How long for serious liver damage to occur from alcohol consumption?

Question

I am 24 year old female, been drinking quite heavely for nearly 4 years, it has gone from severel bottles of a wine per week to this last year a bottle every night. I have counted these past few months my average weekly alcohol intake is between 70 - 140 units per week. I hear that it takes at least a decade of heavy drinking for cirrhosis of the liver to occur. Do you think i have done any serious damage to myself already?

Answer 1

It depends. The liver has amazing regenerative capacity, and is able to heal very well from any kind of damage short of fibrosis/cirrhosis -- fibrotic change is irreversible. Some people tolerate alcohol well and may go decades without irreversible damage to the liver. Others may have fibrotic damage within 1-2 years. I think there's a genetic component to it, as some people have hepatic enzymes of greater capacity than others, so it's kind of dependent on the individual's predisposition. In your case, you're young, and if you're in good health otherwise, I wouldn't suspect that you've done any permanent damage to your liver yet.

However, one thing is certain, and it's that you should consider some lifestyle changes if you're worried about liver disease, because it is not easy to deal with and becomes a debilitating condition when it becomes severe.

Answer 2

It varies, hon. Some people drink heavily all of their lives, and still retain enough liver tissue to function, although tests would certainly indicate damage, and death to liver cells. And since alcohol is toxic, not only to the liver, but to other organs as well, drinkers usually have sallow complections and look way older than their years, very early on. The facial skin reflect much in one's over-all health. Others drink only a decade or so, and completely blow away the liver, resulting in death.

If your are an alcoholic, and are hoping to quit, not only see your physician, but get involved with AA. Good luck, hon.

Answer 3

That's a lot of wine, girl.

Typically it would take several years of intense alcohol intake to destroy your liver but you're doing a good job of getting that process started.

I suspect the reason you are drinking so much is because there is some pain in your life, or in yourself, that you REALLY don't want to face. This is fine. You have provided yourself with a wonderful defense mechanism to protect yourself from dealing with the pain, which is getting drunk.

Don't knock yourself for being who you are, but admit and understand that if you continue this pattern you could damage your body rather badly. Also, quitting drinking takes a lot of willpower.

FP

Answer 4

Women can be affected by alcohol at different levels faster then men. The body is composed of less muscle and adipose tissue. Women also don't eat regular large meals and this also contributes to the quick decline. I have seen girls your age who already have cirrhosis and continue to drink until they die. Go to your doctor and have a liver function test done to see if your enzymes are elevated this would indicate that your liver is already damages. The good news is that you can actually heal this by abstaining from alcohol. I wish you luck and I hope you are going to be okay.

Answer 5

I wouldn't worry at all. Although women are more succeptible to alchohol related diseases, I have many friends including myself that drink five times what you do on a regular basis and we are fine. Just eat healthy and exercise and you will be ok. Obesity is a big factor also. I have personally been drinking heavily for 6 years and I worry a lot about health problems but you shouldn't worry so much.

Answer 6

I suggest you to better run the liver tests which wld indicate the extent of damage,based on that the treatment can be started at the earliest.
what ever has lead you to this drinking,its not the time to think and brood over it.awake and come out,there is much life before you,forget the past and explore the beautiful future.as long as u say its hard it remains hard,once u start taking it as challenge you'll prove it.i dont think u shd wait till u reach the last stage of liver destrution instead shd focus on the present damage.I tell you liver is a very imp organ in our body it has very imp functions once its damaged everthing is damaged.
good luck
u asked how long it takes for serious liver damage to occur,it depends from person to person,basically ur physiology, and most importantly ur dietary pattern.eat protein rich food and lots of fruits and vegetables.cut down fat consumtion

Alcoholic liver disease is the major cause of liver disease in Western countries, (in Asian countries, viral hepatitis is the major cause). It arises from the excessive ingestion of alcohol.
the stages of liver damage:

Fatty liver is a reversible condition where large vacuoles of lipid accumulate in hepatocytes (the cells of the liver). Severe fatty liver is accompanied by inflammation, a situation that is referred to as steatohepatitis. The degree of inflammation is related to its progression to more severe forms of liver disease, ultimately cirrhosis.

Alcoholic hepatitis
Some people get an acute hepatitis or inflammatory reaction to the cells affected by fatty change. This is not directly related to the dose of alcohol. Some people seem more prone to this reaction than others. This is called alcoholic steatonecrosis and the inflammation probably predisposes to liver fibrosis.Alcoholic hepatitis is characterized by a variable constellation of symptoms, which may include feeling unwell, enlargement of the liver, development of fluid in the abdomen ascites, and modest elevation of liver blood tests. Alcoholic hepatitis can vary from mild with only liver test elevation to severe liver inflammation with development of jaundice, prolonged prothrombin time, and liver failure. Severe cases are characterized by either obtundation (dulled consciousness) or the combination of elevated bilirubin levels and prolonged prothrombin time; the mortality rate in both categories is 50% within 30 days of onset

Liver fibrosis
Liver fibrosis, in itself, is largely asymptomatic but as it progresses it can turn into cirrhosis, where the fibrosis alters the architecture and impairs the function of the liver.
Fatty change and alcoholic hepatitis are probably reversible. The later stages of fibrosis and cirrhosis tend to be irreversible but can usually be quite well managed for long periods of time.

Alcoholic cirrhosis of liver and Alcoholic hepatic failure
Cirrhosis is a late stage of liver disease marked by fibrosis and altered liver architecture. It is often progressive and may eventually lead to liver failure. Late complications of cirrhosis or liver failure include portal hypertension, coagulation disorders, ascites and other complications including hepatic encephalopathy and the hepatorenal syndrome.

Answer 7

Yeah your a raging alchoholic. Why do you want to wait for your deadline of when it becomes bad for you. You already tripled your intake from just the previous year. You will probably drink 2 bottles a night this year. Get hepl or just say screw and drink yourself to death. Not my choice.

Answer 8

stop now and make your choice of drink water. i also was drinking wine like it was going out of style(gallon every other day) and i found out last week that my kidneys are in danger of failing (stage three) my doctor is going to give me a biopsy so see how much damage i have done to myself.

Answer 9

Unnecessary damage.....every metabolism is different, but I'd say if you keep it up, you won't be having many more opportunties of asking questions on the web!
Kick the habit.....(and I'm not trying to patronize)......just kick it before it kicks you.

Answer 10

Consult a G.P.
Don't be a binge drinking booze hound.
Your life will only stay in the gutter.