New here and I'm scared....just quit drinking...do I have liver disease?

I'll start by saying I'm an alcoholic. Or was rather depending on your way of looking at things. I was drinking a pint of whiskey(sometimes a little less) a night, for basically 4 years. about 7 or 8 months ago I noticed some yellowing in my eyes, so after a couple months I finally admitted to myself that it was because of the drinking. So 5 months ago I quit drinking. Cold turkey. And to be honest, it wasn't that hard for me. I have a 2 year old son who is my world and a beautiful wife to give me motivation to keep living. So I started getting a little pain in my liver about 2 months in, and my jaundice isn't going away. So I go to the doctor and fess up to everything, and they do blood work of my liver and everything is normal, even my bilirubin. But they do an ultrasound anyways and it comes back normal as well. So a month later I go in again about the jaundice. Tests are normal again, so they send me to a gastroenterologist. He said he agrees that it's probably from drinking and that he thinks I'll be fine as long as I refrain from alcohol. He ordered more blood work and am upper endoscopy for next month. Also, I've noticed my feces isn't dark brown anymore. It's very pale. Sometimes not so much, but often it is.

Point is: I'm worried to death about the new blood work and the upper endoscopy. I don't want to die young and leave my family without a husband and father. I'm only 26 years old, and I'm constantly stressing about this and worried sick to the point of crying. My jaundice is very much still present, but only in the eyes. It's never been on the skin. . I really don't know where I'm going with this. I'm just scared and need some advice from someone who's been through it. Thanks. Sorry for the length.

Post Edited By Moderator (MamaLama) : 3/31/2015 1:49:25 PM (GMT-6)

Welcome !! I certainly hope the tests turn for the best. I have hep-c and have had a liver transplant, jaundice hit me before transplant... I never really drank much . So I am thinking it might be not as bad as you think, they do enough tests that for sure and hopefully you get some positive answers!!!

Welcome, Cash.

I wrote a long post but it zoomed away.

Lots of things can cause yellowing of eyes and skin.

Too many yellow and orange vegetables.
Stone caught in a duct.
Viral Hepatitis...did anyone test for Hep A, B or C
Auto Immune Hepatitis
PBC or PSC
Etc.

It is good they are going to do more tests. They may even want to do a fibroscan or liver biopsy.

Your GI doc may want you to go to a liver specialist called a Hepatologist who really concentrated on the LIVER..

The upper endoscopy is a piece of cake...10 minutes on light sedation. They look down your throat and stomach and a bit beyond to make sure nothing is amiss. If there is, they can give you some meds. If you have any bulging veins, they can band them. (Those bulging veins can be a problem if they burst...anyone who has bleeding from the mouth or nose that won't stop quickly should call 911.)

Use the search feature on the blue bar above and look up keywords: Esophageal Varicies, Portal Hypertension, Blocked bile ducts. Lots to learn. Also, above these posts there is one called RESOURCES. Click on that and open some of the URLs that are relevant to your situation.

Let us hear from you after you see your doc,

Mama Lama

hi Cash, is H poly the same as H pylori?
barry

Thanks Ziff for posting in...as a caregiver I can care a lot...but those who are IN this themselves give the best support. Hope you are doing well this spring. Hugs, ML

I know I'm working myself up. I have my ups and downs. In the beginning, I thought it was because of the drinking, which don't get me wrong, I still attribute it to that, but after being 5 months sober and seeing no results, I'm beginning to wonder if it's something else. What really gets me is that my liver enzymes and bilirubin are normal. And the ultrasound came back negative on all accounts. The entire upper right quadrant was looked at. I'll never go back to drinking, even if it turns out it didn't cause all of this (which I'm still convinced it did), but it's hard to enjoy my sobriety when I look in the mirror everyday and see no results. I won't back down from this unfair life we live, but my goodness do I need a break from the stress.

hey man. very similar symptoms to you.... jaundice but cleanish results and clean ultrasound, no hep, very very pale stool, whitish yellow at times, usually a horrid light yellowy light tan colour with fat on surface of the water. My tests are pretty much clean but incredibly pale poop, itching, yellow skin and eyes, I know my liver is in ok condition as tests don't show anything also my bili results are never that high (bout 1.2) ...it's cleaning out the bili in the blood as it goes around the system. BUT hardly any is getting into my intestine, I think it's just leaking into my blood slowly and constantly. so its always staining the skin lightly.... that's my theory anyway because I'm light yellow all over nd eyes(though I am very pale naturally so it shows up easily, especially under florescent lighting, hate being in the office.... in sunshine it's less so but eyes and fingers are yucky yellow. hate it.

Even though I'm white as hell, in the past 18 months I get regular compliments that I have a good tan for once - that hurts, I don't say anything. I'm as white as a ghost and couldn't and can't tan ever....) .

Send me a message bro. I've been going through this stress for 18 months now.... I'll happily share my success and failures with trying to get it better.

I'd suggest a visit to a nutritionist and cut out high salt and sugar from ur diet.... obv no alcohol but also smoking INTENSELY flares up my symptoms and I get pain in my liver. It's really weird. People regularly dismiss my concerns, so I'm here to help you out if you need man.

I had these symptoms (much milder) about 7 years ago after drinking and taking drugs pretty hardcore,..... it went away then I was really stupid again a couple years back with meds and alcohol. When your problem clears up, please don't do what I did. }

Echo mamalamas comments above. Sounds like you can cure yourself with some very healthy living. You can do it man. Don't go ***** crazy like I did with depression, go see a therapist if you need it, I did need it and didn't go.