Drinking and the effects on your liver

[mizfiesta]

I was at a Christmas dance on Saturday 22nd December. My friends and I had a great time and naturally enjoyed a few alcoholic drinks. I had quite a bit to drink so therefore the next day, as usual when I drink, I felt awful. I always get really, really bad hangovers. I always have done and I know that they're supposed to get worse as you get older. But my friends - while of course they feel rough the next day - aren't usually as bad as me. My hangover on Sunday was even worse than usual and I literally lay in bed ALL day - which I felt bad about. Even yesterday I felt bad. And it may have been my imagination running riot but I swear my liver was sore! My right hand side, just below my rib cage was definitely experiencing a wee bit of pain. Nothing severe but a definite ache. So my question is - is this pain my liver 'complaining' with regards to the alcohol? And just why do I feel worse than my mates? Why does alcohol seem to have such a detrimental effect on me the next day? May I add that I only drink around once every three weeks or so - with nothing in between - simply because the hang overs are so bad. I am 37 years old and of course I admit that when I do go out and drink I do like to enjoy myself - but I don't want to drink at ALL if my liver is going to be damaged in any way shape or form. I would rather live life teetotal. Any input would be greatly received as I am rather worried in case my liver had a weakness of some sort. PS Merry Christmas!

[Ethel]

Alcohol is a poison and some people can process it better than others.

Quite by chance I had blood tests earlier this year which showed drinking had damaged my liver.

Although I drank every day I was never drunk and never had a hangover. 2 glasses of wine at lunch time, and two durig the evening.

I had to stop entirely, and after 8 months my liver is nearly normal.

I'm lucky. Thank heavens I had to have those tests for something else entirely.

[REDHEAD24]

hi miz
, possibly you drank more then ur friends, and if u mixed ur drinks at all then that is akiller x

[chazza]

HI
Try taking milkthistle tablets coming up to the party season or a big night out, and artichoke tablets on the night itself.

I've started doing this and it helps cleanse the liver and help your body get rid of the toxins quicker therefore making the hangover go away quicker!

[cherrycherry]

Hi...hope you are feeling a bit better now. People don't feel pain in the liver until the very last stages of liver disease, when it is virtually too late to do anything about it (irreversible damage). So your pain would be more likely to do with the gall bladder, maybe inflammation, which could lead to gallstones if you continued to drink heavily more regularly than you do at the moment (which doesn't seem too bad to me). I wouldn't worry that you have done permanent damage to your liver and I hope you have a great New Year!