Abdominal Pain...

[Jermneedstostop]

I have an appointment to see a doctor next week, due to pains I have been having for the last month in my abdomen. I am 27 years old and have been drinking and doing drugs since I was 16, drinking heavily heavily for the past 4 years. I am afraid something may be severely wrong with me, but due to my lack of decent medical insurance I may not be seen in time. The pain is usually dull pain on my right side but is sharp at other times and radiates throughout my whole abdomen. I look on the net at times and it freaks me out when I read some of the things that may be wrong with me. I know I am an alcoholic, but I really do want to quit, it is just very hard for me. What should I do?

[Ordin]

It is always so hard to say with any medical condition.  Keep in mind that syptoms can almost always mean a million different things.  So the best advice I can give you is to go to a doctor.
   Having said that, given your history you are at risk of having liver damage/problems.  I don't know what kind of drugs you were taking/doing, but alcohol and drugs tend to interact in strange and sometimes dangerous ways.  Hopefully this is not the case.  The other scary thing about liver damage is that abourt 50% of people who have liver damage never have any specific signs/symptoms...which scared me.  Goood luck!

[dominosarah]

Get to the doctor and find out what is going on with your abdomen.  When you find out what is going on please come back to this forum and let us help you with the drinking and drugs.  If you dont stop this you will have more trouble than just pain in your abdomen.  Please let us help..........sara

[Jermneedstostop]

i know i need to quit there is no other choice, but about my pain:

my pain is more discomfort than pain, mostly dull but sometimes it is sharp. it is very hard to explain, but the more I think/worrie about it it seems to bother me more...

[122 Tactical Fighter Group]

More advice later if you want to here it........sounds like you already read it and just have to get to the "living" it part - - - -   You want to quit...but its just very hard" - -  excellent observation.  but it never gets any easier............I am a 30 year liver patient that already went through one years clinical trial chemo..........you will do much to keep living - - - you need realize that if you keep living you probably will have to do just as much in the opposite direction to get healthy and stay hat way!  its hard....but you have support here ....and you have people to answer questions that you may ask. And you have people for just plain support - - - - - - - - -  you need support -  family, friends, NA or AA - people not actively using............and you need to learn as much as you can about the enemy..........