• The National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence fights the stigma and the disease of alcoholism and other drug addictions.

Ask Dr. Bob

QUESTION
I'm curious as to how long alcohol will stay in the body. Doesn't it stay in the blood stream for about a day or so? But I'm wondering how long it can affect the cells and stuff. My friend keeps telling me that it can still affect functions in the brain, liver, and other organs for up to 3 months. I don't quite believe him, so I'm asking you.


ANSWER
Thank you for this question as it would seem logical that alcohol must be in your system for a long time to cause these changes! Your friend is correct that alcohol effects may be seen months or even years later. The liver, for example, may continue to improve several weeks or months after the last drink. Brain damage, similarly, will gradually improve in many persons, over a prolonged time period. Does this mean that alcohol remains in the body this long?

Alcohol is actually metabolized (used up) at a fairly predictable rate in most persons. This is the equivalent of 4 oz. of wine, 12 oz. (one bottle) of beer or 1-1/2 oz. hard liquor per hour. (See Dr. Bob Answer, Jan./Feb. 2004). This is actually quite a rapid rate; for example, if you drank a six-pack of beer rapidly there should be no alcohol in your blood 6 hours later. Drinking a pint of whiskey (16 oz.) however, should predictably leave some alcohol in your system 16 hours later.

This information is of importance to law enforcement personnel as they can sometimes extrapolate, or work backwards, knowing the blood alcohol content of a person, to estimate how much alcohol was consumed and when! Knowledge of this metabolism is also useful to the social drinker who does not wish to drive intoxicated. Drinking one drink per hour will allow your body to keep up with the metabolism of consumed alcohol so that none accumulates in your blood stream, or if you have 3 average drinks, you must wait 3 hours for the metabolism to be complete. To be on the safe side then, drink no more than you can metabolize!

The reason that alcohol effects on the liver, brain and other organs may persist long after drinking has ceased has to do with the severity of damage to these organs from the amount of alcohol taken in, or the frequency of drinking, daily excessive drinking being more damaging than occasional binges. A liver damaged to the point of cirrhosis by regular, high dose drinking may never return to normal even if drinking stops permanently!

Your question is a good one. I hope we have been able to clarify it for you!

Dr. Bob



Previous Questions

---

Do you have a question for Dr. Bob? Questions will be selected on the basis of general relevance and will be posted once a month. Click here to submit your question. If your question is selected, you will be notified.

---

Disclaimer

Dr. Bob does not provide specific medical advice or a medical diagnosis for any particular condition described, nor verify the authenticity of any information described in the questions presented. Patients should always consult their physician to discuss any specific symptoms, conditions, or modes of therapy for any particular mental or physical difficulties, diseases or conditions.

National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc.

244 East 58th Street, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10022 phone: 212/269-7797   fax: 212/269-7510 email: national@ncadd.org   http://www.ncadd.org HOPE LINE: 800/NCA-CALL (24-hour Affiliate referral)