Medical History for Alcohol Problems
Topic Overview
While talking with you about your medical history, your doctor might ask
questions about your alcohol use. Questions might include the following:
- If you drink alcohol, when was the last time you
drank beer, wine, or hard liquor? Did you get drunk? How many days a week do
you drink? How many drinks do you have when you do drink?
- Does it
take more alcohol to get you drunk than it has in the past? Have you had any
blackouts? Do you ever drink to relieve the
shakes?
- Do you sometimes feel a strong need to drink? Do you ever
change your plans just so you can have a drink?
- Have you ever been
told that (or ever wondered whether) you have a drinking
problem?
- Has drinking ever caused problems for you, such as
conflicts at work or at home? How do you feel about your
drinking?
- Do you have a
family history of alcohol use problems?
You might seek medical help for symptoms that you do not know
are related to alcohol use. Your doctor might ask questions about these
symptoms.
- Have you had problems sleeping?
- Have
you had more headaches than usual?
- Have you had digestive system
symptoms, such as diarrhea, belly pain, or indigestion?
- Have you
noticed any changes in your heartbeat?
- Have you felt
depressed or
anxious lately?
- Have you had problems
during sex?
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends screening and counseling to reduce
alcohol misuse by adults, including pregnant women.
But after reviewing all of the research, the USPSTF has not recommended
for or against routine screening and counseling to prevent or reduce alcohol
misuse by teens.footnote 1 The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that all adolescents should be screened for alcohol, tobacco, and drug use at every visit.footnote 2
For more information,
see the topics Alcohol Misuse and Dependence or Alcohol and Drug
Problems.
References
Citations
-
U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (2004).
Screening and behavioral counseling interventions in primary care to reduce alcohol misuse. Available online: http://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/uspsdrin.htm.
-
Committee on Substance Abuse, American Academy of Pediatrics (2011). Substance use screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment for pediatricians. Pediatrics, 128(5): e1330-e1340.
Credits
ByHealthwise Staff
Primary Medical ReviewerE. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine
Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine
Martin J. Gabica, MD - Family Medicine
Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine
Specialist Medical ReviewerPeter Monti, PhD - Alcohol and Addiction
Christine R. Maldonado, PhD - Behavioral Health
Current as ofOctober 9, 2017
Current as of:
October 9, 2017
U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (2004).
Screening and behavioral counseling interventions in primary care to reduce alcohol misuse. Available online: http://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/uspsdrin.htm.
Committee on Substance Abuse, American Academy of Pediatrics (2011). Substance use screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment for pediatricians. Pediatrics, 128(5): e1330-e1340.