will my liver hold out?

[timelord1967]

Hi all,
I am a 41 year old man who has been drinking alcohol regularly since i was about 20. what i mean is that i have, with rare exception, consumed at least a six pack a day for almost 21 years.
I guess that i have been lucky, i have not had any medical problems or dui's or any other serious problems because of it. I have been gainfully employed with good paying jobs. I guess i am the poster boy for "functioning alcoholics".
I quit drinking on my birthday 01/25/08 and surprisingly i have had some urges but have managed to stay sober since then and am confident that i am now alcohol free! I am a firefighter so i am in pretty good physical shape and i feel good physically. I don't want 21 years of moderate to heavy alcohol consumption to come back at some point to haunt me. I will be getting married soon and would love to have children, so it is important to live a long healthy life so that i can see my family grow.
My question is, is there something that i can do, vitamins or other supplement to help undo some of the damage that i may have done to my liver or other or other vital body function? I google liver cleanse and there is a ton of stuff for sale but is any of it safe? Or will my body heal on it's own over time?

Thanks for any advice and help!
Patrick

[Maria RN]

You mentioned that you are healthy, but how about your liver enzymes? When was the last time you had it checked? My brother has elevated liver enzymes secondary to excessive alcohol intake. His doctor recommended Essentiale forte and Sylimarin, I am not quite sure if he is responding well to the treatment. But so far, I haven't seen negative effects from both drugs. You should discuss your concerns with your primary care physician so that he can examine you and run tests to assess liver function.

[Purple98Lady]

Congradulations!

Stopping drinking is the best thing you could of done. Why not visit your Dr. for testing regarding your liver. The liver is amazing in regenerating. So by being tested you'll the damage but you can also disuss your prognosis. Changes are they will be good provided no more drinking. Have you thought of joining AA or any group that can help in the sobrity. Good Luck to you and a good life as well.:smile: