Aa
Elevated Enzymes Concern - pls help
Hello -
I had a physical a couple of years ago and my liver enzymes were elevated. The Dr. did not seem concerned at all and said I should completely abstain from any type of alcohol for 30 days and re-test.(I am not a heavy drinker, but do enjoy on average a drink a day (beer or wine) with dinner...and sometimes 2 on a weekend night). I did not have a drop for 30 days and my enzymes returned to very close to normal and the Dr. let the matter drop......I have still always been a bit concerned.
Monday, I had another physical and everything turned out very well except for my enzyme levels; again!! I have not been drinking heavily and have not drank heavily since my college years about 8 years ago - like most college students!!
Anyway, here are my statistics:
ALT........100
GGT............95
Biliruben..........1.9
All other ezymes and parts of blood test were completely normal. Of course, I've been doing extensive research on the web and am scared to death....the problem is my physician does not seem concerned at all.........it was me that was more concerned and asked to see a specialist. He thinks that would be a good idea just to put my fears to rest, but I'm truly scared that there could be something wrong -
I am 29 years old
5'9"
185 lbs
I feel great and excercise, etc........no symptoms whatsoever except for the elevated count. I'm seeing a specialist this month but would love to hear anyone's thoughts.
Thanks so much!!
Ksilv
I had a physical a couple of years ago and my liver enzymes were elevated. The Dr. did not seem concerned at all and said I should completely abstain from any type of alcohol for 30 days and re-test.(I am not a heavy drinker, but do enjoy on average a drink a day (beer or wine) with dinner...and sometimes 2 on a weekend night). I did not have a drop for 30 days and my enzymes returned to very close to normal and the Dr. let the matter drop......I have still always been a bit concerned.
Monday, I had another physical and everything turned out very well except for my enzyme levels; again!! I have not been drinking heavily and have not drank heavily since my college years about 8 years ago - like most college students!!
Anyway, here are my statistics:
ALT........100
GGT............95
Biliruben..........1.9
All other ezymes and parts of blood test were completely normal. Of course, I've been doing extensive research on the web and am scared to death....the problem is my physician does not seem concerned at all.........it was me that was more concerned and asked to see a specialist. He thinks that would be a good idea just to put my fears to rest, but I'm truly scared that there could be something wrong -
I am 29 years old
5'9"
185 lbs
I feel great and excercise, etc........no symptoms whatsoever except for the elevated count. I'm seeing a specialist this month but would love to hear anyone's thoughts.
Thanks so much!!
Ksilv
Thanks for all the comments from Chicagoland - definitely one of my favorite cities. I live in Columbus, OH right now but am originally from Boston.....thanks again for your comments. Guess the bottom line is to just live life "smart" until my appointment on the 14th (June) with the Gastro doc....I am on a waiting list so hopefully I can get in sooner...it just sucks b/c it's on my mind everyday. My wife keeps saying "don't worry, your doc says it's not an emergency and you don't have any symptoms" - but she's not the one with high LFT's!!!! It's on my mind everyday, but I'll hope for the best.
Thanks!!
Thanks!!
Hi Leeac, I agree with your post. Before jumping to conclusions, I would think an ultrasound and further bloodwork would be the way to go.
Where in Chicagoland are you? I'm in the burbs...in St. Charles.
Hudson
Where in Chicagoland are you? I'm in the burbs...in St. Charles.
Hudson
ksilv,
alt/ast reference range is usually around 0-40 depending on testing facility. your 100/95 is about 2x, so that should probably warrant some additional testing such as full bloodwork and possibly ultrasound.
just as a precaution, you probably want to get tested again for hep b and hep c for peace of mind.
it's really hard to say what may be causing your elevated liver enzymes and bilirubin. fatty liver can certainly be one reason, and is generally reversible. and you do not have to be overweight to have fatty liver. another possibility are pain medications or other prescription medications, or even exercise supplements. be sure to bring in with you to your gastro any supplements or vitamins you have been taking. while waiting for your appointment, try to eat better and get more rest. try to lay off the booze and any medications.
hudson,
good to see another chicago native on this board! i hear you on the cost of the lab work... good grief!
leeac
alt/ast reference range is usually around 0-40 depending on testing facility. your 100/95 is about 2x, so that should probably warrant some additional testing such as full bloodwork and possibly ultrasound.
just as a precaution, you probably want to get tested again for hep b and hep c for peace of mind.
it's really hard to say what may be causing your elevated liver enzymes and bilirubin. fatty liver can certainly be one reason, and is generally reversible. and you do not have to be overweight to have fatty liver. another possibility are pain medications or other prescription medications, or even exercise supplements. be sure to bring in with you to your gastro any supplements or vitamins you have been taking. while waiting for your appointment, try to eat better and get more rest. try to lay off the booze and any medications.
hudson,
good to see another chicago native on this board! i hear you on the cost of the lab work... good grief!
leeac
p.s. what were your enymes levels 2 years ago as compared to now?
Hudson
Hudson
Hi again, my situation was an odd one, as I had no symptoms of liver disease. During removal of an ovary my gyne thought my liver "looked odd". She stated it was way out of her realm of knowledge but insisted I see a gasto specialist. Well, I did and boy did I get a work-up. $2200 worth of blood work including tumor markers and an ultrasound. All came back fine. Bottom line was my gastro guy told me livers can look pretty "funky" and function just fine. He told me to go home and live my life.
I have a friend who is a nurse and works for another gastro guy. She told me the same thing and also said that more than
the actual panel numbers doctors look for stability. There is a lot more to diagnosing these things than meets the eye and each case is different. I wouldn't jump to any conclusions at your young age. Maybe get another opinion, or even a third opinion. Do you happen to live in Chicago? If so, I'd be happy to e-mail you the name of my gastro doc.
Hudson
I have a friend who is a nurse and works for another gastro guy. She told me the same thing and also said that more than
the actual panel numbers doctors look for stability. There is a lot more to diagnosing these things than meets the eye and each case is different. I wouldn't jump to any conclusions at your young age. Maybe get another opinion, or even a third opinion. Do you happen to live in Chicago? If so, I'd be happy to e-mail you the name of my gastro doc.
Hudson
I don
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