Posted by Larry Hoover on May 28, 2005, at 21:48:29
In reply to Re: kinda Morbid Question- alcohol » Larry Hoover, posted by rainbowbrite on May 26, 2005, at 23:33:47
>
> Hi Larry
>
> > I wasn't aware that the liver shrank.....I always thought it enlarged, stayed that way, but failed anyway.
>
> oops I meant to write shrink and then enlarge. When the liver starts have problems is the liver fixable? Or is it all down hill?There are a lot of factors. The liver is the only organ that regenerates itself. That's why you can give away half your liver in a live-donor organ transplant. Both halves will grow to full size in a matter of a couple months.
That regenerating capacity has limits, of course. And there are so many factors. Alcohol abuse often means poor diet, and both have profound effects on the liver. Viruses (hepatitis). Toxins (e.g. pesticides). Genetic influences. There's no simple answer. Yet, there is a point where damage is considered to be irreversible. At that point, only a transplant can change the prognosis.
> >
> > Is there a name for the condition you're thinking about?
>
> Probably but I dont know it. I know someone who has liver problems and if i got it right a few years ago there was liver shrinkage and now I understand thier liver is a little bit enlarged..which is suggestive of chirrosis (sp) I believe. Now it could be that their liver has enlarged to normal size...but Im not positive. I have looked up shrinking liver etc and am not finding anything.I honestly don't know of anything that shrinks the liver. It's not ringing any bells, anyway.
Cirrhosis isn't just a disease caused by alcohol. There are many other kinds, too. Some people who've never had a drop of alcohol die of cirrhosis. Here's a nice article on that:
http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/cirrhosis/
> > I dunno, is it morbid to talk about health consequences of substance abuse? I think it's part of overcoming denial.
>
> I wasnt sure. but youre right. I guess I am just trying to understand what alcohol death involves. How awful it is for the person and when it happens (time frame) etc.It's a pretty rough way to go. And it takes a while (usually).
> Or maybe just how truely toxic alcohol is to the brain and body. Some people can drink for years and years and not get sick whereas others can kill themselves drinking in such short time frames. I dont get it.
>
> Thanks
> RainI can't answer the question about why some people are so much more vulnerable to the adverse effects of alcohol than others. It probably has to do with the individual risk factors for liver failure. Apart from some specific brain effects (really due to poor diet, especially vitamin B3 deficiency), alcohol usually kills via liver damage (or deaths attributed to "accidents").
Lar
poster:Larry Hoover
thread:502083
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/subs/20050506/msgs/504478.html