Question 1

i have cirrhosis of the liver stage 4. i quit drinking alcohol all together but can i still have the xanax .25 twice daily as prescribed by my doctor or will it damage it more?

Accepted Answer

: Yes low-dose Xanax can be prescribed for people with cirrhosis of the liver failure. This needs to be monitored by your physician for safety

Question 2

what can i do to help myself with hep c and cirrohis? i quit drinking and eating healthy, but have no insurance and my company shut down, so no money. i continue to live in fear of not knowing what's happening to me. any suggestions?

Accepted Answer

Clinic: You are doing lifestyle stuff that is good for your condition. But hep c and cirrhosis is serious illness, with risks for more serious problems like liver failure and cancer. Meds and monitoring can help minimize the risks, and might even cure the disease. Need to get medical care.

Question 3

9 year every day drinking history (quit 50 days ago).  us showed normal sized homogenous liver.  ast 9.  alt 15. plt 340.  albumin 4.9.  8 spider angiomas although some present since pregnancy. 
others small and i just noticed them. cirrhosis likely?

Accepted Answer

Alcohol and liver: With you history some degree of cirrhosis is likely, but it probably is not severe based on your lab test. I recommend obtaining a liver ultrasound, the best way to assess the liver. A live CAT scan can also be helpful, but if you stop drinking I don't think you need a major workup at this point.

Question 4

can cirrhosis be predicted from the liters/day of whisky times the number of years drinking?

Accepted Answer

Big drinker,big risk: No formula, but a lot over a long time & you're certainly taking a big risk, esp. In women. Lose enough functioning liver cells to scarring & you get cirrhosis. A fibrosis score is typically calculated during liver biopsy (& some fancier liver imagings) to calculate how much damage a chronically inflammed liver has sustained, & its risk of failing /decompensating. Then you need a liver transplant.

Question 5

if i have hepatitis and i don't really drink only on family functions, could i still have cirrhosis or not?

Accepted Answer

Depends, but yes: There are many causes of hepatitis besides alcohol. Hepatitis =  inflammation of the liver. This can occur from virus (hepatitis A, B, C), autoimmune disorders, genetic, metabolic, toxins (i.e. alcohol being most common), excessive medications and other rare causes. See a liver doctor if you are concerned

Question 6

is 3 years of heavy drinking long enough for a person to get cirrhosis?  also if the person was healthy before and no medical problems.

Accepted Answer

Seek help...: Heavy alcohol use is hard on the body and certainly affects the liver.  Although cirrhosis is unlikely after just 3 years, that does not mean that you are not at risk for alcoholic hepatitis or causing damage to your body.  Cirrhosis is the final stages of alcoholic liver disease.  Get help now to change your life and you can make liver disease from alcohol something you don't have to worry about.

Question 7

is it possible to develop cirrhosis just drinking once?

Accepted Answer

No: Cirrhosis is a consequence of chronic liver injury, from alcoholism or from viral diseases (hepatitis) or from toxins.  One episode of drinking alcohol can't do it.

Question 8

how bad is your drinking to get cirrhosis of the liver?

Accepted Answer

Can't predict: Chronic heavy alcohol intake puts you at risk for cirrhosis. But there is no magic number as to when it will cause cirrhosis.

Question 9

how much do you have to drink to get cirrhosis of the liver?

Accepted Answer

Not universal: Not all patients who drink heavily develop alcoholic liver disease. However, the doctor can undoubtedly warn the patient who already has any form of alcoholic liver disease that continued alcohol use virtually guarantees that the disease will persist and likely worsen. Although many variables come into play, i believe a rough estimate of a chronic, heavy drinker getting cirrhosis is 30-40%.

Question 10

how much drinking does it take to cause cirrhosis of the liver?

Accepted Answer

Varies by person: It depends on genetic susceptibility, nutritional status, other diseases.  I have a good idea.  Let's not find out.

Get Virtual Care

For Businesses

About Us

HealthTap Online Primary Care Doctors Accepting New Patients

Doctor answers about:

Cirrhosis quit drinking

A member asked:

I have cirrhosis of the liver stage 4. i quit drinking alcohol all together but can i still have the xanax .25 twice daily as prescribed by my doctor or will it damage it more?

A member asked:

What can i do to help myself with hep c and cirrohis? i quit drinking and eating healthy, but have no insurance and my company shut down, so no money. i continue to live in fear of not knowing what's happening to me. any suggestions?

A member asked:

9 year every day drinking history (quit 50 days ago). us showed normal sized homogenous liver. ast 9. alt 15. plt 340. albumin 4.9. 8 spider angiomas although some present since pregnancy. others small and i just noticed them. cirrhosis likely?

A member asked:

Can cirrhosis be predicted from the liters/day of whisky times the number of years drinking?

A member asked:

If i have hepatitis and i don't really drink only on family functions, could i still have cirrhosis or not?

A member asked:

Is 3 years of heavy drinking long enough for a person to get cirrhosis? also if the person was healthy before and no medical problems.

A member asked:

Is it possible to develop cirrhosis just drinking once?

A member asked:

How bad is your drinking to get cirrhosis of the liver?

A member asked:

How much do you have to drink to get cirrhosis of the liver?

A member asked:

How much drinking does it take to cause cirrhosis of the liver?

HealthTap Online Primary Care Doctors Accepting New Patients

Telemedicine

Primary Care

Manage Your Conditions

Women's Health

Children's Health

Men's Health

Senior Health

Wellness, Prevention & Lifestyle

Sexual Health

Mental & Behavioral Health

Travel Medicine

Urgent Care

Didn't find what you're looking for?

More of what we treat

Allergies

Antibiotics

Asthma

High Blood Pressure

Prescriptions

Type 2 Diabetes

For Businesses

Company

Health Content

Join Us

Download HealthTap

Questions?