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Suggest Ways To Deal With Binge Drinking In A Person
Question: My husband drinks alcohol almost every night. Often he stays within what is a reasonable limit for his tolerance and size etc. but several nights a week, he comes home intoxicated after about 1 1/2- 2 hours with friends. I assume on those evenings he is binge drinking. I know there is a whole host of problems with this and he needs help, but that is an issue that only he can address. I cannot make him well, I can only ask him to get well.
My question is this: For the last year or so, my husband coughs a lot and often will vomit what he eats after coming home from drinking with his friends. This is a response I see in him when he has not been drinking now too, but it is more pronounced when he is intoxicated. Over the last several weeks, he has developed a fever in the night of 101-103, chills and body aches after more than one of these binge drinking episodes. The fever and malaise last about 2 days. Could the binge drinking alone cause the fever, are the fever, aches and chills possibly something he is picking up which is viral due to low immunity from the alcohol, or is it likely something related to his esophagus / stomach process which has been aggravated by the alcohol abuse and is causing the cough/throat clearing, fever and vomiting after her has been drinking. Big questions I know. I am leaning toward the latter idea.
Every time the fever has come on like this there has been no indication that he did not feel well before he left home for the bar so I don't feel like this is viral. My husband has no physician he sees on a regular basis, I think because he doesn't want to have to admit to the drinking, or he is afraid there is something wrong with him that will require monitoring and medication which will impede his ability to drink. This is only my opinion, I have not asked him this question.
My question is this: For the last year or so, my husband coughs a lot and often will vomit what he eats after coming home from drinking with his friends. This is a response I see in him when he has not been drinking now too, but it is more pronounced when he is intoxicated. Over the last several weeks, he has developed a fever in the night of 101-103, chills and body aches after more than one of these binge drinking episodes. The fever and malaise last about 2 days. Could the binge drinking alone cause the fever, are the fever, aches and chills possibly something he is picking up which is viral due to low immunity from the alcohol, or is it likely something related to his esophagus / stomach process which has been aggravated by the alcohol abuse and is causing the cough/throat clearing, fever and vomiting after her has been drinking. Big questions I know. I am leaning toward the latter idea.
Every time the fever has come on like this there has been no indication that he did not feel well before he left home for the bar so I don't feel like this is viral. My husband has no physician he sees on a regular basis, I think because he doesn't want to have to admit to the drinking, or he is afraid there is something wrong with him that will require monitoring and medication which will impede his ability to drink. This is only my opinion, I have not asked him this question.
Brief Answer:
he needs blood inevstigation, ultrasound,upper GI scopy & needs deaddcition
Detailed Answer:
Hello madam,
Thanks for writing to us.I read your query thoroughly and I can understand your concern for your husband.
Cause of his fever is likely due to some infection which is aggravated by binge drinking.
Your thinking about stomach /esophagus process about fever is somewhat right but this process can cause fever for 2 days as well as with chills and rigors. From history fever is likely some infection origin probably viral.
Alcohol irritates esophagus and stomach mucosa. Binge drinking causes severe irritation and cause reflux of the acid from stomach which can cause burning, inflammation and mucosal damage.This process can cause temperature rise in body. So possibility is that, with binge drinking underlying infection flared up and causes high temperature. Considering his history of alcohol intake and current symptoms, alcohol has damaged his gastrointestinal tract up to some extent.
Fever with body ache,chills,malaise is suggestive of infection and in his case probably viral hepatitis.For proper evaluation and confirmation he needs to be examined by a doctor.
I think following investigations are needed to reach some conclusion.
Complete Blood Count
Liver Function tests- Serum billirubin and SGPT
Hepatitis Viral antigen-antibody profile
Ultrasound abdomen
Upper gastroscospy
Though to take alcohol or not is his issue, you should try to convince him to go to doctor and admit that he is drinking a lot. At this stage he needs proper counseling for deaddiction to restore his worsening physical health.After evaluation physician can refer him for deaddtiction to psychiatrist/deaddiction specialist.
Hope I have answered your query, I will be happy to answer more queries if there.
Regards,
dr.Chintan Solanki.
he needs blood inevstigation, ultrasound,upper GI scopy & needs deaddcition
Detailed Answer:
Hello madam,
Thanks for writing to us.I read your query thoroughly and I can understand your concern for your husband.
Cause of his fever is likely due to some infection which is aggravated by binge drinking.
Your thinking about stomach /esophagus process about fever is somewhat right but this process can cause fever for 2 days as well as with chills and rigors. From history fever is likely some infection origin probably viral.
Alcohol irritates esophagus and stomach mucosa. Binge drinking causes severe irritation and cause reflux of the acid from stomach which can cause burning, inflammation and mucosal damage.This process can cause temperature rise in body. So possibility is that, with binge drinking underlying infection flared up and causes high temperature. Considering his history of alcohol intake and current symptoms, alcohol has damaged his gastrointestinal tract up to some extent.
Fever with body ache,chills,malaise is suggestive of infection and in his case probably viral hepatitis.For proper evaluation and confirmation he needs to be examined by a doctor.
I think following investigations are needed to reach some conclusion.
Complete Blood Count
Liver Function tests- Serum billirubin and SGPT
Hepatitis Viral antigen-antibody profile
Ultrasound abdomen
Upper gastroscospy
Though to take alcohol or not is his issue, you should try to convince him to go to doctor and admit that he is drinking a lot. At this stage he needs proper counseling for deaddiction to restore his worsening physical health.After evaluation physician can refer him for deaddtiction to psychiatrist/deaddiction specialist.
Hope I have answered your query, I will be happy to answer more queries if there.
Regards,
dr.Chintan Solanki.
Note: In case of any other concern or query related to prevention, evaluation, diagnosis, treatment, or the recovery of persons with the any type of addiction or substance use, follow up with our Addiction Medicine Specialist. Click here to book a consultation now.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Vaishalee Punj
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