Expert: Druideck - 12/29/2009

Question
My husband has Hep C. Also in the past he has had pancreas problems, being sent to the hospital. He still drinks. 6 beers a day and on the weekend 8 or more. I have asked him to stop but he doesn't .  Also smokes over 1 pack a day. He is a very bad eater, eating one meal daily. If this keeps up what will the outcome be? Would this lead to death. Very concerned.!  Thank you for your time.

Answer
Louise,

Alcohol is very bad for the pancreas
and doctors recommend that a person
abstain from alcohol so the damage
can heal.

The mortality or death rate for pancreas
attacks is about 10%. That means 10%
of inflicted people could die from this problem.

A person drinking that much daily
has an alcohol abuse problem.
That means he either cannot stop
drinking and is an alcoholic or
he just does not care to stop
even if it means death.

Alcoholics have to have help
to abstain from alcohol.
They have a compulsion and
obscession with alcohol.
Detox, treatment and/or AA
meetings are the best path back
to health.

There is little you can do to force
him to recover and quit drinking.
If you have given him the information
and asked him to stop then
it will be up to him to make some
changes in his life.

You can talk to an alcohol counsellor
about interventions which try
to encourage him into getting some
help or alcohol treatment/rehab.
Call AA and see if they will
send someone to talk to him.

This is a serious problem and
his health is poor.
He has to stop drinking or his
health will continue downhill.
This is none of your fault and
you can only do so much.
Take care of yourself whatever
path he takes for himself.

I wish you both luck and good health
in the future.