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Gastroenterology (Expert Forum)
liver enzymes
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liver enzymes
by Lucy1, Mar 10, 2002 12:00AM
In 1996 my husband, through a routine checkup had high liver enzymes. It was thought it was due to some medication, so we changed it, retook the blood test and the enzymes were fine. He last took a blood test to check his enzymes in Dec. of 1999. He retook another blood test the other day and his liver enzymes are "mildly high." I am so worried. Could this be due to a tumor. He is not a drinker, or overweight. His cholestrol is great and he is 48 years old. He was sick with diarrhea the day before he took the test. He had been tested previoulsy for any kind of hepatitis and ist was clear.When he was a college student his gallbladder was removed. Please help me. Thank you.
Blood tests have eliminated Hepititas and an ultra sould ruled out tumors. He stopped drinking beer for 6 weeks, and had his first beer yesterday. My question is has your husband's levels
changed since you posted your last comments.
I would love to hear from you or anyone else who has found a solution to lowering high liver enzymes.
They check that blood for your ALT and AST, along with GGT, Alkaline Phosphatase, Bilirubin, Albumin, etc. levels.
If they see a problem, they can screen you for hepatitis virus' (another blood test).
They can also screen you for other things (autoimmune hepatitis, hemochromatosis, etc.) with other blood tests.
In other words, if they see a problem with your liver enzymes, they can do further blood tests to try to pinpoint the problem.
If there is a problem....and they have figured out what it is (from the blood tests).....
THEN they can do an ultrasound to see how your liver looks.
(An inflamed liver is usually enlarged.)
(A cirrhotic liver is usually shrunken.)
The ultrasound will also show if there are any strange "spots" or "shadows" that should be checked out.
If they want to look even further, they can give you a CT Scan and/or an MRI.
(Notice, all of these are pretty simple so far---blood tests and scans---nothing invasive.)
If you test positive (blood test) for viral hepatitis, or autoimmune hepatitis, or hemochromatosis, etc.....
then they can do a biopsy to see how far along the damage is.
(They look for fibers ("fibrosis")----they can tell you how far along the fibrosis is----OR if the fibrosis has progressed to cirrhosis.)
Anyway, my point is----(just my opinion--I am not a doctor)---
I would only consider a biopsy being done after they had "labeled" what was wrong with me.
I would make them do all the blood tests first.
during a recent routine blood work my liver enzeymes came back as follows:
AST 977, ALT 815, GGT 345, LD 808 & cholestrol total 276,,,tests for heptatis were negative.....I occassionally drink socially only, I have been taking Advis for a muscle pull....I am scheduled for a CT scan on Monday
I don't see where anyone who has had these HIGH readings...Is there anyone out there who has & can you help me ? I'm freaking out!!!!!!