Used to drink too much

[AmIMad]

For the last 2 years (coinciding with a possible molar pregnancy/miscarriage/ERPC operation) I have been suffering from chest pains, fatigue, spider naevi and other little quirky symptons. From the age of 24-27 I drank far too much, ie over a bottle of wine a night, more at weekends and smoked too much also (I sound charming..LOL!!). I am now 29. I gave up drinking and smoking whilst pregnant with DS with no problems at all and since I have had him I have not had more than 1-2 glasses a night but when I have had a big night out I feel jolly ill the next day, eg very cold, quick heart beat, scared I am going to die. My doctor tells me I am fine, blood tests on liver ok, but I just don't feel it. I am also scared about my liver as I have approx 12 spider naevi on my face and chest. Has anyone else felt like this?? Does anyone else have lots of spider naevi?? My doctor thinks my symptons are anxiety.

Sorry to trouble, I just didn't know where else to turn as i feel if I keep going to the doctor they will put a black mark against me and call me a hypochondriac. HELP!!

I'm sure that your dr won't think that, but it doesn't hurt to get a second opinion. Its natural that you don't get over a big night out as easily as you used to, especialy as you don't do it so often!

Like you I used to drink copious amounts every day and live the high life when I was younger about 21 - 26 yrs. Now I don't bother at all as I just can't deal with a hangover! I don't think that I have any lasting effects from this binge drinking period of my life but I listen to my body now and it is telling me it has had enough alcoholto last me a lifetime!

If your dr thinks you are suffering with anxiety did he offer you any help in dealing with it?

I agree with your doctor, I think your symptoms are anxiety which are exacaberated by alcohol even if you only have a small amount of alcohol.

I have a very difficult year and have similar symptoms to you. You have done the right thing in having the tests done. YOu just need to continue with the good work, don't binge drink when you go out and maybe look at finding some way of helping you to relax like yoga. I find herbal tea is great for calming me down.

what are spider naevi? I wouldnt worry if I were you, if your liver function tests were ok, surely that indicates there are no problems ? (But please bear in mind, this is just my opinion, not medically minded in any way).

I also think even the small amounts of alcohol are trigering your anxiety and making it worse. If i was you I would cut out drink completely to give yourself peace of mind

My Dr gave a website which is a Cognitive Behaviour Therapy self help site. It helps a bit.

Spider naevi are little round red spots with red "spider legs" coming out of the middle. They can be attributed to liver problems but they can also be completely random. I just chose to ignore the completely random theory.

Yes cathcart, I have given up drinking as I was scaring myself silly even after one glass of wine. I'm sure if I had continued the way I was drinking before DS I would be dependent now. I am quite happy without it and drink tonic water instead now. I hope I haven't done any long term damage to my body and I am fairly sure having a baby makes you think a lot more about your health and longevity so maybe I am just crazy. Does anyone think your mind can give you unexplained symptons?

yes of course it can why dont you do a liver cleansing diet or something to try and put your mind at rest? i really think you have nothing to worry about though. The liver repairs itself, even with liver disease. So please stop worrying. You have made changes and this is a very good thing

It is a very well known fact that you can easily have strong physical symptoms caused by anxiety, which is what I'm sure you have, and that they are linked to your miscarriage.

Yeah it is quite weird that the symptons started after miscarriage. I took it pretty hard which is daft as it happens to lots of people. It just dragged on and on, blood tests every week to check hormones going down etc. The doctors thought it was a molar preg which really freaked me out.

Is the liver quite forgiving then? I think DEEP down I am ok, but it is very deep. Perhaps I need a shovel LOL. I am going to give myself a good few months of no alcohol and see what happens. I really don't need it and nor do I miss it much either.

Relaxation sounds like a good thing. It doesn't help me when I am at home with DS thinking constantly about this. The internet doesn't help either (except Mumsnet) as I can look up symptons and find all sorts of problems, which I immediately self diagnose myself with. If I had any of the problems I have found on websites the doctors would know? Maybe?

Thanks everyone.

Liver is VERY forgiving! It regenerates itself amazingly well and quickly. If your liver function tests are fine, I am sure you are fine. And it isn't silly to be upset by your miscarriage.It was a horrible thing that happened to you. Maybe deep down you feel that you should be punished for this? Or that your body isn't trustworthy? Or you just feel traumatised and want an 'explantion' for your anxiety and upset.

I give myself a very hard time about an abortion I had just after my DH and I got together. I am pretty sure that I feel the miscarriage was payback. I feel pretty bad that I had it, but I didn't know DH and I would work out so fabulously well. Hubby English and I'm Australian, my UK visa was about to run out so not a good time for having a baby.

I really need to get over everything and maybe I can start to feel healthy again?!

I defintely need an explanation for why I feel like I do and I don't think the Dr can give me one.

I think you are almost certainly at the root of it already. You clearly did what was the right thing at the time, given the circumstances, but felt 'punished' by the miscarriage. You feel let down by your body and also guilty about your body. No wonder you are projecting anxieties onto your 'unreliable' body. I think you know your fears about your liver are irrational, but that's because, I'd guess, they are really about your termination and miscarriage. I think you need to forgive yourself. You did the best you could at the time, with the knowledge you had. You didn't have the benefit of hindsight. Maybe you feel like a bad person who did a bad thing and was punished by her body, maybe you don't think the punishment was enough and you should get more. I don't think that is true though. Your miscarriage was a terrible thing but not something you deserved or brought upon yourself, and yes, you liked a drink, as lots of us did in our youth or still do. But you know, you don't always get 'punished' for it. It was OK. Didn't make you a bad person.

Thanks Aloha and everyone very very much.

Going to worry less now and hope it clears itself up.