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Elevated Liver Functions for No Apparent Reason?

I recently received test results which very surprisingly showed highly elevated liver functions. A Hepatitis screen came back negative for A, B, & C.

What can cause elevated levels other than the "normal" causative agents?

I don't drink and am not on any medication known to cause liver damage. I have other very vague symptoms including extreme fatigue and anemia.

Any and all input is greatly appreciated. Thanks so much!
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Avatar universal
NASH is NonAlcoholic Steatohepatitis, which is a non-viral hepatitis.  The doctors do not know much about this disease yet.  They are doing research studies on it now.  NASH is a disease where your body deposits fat into your liver.  This fat is not supposed to be there.  It causes fibrosis and scarring. There is no medicine for this disease and the only treatment is to go on a low fat diet.  My docotr told me to lose one pound per week.  I read the book, Eat, Drink, and be Healthy by Walter Willett.  He recommends eliminating all hydrogenated oil/fat from your diet.  I did this and my cholesterol went back to a normal range.  I also lost twenty pounds and the pain in my right side went away.  (I had my gall bladder checked three times but always refused to have the surgery.  I never had a gall stone.  Just the pain in the side.)
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Avatar universal
Hi, thanks for all the good info!  I have elevated liver enzymes, I don't know if it's high or moderate.  My Alt is about 88 (range 0-50) and my AST is about 37 (range 2-35).  My tests for HepC have been negative, and they took other blood tests, like a blood count, etc.  The doctor I had before said he thought it was due to fatty liver, I had a sonogram that showed fatty infiltration of the liver.  The thing is, the doctor that I had moved somewhere, and the new doc that I have now, thought that maybe it would be worth it to take tests to rule out an auto immune disorder.  I am going on vacation soon, and just didn't want to deal with this before I go, cause I had some false positvies come up with my other blood tests, and it was a nightmare for a while, and I don't feel like going through that again.  Do you think it's normal to take the autoimmune blood tests with elevated liver enzymes as the only symptom?  The other doctor seemed sure it was fatty liver, and said to just check the enzymes in 6 months, after I loose some weight, and make sure they go down.  Is it really a dangerous thing to have elevated liver enzymes?  The first doctor said they can be raised by almost anything, that they are really sensitive.  Thanks in advance for any advice, sorry for the long post!  Valerie
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Avatar universal
I don't know much about the autoimmune hepatitis.  You might try posting a question on the hepatitis forum.  there are some people over on that forum who have it ans can tell you more about it.
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Avatar universal
What is NASH   I have never heard of it  I got my gallbladder taken out in Dec after at least 7 years of pain which went undiagnosed and blamed on depression because there were no gallstones present, I had gallbladder disease but I still have pain and I don't feel as great as they said I would.  Any info on this would be helpful
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Avatar universal
Are you presently taking a PPI?
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Avatar universal
Elevated liver enzymes means your liver is inflamed.  Since viral hepatitis has been ruled out then you might have a non-viral hepatitis, such as Fatty liver or Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis.  Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis is also know as NASH.  You can have a flaw in the way your body handles fat and it is deposited into your liver.  This fatty infiltration of the liver can cause the inflamation.  The symptoms of this disease are vague.  You can have dull pain in your right side and fatigue.  If you stop eating fatty foods the pain in your right side will go away.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
There are some foods you can eat that can cause elvated liver fun. Tylenol also can do this. I not sure what foods can do this but I'll look it up and let you know. Also alot of people still connect drinking with liver problems mainly cirrhosis.But there many other things that come into play. I Have Hep-c 1a and stage  cirrhosis and I don't drink and haven't in many years and then it was very little. But on the other hand and not to worry you but I would have the labs done ever so often. 10 years ago mine was elvated and nothing came back. Then they didn't no as much about hep-c as they do now or any of the other hepatitis's.The reason I'm telling you this if someone had of told me to keep getting check I would not be as bad as I am now. I hope everything turns out okay. I'll check on the foods and let you know.
Helpful - 0

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