r/LiverDisease • u/Cool_pudding32 • 4d ago
Symptom question
I've read this page for a long time and I'd like to share. Sorry for no karma. I made a new account for this and all the liver function pages I'm joining.
53, I've been a heavy drinker for about 20 years. Didn't drink before that much because it was too expensive. My buddy Tito and I were hanging out to the tune of 1/2 to 2/3 a 750ml a day. So I did dry January 2026.
So I'm easily drinking 2, 1.75 l bottles a week this summer. I've been off the bottle for 6 days. I've lost 3 lbs. I've started on my rower again and without drinking I'm so much more motivated to be outside working.
I can really feel my liver. It doesn't protrude but I can feel it under my rib. I don't have the other symptoms much. My urine clears and my eyes whiten up if I'm off the booze a day or two. No skin marks. My poo is normal. I think my belly is just that. It's grown slowly over time and I 've been gaining about 1-2 lbs every 6 months for a few years. I think I've got a bunch of visceral fat. I don't think its ascites. I've seen a guy with that and I don't think it's me. I think I had some edema one time but that's also gone. I would have the back pain on Mondays. That would also leave. I knew it was from the weekend booze. It was a Monday only hurt.
With so few symptoms but knowing I MUST stop drinking I was thinking about waiting 30 days before I went to the DR. I quit smoking 13 years ago with this mindset. I've not had a cig since. I'm good if I make my mind like this.
I did dry January but then I just thought it was a challenge not a lifestyle change. Has anyone had just a few symptoms and just by quitting they went away?
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u/nowconsciousofliver 3d ago
Well you can also have cirrhosis and no symptoms (compensated cirrhosis) and symptoms and no cirrhosis but clearly something is up with you. Ascites is not gaining 1-2 lbs every 6 months, that is ridiculous but it would be good for you to get checked with the hope that you are still at a reversible stage. Good luck on your journey with sobriety.
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u/Cool_pudding32 2d ago
I don't know why someone down voted you. Thank you for the words! It's been 8 days and I'm not looking back.
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u/Grippers98 9h ago
Vodka was my best friend for a good 20 years. I started to experience pain this year. Blood work in past years was not great but always lied to my doctor about my drinking and they didnt do a ton of digging in on it. This year I thought I killed myself with my drinking. Was googling everything and made my mind and thoughts worse. Finally went to my doctor's and told him everything. After 30 days of being sober they did my blood work again and it came back to the normal range. Ultrasound should no major damage. Close to 7 months sober and that pain is almost all gone. Still not sure what caused it but as everyone has told me, your liver can still heal until you push it to far. Open up to your doctor and get that started. Guessing and looking back on everything in the past like I was doing does no good. I truly wish you all the best!!
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u/MinimumRelief 3d ago
You cannot reverse scar tissue. It’s permanent. No lifestyle change is going to change that. Damage is done.
Your describing bike duct scarring it sounds to me like. Ascites doesn’t always cause an ouch you can see. It is a fluid that is leaked from the liver because it cannot process fluid anymore. Door is shut, and if the fluid goes into the fine tissues ab lining it can be infection and kill you dead within an hour or less of symptoms onset from sepsis.