Drug induced hepatits?

I been feeling tired lately,nausea,ruq pain,fever (gallbladder removed last yr) and flu like but no jaundice.I been steady on vicodins/darvocet/ibuprofan for 2 year's for chronic pain and undergoing laparscopy march 14th.My  blood test few weeks ago showed high white blood cell count and abnormal liver function test and surgeon says possible liver inflammation from meds.I always feel sore and tender around liver area and get pain.Does this sound like hepatitis and does it lead to liver damage/failure? I'm scared!
             Stephanie

[stevenNYer]

Sorry to hear of your health challenges.

The symptoms you described are consistent with hepatitis.  

As long as you monitor your condition with your doctors I think it should be okay.  The liver is a very strong organ with very good ability to regenerate damaged liver cells with healthy ones.

Ask your doctor for more liver-friendly meds if possible.

[Ms_Makita]

Hi steve,ty for your reply.Does it lead to chronic hepatitis,or does it resolve?? within a year I lost over 100lbs ( 5ft 1,was 220lbs,115lbs now) I dont know if that is part of hepatitis.Also if it is drug induced,is it sexually transmitted? ty!
                                         Stephanie

[NashPred]

Hi Stephanie,

Your story sounds similar to mine. About 10 years ago I was 6 feet tall 200 lbs. Then, within about 6 months I droped down to 148 lbs. I wasn’t dieting. I just didn’t feel like eating. My Dr. checked for diabetes and AIDS (both came back negative) and told me I had a high liver enzyme level but they chalked it up to the pain medication (Vicadin) and Tylenol I had been taking for a few month.

A year later and I had put the weight back on and like you, I had felt fatigued for a while and I thought it was because I was under a lot of stress at work.

A few month ago with a different Doctor, I went for a physical and they found out I had Hepatitis.

Hepatitis B is sexually transmitted. I apparently gave it to my wife and according to her blood work, her body fought it off. Mime however did not so now I have a chronic condition.

From what I have read, (others correct me if I’m wrong) 1 in 20 people in the United States will get Hepatitis B, but most people’s bodies will fight it off on their own and many will not know they even had it.

I’m really not trying to scare you, but your story just sounded so similar to mine and I would hate for you to worry when a simple blood test could rule this out. I would ask my PCP to run the test.

[zellyf]

I agree with NashPred...get a blood test.  If you're positive you need to know.  If you're negative you will have peace of mind.

[jack1642]

High white blood cells may be increased with infections, inflammation,  and leukemia.

The symptoms you listed are not uncommon with hep b infection and the only way to know is having your blood work done.

You've had some of the best response from friends on this forum and i will ecourage you to get your blood checked.

[Ms_Makita]

Thanks to everyone for your replies and advice.I'm going back to my pcp and get some more workup done..I just always feel awful and flu like and get these ruq random pain.My pcp is telling me its either IBS or "in my head"..great huh? last dr to tell me pain/symptoms was in my head ,my appendix burst last yr! Fri I'm undergoing laparscopy for adhesions from previous abdominal surgeries.I felt fine till after my surgeries.I never had a blood transfusion,but I wonder if there is some link between recent surgeries and hep?
hmmmm!
                                    Stephanie

[stevenNYer]

Given what you been through so far, it's surprising that your doctor didn't do the hepatitis panels since it's pretty standard.

As to your earlier question, if it's drug induced hepatitis, you have little to be concern about.  Once you remove the drugs from your system, you liver will likely bounce right back.

The chronic type of hepatitis is what gets us in trouble, where we sustain decades of damage and we can't get rid of the cause, like HepB and HepC virus.

And you can't transmit a drug induced hepatitis.  It's not the hepatitis  that is transmitted, but the virus itself.  For thedrug induced type, you're not tlaking about a virus to begin with.

I hope you feel better.  All the best okay :)