How long do you have to drink lots of wine before live failure begins?

[huffpuff]

Genuinely interested and concerned

[nailpolish]

theres no cut off point

its all relative im afraid

[nailpolish]

this may help

[nailpolish]

if you want to find out more, the British Liver Trust has tons of info

[EmilyDavidson]

If you are concerned about your own liver then go to your GP.

But think about how you would feel about the outcome of any tests.

If you already have damage then you will need to stop drinking. If you dont have damage yet then are you going to carry on drinking until you do ?

[EmilyDavidson]

Sorry huffpuff if that sounded harsh.
I was thinking about someone in my family really, not you

It is a good idea to get a check up at you GP

[handlemecarefully]

huffpuff - did you see the Dispatches programme on Monday night? No more than 2-3 units per night for women - and get this, a bottle of wine is between 10-12 units so I was drinking fairly responsibly (I thought) at half a bottle most nights. Eeek 5-6 units!

I am really very nervous that I may have undetected early liver disease and I am intending to get an LFT either to set my mind at rest or tell me the worse.

I haven't been able to touch a drop since Monday - it's completely and utterly put me off.

[handlemecarefully]

Oh and I calculate that I have been drinking 5 - 6 units most nights for the past 10 -15 years

[handlemecarefully]

Oh and I calculate that I have been drinking 5 - 6 units most nights for the past 10 -15 years

[nailpolish]

hmc you should get some tests - put your mind at rest and maybe get some ways to help your liver

its all relative, remember

[handlemecarefully]

I'm going to nailpolish....definitely going to.

[nailpolish]

do you think you have any symptoms?

i hope you are ok x

[handlemecarefully]

Thanks nailpolish for caring

No - no symptoms so that is hopeful, but I understand that in the early stages it is often symptomless. Just know that I have drunk far more than is recommended for far too long.

Still - I've had my epiphany now! It has been so easy to refuse alcohol over the past 4 days (probably because it now scares me).

[nailpolish]

think of the money you will save!

[handlemecarefully]

Very true!

[huffpuff]

thanks guys - so waht test do i ask for at my gp's?

[handlemecarefully]

Liver function test - or just explain your worries to your GP and (s)he will determine the appropriate diagnostic test.

Make your appointment. I am seeing mine next Tuesday morning

[Saggarmakersbottomknocker]

Liver function test huff.

[huffpuff]

thanks - i regularly drink a bottle of wine on a fri and sat night and sometimes one or two glasses in the week. Am a little concerned and not sure i want to have the test or not. But i think i will................

[franke]

I saw that prog hmc and like you haven't touched a drop since. I have to say I was surprised at the number of units in a bottle of wine. I thought a unit was 125ml and a bottle is 750ml so er....6 units. In any event I would say now to anyone who's genuinely worried about their liver, you need to stop drinking now.

[huffpuff]

i didnt see that programme - purposely did not see it.

[handlemecarefully]

franke - how are you finding it? (the abstinence)

Tbh I've been under counting units for years it would seem!

[franke]

Ah I've just found a site that explains it - the 125ml is based on 9% alcohol by volume - most wines are now 11-13% alc by vol. hence a unit would be about 80ml - yikes.

[Bimblin]

I don't want to encourage you the other way but I drink more than that, and I have 6 monthly LFTs (as I get all my bloods done) and they are fine. Once they were high and I panicked totally and stopped drinking for 6 months and they were fine again. And a liver scan at that point showed nothing. so I'm not totally convinced, though obviously I'm not saying you should go out and drink loads.

[franke]

You know what, I'm ashamed to say, quite difficult but I'm determined to stick with it. I've abstained for months at a time before now but tend to slip back into old habits quite easily after some kind of celebration where I "just have the one then". Plus I live in Germany where we can buy fabulous wines very cheaply.

[franke]

Yes, but that's the point the programme made Bimblin - if you are showing signs of liver hardening, you need to abstain for several months to give your liver a chance to recover. If you only start getting checked when it's too late to reverse the damage then you are in trouble. And liver damage creeps up quietly - you only get symptoms once it's irreversible.