as you probably remember.

There are many on here taking Naltrexone, Campral etc with great success and some are honest enough to say they stumbled and drank, then pulled their britches back up and cut it out again.

There are varying degrees of stages that alcohol has caused to several of you and total abstinance is what in general you do.  I hate the thought of never drinking again and am sure I would be happy with a glass of red before bed.  Units being 7 a week.  Would this stop my liver from reverting and  mending cells?

I still taper Monday to Friday - and drink weekends.  But I want that down as well.

Hope you understand the post, I know what I want to ask but am not sure if I have put it very well.

Anyway, thank you to anyone who would like to respond.

Bestest of wishes to you all.

Gwen

1 like, 47 replies

47 Replies

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  • nancy99421
    nancy99421 gwen45436

    Posted

    Hi Gwen,  the liver can regenerate and heal.  I had elevated enzymes for about 30 years. I told new doctors to expect it on my tests, and then one day the test was clean.  I take milk thistle and beleive it cleaned my liver.  About the fatty liver  thing, one doctor told me years ago I had that, but in the past 10 years of doctor visits I have not been told that.  
    • gwen45436
      gwen45436 nancy99421

      Posted

      Thank you nancy,  Good to hear you are doing well.  I also take Milk Thistle combined with Tumeric and choline.  And carrot juice is especially effective at cleansing out the liver.  I'm off to the shops to buy a sack lol.

  • RHGB
    RHGB gwen45436

    Posted

    Hi Gwen,

    I did reply to this post yesterday,but something must have gone wrong.

    There are three main categories of liver disease; fatty liver (alcoholic & non alcoholic), fibrosis, cirrhosis - Child-Pugh A, B & C, compensated/decompensated.

    Fatty liver is the only one recognised as reversible by the medical industry. You don't state whether you have AFL or NAFL or perhaps a combination.

    Being sent for an ultrasound is not routine. Can I ask what was the reason for this, did your bloods come back out of levels?

    • vickylou
      vickylou RHGB

      Posted

      Hope you had a good birthday!!

      I am butting in on gwens post here. I was in the same position. My bloods were out of levels, so gp,suggested I have an US to check for AFL. just assumed that was normal procedure. The repeat one was normal.

    • gwen45436
      gwen45436 RHGB

      Posted

      Hi RH - thanks for posting.

      I went to a specialist due to acid reflux/GERD and whilst talking to him about my diet he asked did I drink alcohol and I told him yes far too much and am wanting to get it right down.  So he said because of that he wanted to do an Ultra.  My results came back as Hernia and reflux and esophagitis with slight infiltration of fat on the liver.  It was not specfied whether AFL or NAFL but one would imagine AFL.

      I thought cirrosis was the end stage - what is Child-Pugh never heard of that until I remember you mentioned it a couple of weeks ago.

      Thanks for your feedback - always appeciated.

      G.

    • RHGB
      RHGB gwen45436

      Posted

      Okay, that's fine, just a good gastro doing belts and braces. I'm sure you'll be fine, with the limited alcohol you have.

      Yes, cirrhosis is end stage, but it has three groupings. Scroll down to where it says classifications - Child-Pugh.

      https://patient.info/doctor/cirrhosis-pro

    • RHGB
      RHGB vickylou

      Posted

      Yes thank you, I had a good birthday. The missus, myself and the dog went down to the coast for the week, only got back today. Hence the reason I haven't been on much, I only set the internet up so I could watch the Lions' rugby and I only have a brick phone which doesn't have internet - I like to go on holiday and get away from it all.

      I did see the comment last night and thought, how does Vicks know when my birthday is and then I guessed FB sends something out or make an announcement.

    • vickylou
      vickylou RHGB

      Posted

      Yep you guessed correctly

      woke up to a flashing balloon saying today is xxxxxx birthday! Wish him a happy birthday!!!!

  • vickylou
    vickylou gwen45436

    Posted

    Hi gwen

    yes, the forum is very quiet at the moment, don't know whether that's good or bad!

    I was exactly the same as you. Ultra sound showed signs of fatty liver. Gp told me to lay off the booze for a while and repeat US in six months.

    I did stop for about 8 months. Well, to be honest I still had a pint of cobra with my Friday/Saturday night curry. 

    The he thought of never being able to drink again horrified me, and still does. You are only talking of 7 units which is minimal. We are all different though so it's very difficult to say yes that's fine go ahead.

    Theoretically those units are less than what I was having and my repeat US was normal. So I could say you'll be fine.

    You could use TSM. IMO medication is the best way (robin being the exception!). Campral certainly got me back on track and am taking it now. No desire to drink at the moment. However total abstainance for ever for me is a different matter. I know I can have a drink in the future, but wanted a period of abstainance.

    Hope you can understand me. Middle of the night, no sleep again!!  Yes I drank and liver went back to normal. I'm no doctor, so would hate to say "yes you'll be fine".

    Youre doing great at the moment, you must be very strong willed.

     

    • gwen45436
      gwen45436 vickylou

      Posted

      Thanks vicks - yes I am strong willed when I get the need to be.  I just think life without my treat before bed would be boring.  Cocoa does not do it for me sad

      I wish I had no desire at all - is that because of the Campral - how would you feel if you were told you could not take it anymore - would it worry you and would you relapse?

      Thanks for posting - it is good to see some action - I miss everyone and hope those missing are ok.

    • vickylou
      vickylou gwen45436

      Posted

      For me campral stops me even thinking about alcohol, let alone drinking it ! I'm taking it now for the 2nd time because I was becoming aware that my alcohol consumption was creeping up and I needed to do something about it

      Ive a whole load of social activities at the moment and there's alcohol more or less on tap. I intend to stay with campral for another six months.

      No it wouldn't worry me if I couldn't take it. I've no intention to go back to where I once was. That's why I'm taking it again.

      Like you, sleep is a nightmare and I must admit there's been times in the night when I've thought of nipping downstairs and having some of OHs malt whisky. I used to do that years ago and top them up with water!!

      He had quite a collection of different malts and had his own cupboard. I don't know how I thought I'd get away with it, well actually I didn't think, I just wanted a drink

       

    • vickylou
      vickylou

      Posted

      Sorry Gwen I'd not finished, but phone went.

      All came to a head when OH and one of his mates decided to have a whisky tasting evening. Am sure you can imagine the scenario, spluttering, spitting, swearing then shouting!!

      How low and embarrassing I was

      Just out of interest, have you tried going without your treat one night? One glass of wine would be zilch for me. It would have no effect at all so I'd rather not bother. One bottle yes, one glass NO!!

      laters

    • gwen45436
      gwen45436 vickylou

      Posted

      Oh dear I am relating to watering down.  I too have done it.  That is before the bottles go into the optics !! cant then.  I got a right old telling off as my OH likes a nightcap.  I decided to get him another bottle of whiskey as was feeling guilty to nicking some of it and watering it down - trouble was the new bottle of course was a totally different colour - oooops big time.  Never will forget the shame.

      No dare not go without my treat - too scared to bear my soul with no alcohol at all.  That will come hopefully.

    • vickylou
      vickylou gwen45436

      Posted

      Hahaha

      The new bottle was a different colour! I can go one better, I put a bottle of Glen Morangie into an Arborlore box (excuse the spelling!!) and never noticed. I even denied it and said it must be a dodgy knock off haha.

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