Usually, a test for ALT/AST is plenty to know the liver is perfectly fine. In fact, you can have false positives (sometimes people who don't drink, or even have anything wrong, can have elevated levels), but never the other way round. So if those numbers are OK, you can be pretty sure your liver is back in business.

Also see: Elevated liver enzymes - Mayo Clinic

YES!!! That is exactly the feeling! I do have kids and they were Lego freaks! Stepped on many legos and broke a few vacuum cleaners during their young lives. Great analogy.

Coopster, blood tests showed liver enzymes were above normal parameter levels. They had been rising for some time, and an MRI diagnosed the fatty liver. 6 months in sobriety and one year since the original MRI and the liver was normal after another MRI and enzyme are now within normal levels.

Interesting.....I too have been having those dizzy spells and had one just the other day. It only lasts a minute and I was concerned that it was associated with my heart since my heart gets to racing when it happens but that could be because I panic when the dizziness comes on. I suspect it has to do with glucose levels since when it happens I haven't eaten in several hours.

Congrats on your sober pub experience. Isn't it a wonderful freeing experience without that heavy monkey on your back?

I should add that in addition to abstinence I was taking Milk Thistle as it is a supplement that is suppose to help with liver function.

One thing many of us do without knowing it is hyperventilating. If you do it ever so slightly, you don't really notice it, until you stand up quickly or have a dizzy spell.

Getting sober causes its own stresses, and hyperventilation (forget the cartoon version - it can be extremely hard to detect) can be the result of that.

There are very nice breathing exercises for that, they also help you to calm down when you experience panic or anxiety. Things like breathing in in 5 steps of 1 second - keeping your breath in 5 seconds - and then breathing out in a controlled way - again in 5 steps of 1 second, the last one making sure all air is gone, helps a lot. Of course: breathe with your abdomen (belly), not with your chest. Lie down if you can. It sounds stupid, but you'd be amazed how much it can help.

Of course, with the dizziness, it's always best to ask your doc to be sure, but it's *usually* nothing serious, unless it starts happening frequently.

Wide-O, my life is complicated and as a result I have pretty major anxiety issues. Yes, I do practice breathing exercises and they are very helpful. I have tried to meditate but unless it is guided my mind will not behave.

Heading to the city tomorrow for a late lunch to meet up w a couple friends. They know the deal, I can't walk far and last I heard is that after lunch we will be going out for drinks. I reinforced the fact I CAN'T drink alcohol, (ugh...I think I said "can't drink just now), but still sounds like fun. These friends are not alcoholic but def know how to let their hair down and have fun. I wonder if they will amuse me being straight and them semi drunk or if I will find them annoying. Regardless, I will roll with it.

I took my first bath in many, many years. Something about sitting in a small tub of water is just not my thing but I gotta say the hot soak did wonders for the neuropathy pain. I have a moist heating pad and I am wondering if that too will give relief. Tell me what if anything works for you?

SC, my PN is in my hands only and is probably moderate. I have a bit of essential tremor in my hands as a bonus.

Hot and humid weather makes it worse (the 40+ C days last week were not fun). Icepacks usually help it for me.

I hope that your city trip is fun :).

Kiwi, have you seen any improvement in abstinence?

Yesterday did not go well and I limped back to the train right after lunch. I am glad I took my cane as I depended on it heavily. I survived the lunch with pitchers of margaritas right in front of me but I became increasing depressed about the PN and terrible weakness in my legs and I knew being around alcohol when in a sad state would not be a good place for me so when they went for more cocktails after lunch I bailed. Apparently my friends thought the cane was a fashion accessory. Not sure what that says about my sense of style but when I needed to use it for support there were many questions that I was not prepared to answer. All on all a bad day and just with a bit of walking the burning pain come evening was quite intense. Ouchey.