Recently -- as in, within the past few weeks -- I have developed a reaction to alcohol that sounds similar to the syndrome found in many Asians who lack the liver enzyme that digests alcohol. It seems like, the more I get drunk, the more I get a racing, pounding heart; the level of severity is also directly correlated to the intensity of the alcohol in the drink. Unless I drink too much, it seems like I can get rid of the pounding heart by drinking plenty of water, but sometimes the only thing that seems to work is to induce vomiting (it does not make me nauseous at all.) I also have occasional abdominal pain, just above and to the left of my stomach.

Does anyone out there think I have permanent liver damage? Will I never be able to drink again? Or does it sound like something that I can actually recover from?

I would really appreciate some answers from someone in the know. And for the record, I have no Asian blood; I am half Eastern European Jew, 1/4 Irish and 1/4 French Canadian.