Question

I am in my late forties and scared. I've drunk a bottle of wine a day (sometimes more) for the past 15 to 20 years, and I think I have cirrhosis of the liver. For some months I've had minor discomfort from my liver area and occasionally I catch myself in the mirror and think I am looking a little yellow. I've stopped drinking now - this might be too little too late, but at least I am giving myself every chance and not making things worse. Is there anything to be gained by talking to my GP? I am ashamed and embarrassed, and as cirrhosis treatment is only really symptom control I'm not sure if anyone can help me anyway. Apart from not drinking, what more should I be doing? What should I eat? Should I give up caffeine?

The reformed alcoholic

Kevan Martin

I applaud you for giving up drinking - it takes guts to do it alone. My addiction cost me my job, marriage and family, and I relapsed many times before beating alcoholism. To avoid relapse, you need to find the root cause of your problem: for example, loneliness, work pressure, low self-esteem. You sound scared and vulnerable, and need support: ask your GP to put you in touch with counselling services. One of the reasons I've been able to stay off alcohol the past seven years is that I made radical changes to my life. I relocated 120 miles north to avoid my drinking cronies, found a service that offered structured day care so I had somewhere to go and people to talk to, started walking on the beach - basically filling my old drinking time with something else. Now I run my own support group that looks holistically at the problems facing alcoholics and finds ways to overcome them. I'm happy to chat with you privately if that helps. Email me at Kevan@neraf.org.

· Kevan Martin runs the independent peer-support charity North East Regional Alcohol Forum (www.neraf.org.uk)

The Dietician

Jacqui Lowdon

First I'd suggest going to your GP, as you are jumping to conclusions without having any tests. You've already done the most important thing for your liver, which is to stop drinking alcohol. Changing your diet can't reverse cirrhosis, but it can improve your underlying health. A poor diet exacerbates liver disease because heavy drinkers often have diets lacking in B vitamins (which affect your central nervous system and the body's ability to release energy from carbohydrates) and magnesium, calcium and phosphate, which affect the cardiovascular and skeletal systems. Ask your GP for a blood test as one of the big deficiencies, thiamin (or B1), often needs injections to restore nutritional health. You don't need supplements, just a balanced diet of carbohydrate, protein and fat, plus five fruit and veg a day and as little processed and junk food as possible. Caffeine in moderation is fine. If you start eating properly now, you should look and feel better within four weeks.

· Jacqui Lowdon is a registered dietitian and spokesperson for the British Dietetic Association (www.bda.uk.com)

The medical expert

Dr Guy Radcliffe

I'm pleased you have acknowledged the possible effects of alcohol on your liver. You have stopped drinking of your own accord and should continue to abstain, but there are good reasons to consult your GP, who will take a medical history, examine you and perform liver-function tests. Discomfort does not necessarily mean you have cirrhosis - you may have some of the earlier changes in the liver that could be reversible if you continue to abstain. Your GP will organise tests, which may include an ultrasound to assess your liver's structure. If you have cirrhosis, it's the possible complications of the disease that need to be identified and may affect your lifespan. If alcohol is avoided and complications do not occur, many people live with cirrhosis for years. No treatment is necessary until a formal assessment is done, so go as soon as possible and see your GP, who can also advise you if you have a desire to drink alcohol again.

· Dr Guy Radcliffe is medical director of the Medical Council on Alcohol

· If you have a question for our experts, email health@observer.co.uk