Herbal Milk Thistle capsules do a great job with the liver.
I drink alcohol most days, with beer and vodka my favorites. I smoke marijuana every day. If I had to give up alcohol, I’d bump up my cannabis intake a bit, but I could do it.
OP, if you are in a cannabis friendly state, consider giving it a try. I’ve helped a few people explore cannabis over the years. For one woman smoking helped her deal with migraines that traditional medicine wasn’t touching.
That’s what I was going to say. I drink vodka and water in a 1 to 8 part mix. My last test was AST 43 and next to that it says “Reference Range 17-59”. I don’t know if that means “Normal Range”. My mom was a vodka/water drinker and marijuana user until she quit drinking a little over a year ago and now just does marijuana.
Nobody’s mentioned this, but you seem to feel stress a lot. I know, dealing with a dying parent is stressful, dealing with a cross-country move is stressful, etc. Everyone has stressors - maybe you need to learn how to deal with them in a healthier way.
StG
I had a CBC and chemistry panel done within the past year or so. I rarely drink, but one of my liver enzymes was borderline high, as is my cholesterol, but my doctor said it was not a concern.
When my cat died in 2009, her liver enzymes were so high, the machine couldn’t accurately register them; it would only go up to 6,000 and it was above that. Liver enzyme levels for cats are very similar to people, and the vet said she probably had cancer with liver mets; she had slowed down considerably in her last couple of months, but she was 18 years old too.
I lot of people find that having something oily/greasy/fatty in their stomach helps. IIRC, I saw a number of people saying they’d eat a spoonful of peanut butter first. I’ve found that taking 1 or 2 Omega-3 gel caps makes a big difference, at least with D8.
It is a very common thing for those who become alcoholics to get that way because they have forgotten how to play/cry/relax without alcohol. It’s really very important for you to focus on learning new strategies for stress relief and emotional release that don’t depend upon chemicals of any kind. Without building those skills, sobriety will be a really tough road.
I respect your decision not to use AA, but what about a grief support group? Or a counselor? You need someone to guide you.
In the meantime, pick up a hobby. Music is a really good one, especially if it involves other people. But just about any creative hobby is a great start.
Yeah, those are all tough. I’ve lived in ski towns since college, and it’s a real atmosphere of “all in” for everything. When mom was going down (dementia and cancer) and I was her caretaker, I don’t think I could have coped without some chemical. I’m proud I didn’t poach her morphine.
And I’ll reiterate–I don’t want to be actually sober. I LIKE a mellow buzz. I just don’t want the health implications. Got a job offer out of the blue today–project manager on high bux projects, I chose my hours. Plusses–social contact, intellectual stimulation, using my skills. Minuses–stress.
And if you didn’t already know, the construction industry is rife with alcohol and drug use.
OK. Don’t be sober. My advice stands. You need help to learn how to play/cry/relax without chemical dependence. Until you can do that you cannot honestly claim that this is a choice you are making. You do not prefer a buzz, you are dependent upon it. Maybe not physically, but emotionally. As I said above, this is what leads most people to physical dependence.
So my advice is: build the skills to blow off steam without it, then make the honest choices about what enhancing relaxant(s) you want in your life.
There’s some strong semi-denial here. All, all, addicts lie. And the first one they lie to is themselves, i.e. I can quit whenever I like.
I’m gonna write this from personal experience, so take it for what it’s worth. A few points:
The best definition of addiction I know of is When the negative consequences outweigh the positive. This will differ from person to person, there’s no absolute line that says alcoholic when you cross it. Some people consume quite a lot of alcohol for many years without being alcoholics. Their bodies will be abused and over time will be damaged (which of course is a negative consequence). But that takes many, many years.
My rheumatologist informed me that alcoholism is very common among her patients. Self medication. I bring this up as you mentioned arthritis.
It’s said that change can’t come until we hit “rock bottom.” I’m not sure that is true, but for me, and for many years, drinking was a positive experience. I knew I drank too much, but since I got up every morning, without a hangover, went to work, did my job, paid my bills, took care of all chores and responsibilities, being a heavy drinker was not a problem. This seems to be where you are at. I’d advice quitting before falling further down, because you will. And it will be harder to climb out of that hole.
Quitting alcohol is dangerous. Seriously. When I came in o the clinic for alcohol poisoning almost two years ago, they stuffed me full of medication, and I had to de-tox for almost two weeks. Don’t try to do this on your own. Get medical assistance.
And finally:
I so get this. It’s that mellow buzz that made the ache in my bones fade away, that made it easier going to sleep (neglecting the pain) and it felt good. After de-toxing, I’ve been on a number of different sleeping aids and pain killers, and am now down to melatonin only. That feels great. But I do miss that mellow buzz.
Take care of yourself. You’re in a bad place. Don’t let it devolve to you being in a hellish place. I was there. Not fun.
That AST level is not outrageous, but it does say things are not as they should be with your liver. Clearly you’re worried, & that’s justified, so talk to your doctor about following up on this. A CT scan of your liver will identify cirrhosis. A liver panel (blood test) can provide more information about the state of your liver. Easy tests that will give you some facts which may help with quitting. And if the results say your liver is fine, it’s one less point of stress in your life.
I haven’t seen any mention yet of the fact that aspartate transaminase (AST) is an enzyme produced by the liver, brain, kidneys, and heart. Alone, and elevated AST does not prove liver pathology.
I appreciate all the comments and am trying to take them to heart. Went over the AST levels with a doc yesterday, and yes, there are other possibilities. Still going to ramp down. I did quit (for real) for a month last year, so I’m hopeful I can avoid symptoms.
A good friend of mine is an alcoholic, but he is as healthy as his alcoholism will allow. His dad was an alcoholic and died due to multiple vitamin deficiency. So, my friend has a very healthy diet, takes vitamins, and does a one month long dry-out each year.
I was going to stay out of this trainwreck, but this!
You know, this is not a justification. This is how we end up with fires in high rises caused by “improper use of a welder”, cranes falling in midtown Manhattan, and condominiums collapsing in the middle of the night.
That’s a red flag. If your PCP isn’t interested, keep looking until you find one that is…
Huh? That wasn’t posted as a justification, just an observation. I don’t do any drugs on the job–ever. And I don’t think this is a trainwreck whatsoever. A lot of very thoughtful people, seems to me.
I read it as an observation. I’ll also submit that every job I’ve ever had people would talk about how everyone in the field drank too much.
When I was 17 I worked a summer for a plumbing company that did new home plumbing. Technically I was supposed to be carrying stuff to/from the truck for the Master plumber. In reality I was taught to solder copper, glue pvc, and put in gas lines.
We easily did 5 days work in 4 days and then spent Fridays at a bar.
Working at the big hospital really opened my eyes to the extent of alcoholism (and to a lesser degree, other substance abuse) in the elderly. I’d also long heard that the per capital suicide rate is actually highest in that demographic, and was also skeptical until I started working there.