Is it too late for my liver?

[TimeForChanges123]

I've been drinking really heavily since the start of 2020. I've cut down compared to what I was like but I still drink just over the recommended weekly allowance. I binge too, so it's all over the weekends and no alcohol at all throughout the week. I know it's been awful and I'm putting various things into place to keep cutting back but I do still fall off track sometimes. At my worst, a couple of years back, I was doing up to 60/70 units every single weekend. If I was 25 I'd shrug it off but I am 38, is it too late? Will my liver forgive me? I'm worried about cirrhosis.

@TimeForChanges123 being worried about your health with that level of drinking is fine, but don't be too scared to seek help. My late husband drank twice what you did on a weekly basis and had none of the issues @Twentywisteria highlights. That doesn't mean it won't happen to you, but people respond differently to alcohol and you're 20 years younger than he was. Make the big changes now and you may well have a long, healthy life ahead.

Do look into why you need to drink that much. Dealing with the reasons why you drink really help if you want to stop.

I know why 💔

That's a ridiculous amount of alcohol. Find out which alcohol dependency services you have in your area and have a conversation about how you go about stopping. Agree with what's been said already. Liver appears fine until it isn't and people get very very ill. Get the help you need.

I had a liver function test just for tiredness. I didn’t ask for it, G.P just did it.

Milk Thistle is very good for your liver.

If you’re able to cut down /quit drinking in the house without help then do that. No shame in seeking help if you need to though 💐

It's not just your liver either. You could get stomach cancer or an ulcer or alcohol related brain damage eventually. I'll bet lots of people developed a problem with alcohol during lockdown, the pandemic messed with people's minds and lives so much. There's no need to feel bad for doing whatever you had to to cope at that time. Nobody is perfect and what's done is done. It's what you do next that matters. The blood test is a liver function test. Since the liver keeps functioning until it's down to something like it's last 10% (at which point it starts failing and you're screwed) the blood tests come back fine, it doesn't mean there's no damage. The GP is a medical professional not there to pass moral judgement on your life choices. They'll be pleased you came for help. They'd rather treat you now than further down the line with bigger problems.

I was diagnosed with a fatty liver last September after having ongoing pain. I've been a daily drinker (literally never having a day off) for the past several years.

I was justifying it to myself as it was 'only' a couple of beers each day (although strong ones) and then a bit more at weekends. I would say I probably averaged 20-25 units per week.

I managed to quit for 8 weeks and then it started to creep back in, although at a much reduced level. It's a work in progress, I am trying so hard to stop completely but it's very difficult. Having said that, I don't drink anywhere near to what I used to. I'm averaging 8 units per week at the moment (tracking using an app)

Honestly I think you need to massively cut down at the very least, although this often doesn't work and complete sobriety is the only way.

Your liver might be in ok shape, but you're giving it a real battering and things can change quickly. Mine went from fine to not within a year.

Honestly we see it all the time, they won't bat an eye lid, at one point I had more than half my icu filled with alcoholic liver disease. The liver is amazing at regenerating, get the help you need :)

The liver has an amazing capacity to regenerate if you give it a chance so its almost certainly not too late. But you’re an alcoholic. You need to accept that and get help to stop drinking before it is too late.

Could you pour it down the sink? I don’t know if you are at a stage where you shouldn’t go cold turkey but if not it’s worth doing. My ex was an alcoholic (in long time recovery, thankfully), you really don’t want to go down to where he went 🙁 do yourself a massive favour and bin it, you’ll thank yourself.

I read this as OP doesn't drink in the week at all and drinks around 2 bottles of wine at the weekend? I don't think it would be dangerous for her to go cold Turkey if she's not drinking for five days a week anyway with no physical effects...

Correct. As I've said upthread the 60/70 units per week is in the past when I was going through a lot of shit - not now.

Listen to Annie - she has helped many:

I thought you could get liver function tests

@Dominoeffecter you can get liver function tests, but they will come back clear over and over again even though your liver is being destroyed - until the day that they don't, and by that time things will be really serious. The only accurate way to assess whether there is serious liver damage is a scan.

@TimeForChanges123 thanks, some of the responses seemed a bit ...dramatic ...talking about physical withdrawal so wasn't sure if I was missing something. Well done on turning the corner you have and getting down to twenty units a week, if you can stick to that going forward (maybe spread it out over three or four days rather than all in one night!) then obviously that's a much more positive outlook than 60/70units over the weekend.

Tbh you have done really well to cut down the way you have. I wish you every success in maintaining this. There are few guarantees in life and many people overindulge in various things food alcohol etc. You are still relatively young and you can successfully go all week without drinking. I think continue to think positively and look after yourself. A few drinks is probably not that unreasonable but keep working at improving your lifestyle.
If you ever feel that things are going downhill and you are drinking too much then please seek professional help before you do yourself serious damage.

Thank you! If I'd not started this thread and had a few scary replies I'd be halfway down my second bottle by now, meaning I would have gotten through four this weekend and therefore a "fail" weekend as I usually stick to two (I know this is still bad and I need to cut out altogether).

Instead I'm tucked up in bed with a glass of water and the alarm set for a morning walk.

Thank you x

I hope things go well for you over the coming weeks, honestly I do. But I find it worrying the only posters you are quoting and replying to are those saying how well you're doing, and not mentioning the importance of getting your liver health assessed or medical help for your illness. That implies to me you are not acknowledging the damage in what you are doing to your body, and you do not accept you really have a problem. If there isn't a real problem, then what's the harm in getting that confirmed?