Hi all, to begin I am a 23 year old female. Last month i was hospitalized due to pressure in my upper stomach and I was also very jaundiced. After running blood work in the emergency room doctors told me my bilirubin levels were high (my level was 19) normal is 1 or below.. and also my liver enzymes were elevated. They asked me if i drank alcohol and i told them yes. I was drinking heavily for about 6 months straight. Finally they made the diagnosis of alcohol induced hepatitis. I was put on prednisone for about a month. I am doing much better now, the jaundice went away and my liver enzymes are going down slowly.
My question is, is it possible for my liver to be damaged so young? And also i havent been drinking alcohol for that long. I read people usually get liver damage/disease after drinking for many years. Im only 23, i would still like to have a drink here and there. Is that even possible?
Anyone with a similar situation that has advice that would be great.. thank you
Welcome Melanie. Great that you have joined us and your lived will gradually heal but others are more knowledgeable than me and might reply. Drinking less or stopping completely would be best and then combined with a healthy diet is the way forward. Or have you stopped? Regards Robin
It is unlikely that you have done permanent damage, because of the relatively short time you were drinking and your age. However, you have temporarily damaged your liver and put it under great strain.
The worry is that you will go back to drinking heavily, as you got away with it once, why not a second time. It is only a month since you were in hospital, but now you are starting to feel better, your mind is already turning to alcohol. You need to try and understand your relationship with alcohol.
Thank you Robin.
Yes i have completely stopped drinking. The 14th of this month will mark 2 months since i last drank. I am also trying to avoid fat and greasy foods as recommended by my liver specialist
Thank you for the advice.
My liver specialist told me that he is almost certain that my liver will eventually go back to being a normal healthy liver. I havent touched alcohol for almost 2 months and i feel great. Eventually i would like to have a few drinks in moderation (birthdays, celebrations, holidays) as any normal person would.
Great effort and well done Melanie.
Hi melanie
i don't want to put a damper on your great achievement, but feel the need to comment about future drinking.
You are already starting to think about alcohol and future chances of drinking. Very few people, without medication can return to normal social drinking. I know that from personal experience.
Im not a doctor, but have seen so many people think they're better, start social drinking which is fine for a while. The problem is it escalates, they relapse and are soon back to square one, often worse.
I am not saying this will happen to you. Just want you to be aware of possible dangers.