Far from a doctor

I’m facing a bit of a dilemma. I’m working out in rural Africa, far from any major cities, and I won't be able to get back home to the States until December.
During my last checkup, the doctor mentioned some issues regarding my liver function.
He actually called me an alcoholic—if having two beers a day counts as that, then I suppose he's right.
The trouble is, I haven't been back to the US long enough to follow up on these results, and there isn't a doctor for miles out here.
I'm wondering if these numbers look dangerous, or if I can safely hold out until December.

result normal
AST 31 38
ALT 113 48
GGT 91 55
Cholesterol 5.9 5.0
Triglycerides 2.01 1.70
HDL-chol 1.4 1
LDL-chol 4.3 3.0

Thank you.

Jacob Davis89 said:I'm facing a bit of a predicament. I’m currently working out in some remote part of Africa, far from any semblance of civilization, and I won't be able to get back to the States until December.
During my last checkup, the doctors flagged some issues regarding my liver function.
The physician essentially cornered me, labeling me an alcoholic—though if his definition of that involves having two beers a day, then I suppose he isn't wrong.
The reality is that my last trip back home was too brief to properly investigate these findings, and there isn't a doctor within reach out here.
I'm wondering if these test results indicate something life-threatening, or if I can realistically hold out until December.

Thanks.

First off, you'll survive. Secondly, you don't need to be stumbling drunk to be classified as an alcoholic; addiction is simply defined by the consistent consumption of a substance over time. That's the clinical reality. Furthermore, even if you are strictly limiting yourself to just two beers a day, it is clearly taking a toll on your liver. It makes perfect sense: if you consume alcohol daily, your liver never gets the chance to recover because you're constantly introducing toxins faster than the organ can process them. This leads to fatty liver disease, elevated bilirubin levels, rising GGT, and the gradual degradation of hepatocytes—your liver cells. From there, it's a slow slide toward hepatitis, cirrhosis, or death. While that process typically takes a long time, once you've received a warning that your liver function is compromised, you really shouldn't touch a drop of alcohol until you have a definitive diagnosis. Sometimes, a situation reaches a point where you have to quit entirely to prevent complications. So, those two beers aren't "nothing"—if your lab results say they're causing damage, then they are.

Sandra Martin72 said:First off, you’ll survive the immediate fallout, but let’s get one thing straight: you don't need to be stumbling drunk to be an alcoholic. Addiction is simply defined by what you consume consistently over time. If you're hitting it every day, you're in that cycle. Second, even if you’re just knocking back two beers a day, your liver is taking a hit. It isn't a matter of quantity per sitting, but the lack of recovery time. If you drink daily, your liver never gets the chance to regenerate because you're constantly flooding it with toxins before it can process the previous batch. That leads to fatty liver disease, elevated bilirubin levels, and spikes in GGT. Eventually, your hepatocytes—the actual liver cells—begin to die off. This is how you slowly slide toward hepatitis, cirrhosis, or total organ failure. Sure, we aren't talking about happening overnight, but if your blood work is already flagging issues, you shouldn't be touching a single drop until you get a clear picture from a specialist. Sometimes, once the damage hits a certain threshold, you have to quit entirely to prevent things from spiraling out of control. So, those "two beers" aren't some harmless ritual; if your lab results say otherwise, then those two beers are clearly too many.

,look at the data. Every single one of your liver enzymes is elevated, especially the GGT. That serves as a clear indicator that this habit has been going on for a long time, regardless of how much you think you're actually consuming.

Look, I don't think we need to go into full panic mode here. If you already know your liver is acting up, just cut out those two beers a day. And honestly? Skip the Coke too. You should try to avoid anything processed as much as possible. Stick to the natural stuff because all that artificial junk just puts a massive strain on your system.

I have a buddy of mine who works on a highway construction crew out in Texas. He’s been having some liver issues lately, even though he doesn't touch any of the stuff that usually causes problems. It turns out, just being around all the heavy chemicals used in construction was enough to do the damage. Those fumes are definitely not something you want to be breathing in all day.

I suppose that’s how you say it—two beers a day. I don't drink every single day, really. Honestly, I'm more worried about alcohol consumption right now; based on my recent lab results, I've stopped drinking entirely. I actually had malaria twice before, and the last bout was maybe less than a month before my checkup.
And regarding chemicals, since you brought them up... this is a gold mine. There's a lot of cyanide involved here.

It isn't really anything too serious, I suppose; perhaps if one were to just cut back on the alcohol a bit and try to balance out their diet more effectively, one might find that everything settles into place after a few weeks of eating well.👍

Look, those malaria meds could really take a toll on your liver. It’s definitely not like taking a Vitamin C supplement. You should probably check back in with your doctor about the whole malaria situation... As for two beers? That's hardly a challenge...

When I was taking malaria prophylaxis for six weeks, even just having two beers made me feel absolutely terrible. Those pills were brutal... anything greasy I ate just sat wrong in my stomach.

Casey Palmer5 said:While I was taking malaria prophylaxis, even having just two beers made me sick. Those pills were awful. Anything greasy I ate just made everything worse.

I've been out here for two years, and honestly, if I were still taking those pills, I probably would've died by now from the hallucinations, nausea, and insomnia. Once you actually catch malaria, they give you Arinate and some other stuff to manage it at first. We don't really have doctors out here; we just have basic first aid and a plane to fly you back to 746 miles the city if things get bad. The last time I was hit hard, they flew me into town for exams. The doctor there told me malaria starts in the liver. I'm no expert, but if he says it wreaks havoc on the liver, I'm worried about what happens when I catch it with this current level of sickness.

Look, I’m no doctor, but if your liver starts acting up, watch your diet and get your ass to a clinic the second you walk through the door. Liver cirrhosis isn't just about booze—it can come from all sorts of things, and that's what kills you.