Cirrhosis Support Group

The simple answer is....if in doubt consult a doctor.

A slightly more complicated answer is that if Chris is so concerned about his drinking then he should possibly seek help and consult a doctor. Stopping drinking will not harm him, carrying on drinking may well harm him!

If his liver enzymes are elevated, they should return to normal in a few weeks of not drinking. BUT, if they are elevated it should be taken as a serious warning sign!

A little bit of background......

Cirrhosis can strike at any age. Some people are born with it.
Excessive drinking is no more likely to lead to cirrhosis than moderate or occasional drinking. Some sufferers never drink.
Liver issues can be caused by many things, fatty liver, Hepatitis, hereditary reasons, alcohol, obesity but most causes are unknown.
Jaundice can be a sign of liver issues, but also other issues.
To the best of my knowledge, the liver doesn't 'hurt' when damaged. Everything else might, but not the liver - it could be kidney issues?

So, there you have it - see a doctor.

Craig

test - ignore

Hi Josh- It is good that you are concerned and helping your friend. You are right to be scared about your friends health. He is going down the wrong path and needs help. I suggest some counselling to find the underlying problem that is causing him to drink so much more than others your age. If you are on this site, you care... and that is the first and most important step. There is a lot of information on here.

A simple blood test from the doctor will tell you if there is liver damage. If he has insurance, go to a clinic like where you'd go to get an STD test... have them do a full blood test. I don't think it's that expensive if you don't have insurance, but not sure... maybe $200?

One some people are just more prone to some diseases than others.
So, yes, your friend might have cirrhosis, but odds are he does not.
However you will only know if he gets tested and sees a doctor.
Anyways, until he does that is best that he does not drink.

The pain in his upper right abdomen is a very common symptom. While I agree with Craig that the liver itself does not hurt, often people discover they have liver disease because of exactly this kind of pain.

Inflammation in the liver puts pressure on the intestines. There is a very sharp turn in the intestines in the upper right abdomen just under the ribs. That is the pain, not the liver itself. There is also a lining in our abdomen that can be extremely inflamed and painful. While not a serious symptom, it is never a good idea to ignore persistent pain in the abdomen.

Having said that, I do know from personal experience that abdominal pain does not localize well. I.E. pain from your right side can actually be coming from elsewhere, etc.

Thank you everyone for your opinions. The reason for such delay of tests is because of no insurance, that's why I'm here. I havnt told him yet I'm talking to you guys yet. It's just, I havnt heard of anyone having liver complications at such an early time of drinking. I've looked everyewhere. I'm gonna try to help him save up for some tests like some have suggested.

I will heep my hope its just minor reversible complications instead of that latter.

Hi, good on you for being concerned. I am 31 and drank 4-6 standard beers a day for approx 2 years and found out i have cirrhisis - apparently the liver of someone who has been drinking a bottle of bourbon a day for 20 years!. Had every test done, can't find any other cause, they just say it effects everyone in different ways. The reason i went to the doctor was the same pain but also a lot of fluid in my stomach and ankles, also the jaundice in the eyes, hope this helps, good luck

Hello there :)
I agree with those who said that age is not a factor...when I was 26 I was diagnosed with elevated liver enzymes. I did quit drinking then for years. Now I'm 36 and well, you see that I am on this site. Not to scare you, but honestly, it could be nothing extreme or it could be something very big, yet treatable. I wouldn't have known 10 years ago without a simple blood test. If money is a factor some clinics will let you pay on a sliding scale, according to your income. And even if your friend is scared it's better to know sooner than later. You're a very good friend to be concerned.
Take care, the very best of luck, and God bless.
Chelsey Ann

It is my opinion that it is very unlikely that your friend has alcohol induced cirrhosis. Having said this, as others have already mentioned on this thread, if your friend continues his drinking (depending on the actual quantity of alcohol being consumed on a daily basis) it very well may soon lead to alcoholic induced cirrhosis. It is said that more than half of individuals who consume more than 80 grams of alcohol per day are at extreme risk of acquiring alcoholic induced cirrhosis in just 5 years!

However, as Craig has already mentioned, there are many other things that cause cirrhosis, and it is possible that your friend’s drinking is merely speeding the process along. If his symptoms are strictly related to his excessive drinking they may be signs of alcoholic induced hepatitis which is also serious. The good news is that your friend has not experienced jaundice which may indicate that his condition has not yet progressed this far.

Your friend really needs to seek professional medical help. However, I understand how things are in this country and how expensive it can be if you do not have health insurance. There is something you can do however while you try to come up with the money to take your friend to see a doctor. There is a service called Direct Labs, Inc. where you can order your own blood work (There are only about 3 states that will not allow this service, New York is one of them, hopefully Texas is not the other).

Your friend wants to order a Comprehensive Metabolic Panel which includes a liver profile. The total cost is about $36. Tell them you want the GGT also included in the liver profile. It shouldn’t cost much more. The results of these tests will help your friend decide if immediate action is required. After sending this company the money or paying by debit card over the phone, your friend will be directed to go to one of the many Lab Corp testing sites whom Direct Labs contracts with throughout the United States.

As Craig mention, if your friend stops drinking these tests results should be normal in a few weeks. Although it sometimes it takes longer than this for some people (possibly months). However, do not be fooled by normal liver profile results, you can still have cirrhosis and also have normal LFTs. This is why using this lab service should be considered a first step. The next step is to see a doctor.
If at any time your friend’s symptoms persist and continue to worsen, you should simply have him go to your local hospital’s ER, and worry about paying the bill later. As ChelseyAnn has mentioned, you may also want to Google and see if there are any free clinics in your area.

The telephone number for Direct Labs, Inc. is 1-800-908-0000. Here is a link to their website: http://www.directlabs.com/ Give them a call, tell them the tests you want, and they will help you.

Remember, this should be utilized as merely an intermediary step in addressing your friend’s situation. Regardless of the test results I urge your friend to see a doctor (or Nurse Practitioner). And please help your friend to stop drinking! Drinking alcohol has nearly destroyed my life and has caused great physical damage. The dangers of alcohol abuse are much more than Alcoholic Liver Disease, Hepatitis, and Cirrhosis. Long term alcohol abuse of more than two drinks a day also increases the risk of a long list of health problems including many cancers!

Regular alcohol consumption has permanently scarred my body. I wish there was some way I could sue the U.S. Government, not for money-to have them change the warning labels on alcoholic beverages sold explaining how just drinking more than 2 drinks a day on a daily basis significantly increases the risk of a long list of health problems. I realize that there are already government warnings on each beverage, but if those labels said something like “don’t drink more than 2 of these on a daily basis”, it would have decreased my daily drinking quite a bit.

Wow, everybody. Thanks again for all the great information. Sorry to hear about your situation chopper11 in which you developed cirrhosis in only 2 years of such a small amount of alcohol consumption compared to most heavy drinkers. I surely hope this is not the case for my friend and hope we catch it at a treatable stage.


But good news! Got a doctors appointment set up on monday. Never mentioned he saw the doctor 3 months back and got simple blood tests done and everything came back positive, unfortunately things have not gotten better. So the next trip will consist of an MRI and more complex blood tests such as a liver palet. Any suggestions on what to tell the doctor? Ill be goin with him.

Thanks and more stories and advise would be greatly appreciated, thanks again for all the help.