[stpeter66]

My grandfather is 74,he drinks alcohol every day,5 cans of beer or cider,5 to 6% vol.he also drinks wine,a 70cl bottle every second night and a half bottle of whiskey 40% every second night.
He has done this for most his life,he has been drinking very heavily in recent years,has had liver trouble.
My question is? How long would he have to stop drinking for,before his blood would be clear? I have read posts which say alcohol metabolises at one drink per hour,but is it true that if you drink every day without a break for 8 to12 hour periods.say afternoons to late at night 2,3am each night,wouldn't this have a serious effect on his liver,and blood,he is due to have blood tests done soon and I want him to stop.
Would alcohol show up in his blood tests and how long roughly would he have to stop drinking before no alcohol would be clear?

[DrBill100]

my grandfather is 74,he drinks alcohol every day,5 cans of beer or cider,5 to 6% vol.he also drinks wine,a 70cl bottle every second night and a half bottle of whiskey 40% every second night.
he has done this for most his life,he has been drinking very heavily in recent years,has had liver trouble.
my question is? how long would he have to stop drinking for,before his blood would be clear?? i have read posts which say alcohol metabolises at one drink per hour,but is it true that if you drink every day without a break for 8 to12 hour periods.say afternoons to late at night 2,3am each night,wouldnt this have a serious effect on his liver,and blood,he is due to have blood tests done soon and i want him to stop.
would alcohol show up in his blood tests and how long roughly would he have to stop drinking before no alcohol would be clear??

Given the facts you have provided it is impossible to predict an alcohol (EtOH) elimination rate nor is it particularly significant in relation to blood testing.

1) Regular heavy drinkers may have an elimination rate at 2 or even three times the average. So using your figure of 1 drink per hour they may eliminate at the rate of 2 or even 3 drinks per hour. But those rates are based on average age, weight etc. Metabolism slows down with age. Even the enzymes that metabolize EtOH become more scarce.

2) The factors listed above lose any predictive value on mention of liver problems, and

3) All are largely irrelevant in detecting heavy drinking in the course of blood analysis. Even after EtOH has been completely eliminated your grandfather will still have elevated levels of MCV, ALT, AST, GGT and PEth. Even the most naïve physician will recognize the relationship (liver & blood). PEth is detectable only following sustained drinking and remains detectable for 2-4 weeks after abstinence.

For additional information on the elements noted in Para 3 above >LINK