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LIVER DISEASE =ELEVATED CHOLESTEROL IN SHORT TIME?
Due to tingling and cramping sensations in my extremeties, I had gone to the doctor. Blood work showed increased lft's, T.P and surprisingly high cholesterol and LDL level. I say surprising because I had a lipid profile done end of january and my chol was 160 and LDL 84. Test in october revealed chol of 240 and LDL of 160. I had a resolved case of Hep A when I traveled to an underdeveloped country in January, but levels were fine when I tested lft's in Aug. What could be the increase in LFT's again? Could cholesterol levels increase this much in a span of 9 mos?(I did gain about 8lbs since jan)Could this be a sign of some liver disease? Very worried, as I have a follow up lab to recheck on Thurs. Just for info... HEP B/C NEG. (Been immunized for hep B) HEP A positive from jan, but resolved (or I thought?, but its been a while)liver ultrasound fine. Any IDEAS????
Yep, your enzymes and alkphos are elevated above normal levels, it's not an insignificant elevation within the normal range as discussed earlier. Enough to warrant a visit to a doctor, if they remain that high anyway. With that said, don't get yourself incredibly worked up about a temporary elevation of that magnitude. I've had hepC for 23 years and my sgot and sgpt levels have always been close to what your stated values are (and right now are higher than your levels). My liver is still in pretty good shape, and I even drank my fair share when I was younger too. I've seen many people post with enzymes going into the 400-600's and have even heard of others over a 1000 that later recovered with no undue long term effects. So try and not get all worked up, just have it checked out by your doctor. Take care...
I am 30 and my lft values are: alk phos 151, sgot 43, and sgpt 89. also this time my total protein was 8.5 normal cutoff is 8.3, I dont know if related.
One last thing I forgot to mention: if you are approaching middle age (or have already gotten there), from what I've heard cholesterol levels can naturally rise to levels higher than what they consistently were when you were younger. It doesn't happen with all people, but as far as I know it's not an uncommon occurrence. That's why lipitor is so popular with the 50 somethings and above. Take care...
Sorry I forgot to address your elevated LFT's, I'm taking treatment drugs at the moment that makes my brain feel like a side order of scrambled eggs right now ;-)
Bottomline is that I don't know why your LFT's would be elevated. But when you say "elevated", what exactly do you mean? I've seen people with an AST=18 and an ALT=19 on one test (which is perfectly normal), and then are retested a few months later with results like AST=21 and ALT=22 and they flip out thinking "My LFT's have elevated, something's terribly wrong!" When in fact there was just a slight and perfectly benign variation upwards, and they've misinterpreted this slight elevation as being clinically significant (because they're not doctors and don't know any better). I'm not saying that's what happening in your case, just pointing that possibility out.
Also, you should know that all kinds of things can cause your liver enzymes to go up temporarily. Taking certain OTC and prescription drugs can cause enzyme elevations in some people. And some people are more sensitive to these drugs than other people, dosage obviously plays a big role too. Alcohol consumption can elevate enzymes too, and can REALLY elevate enzymes if you combine alcohol with drugs (especially Tylenol, which can be deadly to the liver in higher doses). Some people are into "megadosing" with vitamins and mineral supplements, this can also result in liver toxicity. There are also certain herbal supplements which can be liver toxic and can even be lethal in some cases. Everything you put into your body gets processed and filtered through the liver. Try and think of anything unusual you may have ingested recently that might be responsible for stressing your liver.
Lastly, I have gallstones, and from what I've heard they can also cause liver enzyme elevations in some people (once again remember that I'm not a doctor though!). If the gallstones are severe enough they can partially, or even completely block the cystic duct (which carries bile from the gallbladder to the gut), sometimes in an intermittent fashion. If this happens, it will cause bile to back up within the liver and can cause inflammation and elevations in enzymes (from what I've heard). But if gallstones are blocking the flow of bile, I think it's almost always associated with severe pain. I had pain from mine a few years ago, but haven't in a long time. My GI figured out I had gallstones because I would get pain in my upper right quadrant (and the center of my lower back) especially at night after a greasy meal. The grease in the food stimulates the emission of bile from your gallbladder because bile is used to "saponify" the fats in your gut, thereby making them digestable. The gallstones were identified via ultrasound (one of them was 1.5cm in dia, pretty big!). Anyway, if any of this sounds familiar to you, it might suggest you have gallstones too. Many people have gallstones and are completely asymptomatic (and are therefore unaware of having them).
Bottom line, if your LFT's truly are significantly elevated, and the accompanying high cholesterol truly is unusual for you, then I would definitely get that looked into by a competent GI. It's probably nothing serious, but better safe than sorry. Good luck to you, hope some of this helps.
Bottomline is that I don't know why your LFT's would be elevated. But when you say "elevated", what exactly do you mean? I've seen people with an AST=18 and an ALT=19 on one test (which is perfectly normal), and then are retested a few months later with results like AST=21 and ALT=22 and they flip out thinking "My LFT's have elevated, something's terribly wrong!" When in fact there was just a slight and perfectly benign variation upwards, and they've misinterpreted this slight elevation as being clinically significant (because they're not doctors and don't know any better). I'm not saying that's what happening in your case, just pointing that possibility out.
Also, you should know that all kinds of things can cause your liver enzymes to go up temporarily. Taking certain OTC and prescription drugs can cause enzyme elevations in some people. And some people are more sensitive to these drugs than other people, dosage obviously plays a big role too. Alcohol consumption can elevate enzymes too, and can REALLY elevate enzymes if you combine alcohol with drugs (especially Tylenol, which can be deadly to the liver in higher doses). Some people are into "megadosing" with vitamins and mineral supplements, this can also result in liver toxicity. There are also certain herbal supplements which can be liver toxic and can even be lethal in some cases. Everything you put into your body gets processed and filtered through the liver. Try and think of anything unusual you may have ingested recently that might be responsible for stressing your liver.
Lastly, I have gallstones, and from what I've heard they can also cause liver enzyme elevations in some people (once again remember that I'm not a doctor though!). If the gallstones are severe enough they can partially, or even completely block the cystic duct (which carries bile from the gallbladder to the gut), sometimes in an intermittent fashion. If this happens, it will cause bile to back up within the liver and can cause inflammation and elevations in enzymes (from what I've heard). But if gallstones are blocking the flow of bile, I think it's almost always associated with severe pain. I had pain from mine a few years ago, but haven't in a long time. My GI figured out I had gallstones because I would get pain in my upper right quadrant (and the center of my lower back) especially at night after a greasy meal. The grease in the food stimulates the emission of bile from your gallbladder because bile is used to "saponify" the fats in your gut, thereby making them digestable. The gallstones were identified via ultrasound (one of them was 1.5cm in dia, pretty big!). Anyway, if any of this sounds familiar to you, it might suggest you have gallstones too. Many people have gallstones and are completely asymptomatic (and are therefore unaware of having them).
Bottom line, if your LFT's truly are significantly elevated, and the accompanying high cholesterol truly is unusual for you, then I would definitely get that looked into by a competent GI. It's probably nothing serious, but better safe than sorry. Good luck to you, hope some of this helps.
Thanks for input, I checked up on my values the year before in march 2005 and chol was 182 and ldl 79(dont recall if it was fasting). My hdl has remained a constant 65 in all readings.
Dont you think the liver would release extra cholesterol upon inflammation just as it releases excess liver enzymes? so then why do you say chol would go down with hep A? I dont know.. just a thought.I have checked every year, and it has nver been a problem. My weight has been pretty steady, except this year. My concern is about the elevated liver enzymes as well. They were high in jan, but slowly went down, and in aug, they were normal again(classic for resolved case of hep A, so I thought I was home free!) but high again in october. I asked doctor if it might be a relapse of hep A, but he said no, its been 10 mos since infec. I guess Ill just keep my fingers crossed and see what my values are after my blood test tommorow. If you still have any ideas after the whole picture, please let me know.
Thanks
Dont you think the liver would release extra cholesterol upon inflammation just as it releases excess liver enzymes? so then why do you say chol would go down with hep A? I dont know.. just a thought.I have checked every year, and it has nver been a problem. My weight has been pretty steady, except this year. My concern is about the elevated liver enzymes as well. They were high in jan, but slowly went down, and in aug, they were normal again(classic for resolved case of hep A, so I thought I was home free!) but high again in october. I asked doctor if it might be a relapse of hep A, but he said no, its been 10 mos since infec. I guess Ill just keep my fingers crossed and see what my values are after my blood test tommorow. If you still have any ideas after the whole picture, please let me know.
Thanks
I know 240 is not extremely high, but my concern is that it was 160 back in january, and I never had increased liver enzymes before that. As for not eating right, I am very careful of what I eat as both my parents are diabetics and my father passed of a heart attack at age 54. I never eat fast food (and I persona-
ally hate McDonalds)and I cook quite healty(except for occasional splurges on special occasions). I am not obese.. 5'4 138lbs Female, but had stopped exercising for a while which led to weight gain. I am back on track since a month now, and have blood tests tommorow.I really dont want to take medications,I have seen what it does to people. I appreciate your comments and concerns, and try to ignore ignorant people.
Thanks,
Sal
ally hate McDonalds)and I cook quite healty(except for occasional splurges on special occasions). I am not obese.. 5'4 138lbs Female, but had stopped exercising for a while which led to weight gain. I am back on track since a month now, and have blood tests tommorow.I really dont want to take medications,I have seen what it does to people. I appreciate your comments and concerns, and try to ignore ignorant people.
Thanks,
Sal
You mentioned that your earlier lipid profile (with much lower values than your recent results) was taken in January. You also stated that you came down with hepA in January. Again, I'm not a doctor, but if your liver was stressed from being acutely infected with hepA and you took a lipid profile at that same time, that might explain an abnormally low lipid profile (and 160 is pretty low). I have hepC and am currently on a harsh treatment in an attempt to resolve the infection. I have seen my cholesterol values go up very significantly (although I have also been eating fattening foods to stave off weight loss). But most people I hear from (also with hepC and on treatment) have their cholesterol levels go DOWN significantly (values of 160 are commonly reported). The point being here, is that the liver produces and modulates the production of cholesterol. It would stand to reason that it may temporarily get out of kilter during an acute infection of hepA as far as lipid production is concerned (amongst other things).
Do you have records of what your "normal" pre hepA cholesterol levels have been in the past? I would compare your current results with those values and not with the possibly extreme value measured at the same time you were infected with hepA. Best of luck, and consume lots of salmon and olive oil!
Do you have records of what your "normal" pre hepA cholesterol levels have been in the past? I would compare your current results with those values and not with the possibly extreme value measured at the same time you were infected with hepA. Best of luck, and consume lots of salmon and olive oil!
agreed, but jumping on someone's case quickly and every single time can effect the same tensing results sometimes.
I'd have to agree somewhat with hippygem. There are more and more annoying/non-sensically incoherent/often completely meaningless/cutesy/sarcastic blurbs posted in response to people who are legitimately scared and are sincerely looking for help/advice. And if it isn't that, it's some pious, venom laced, bitter attack which quickly degrades into silly and irrelevant arguments, overriding the original question.
were both tests fasting? that can make a difference in results.
although the Mac donald's comment might not be true for this poster, it can be the reason for others to develop high cholesterol.
people are getting rattled rather quickly lately on MH. Can we pick our battles?
although the Mac donald's comment might not be true for this poster, it can be the reason for others to develop high cholesterol.
people are getting rattled rather quickly lately on MH. Can we pick our battles?
I'm not a doctor sal, but a total cholesterol of 240 is not THAT high. It's actually on the upper end of what's considered "normal" on my labwork (and by normal, I don't mean "advisable" or healthy). I certainly wouldn't assume you have liver disease just because of that. Many average Americans have cholesterol levels that high and sometimes much higher. Not that it's good to have a 240 total cholesterol, ideally it should be under 200 (according to current standards anyway). But frankly it's quite common for Americans to have cholesterol levels that high (and that's why Lipitor etc is prescribed so often).
If you've recently gained 8lbs, then maybe you are overweight anhd/or have been overeating? As an aside, have you ever heard of goose liver pate, or 'Foi Grois'? It's a French delicacy made of grossly fattened goose livers enlarged several times beyond their normal size. It's produced by keeping the goose immobilized and force feeding them massive amounts of food. The excess food is converted into a rich and tasty form of fat that's stored in the liver. It's a toxic process to the liver and can cause permanent harm if it goes on unabated. In the goose's case that turns out not to matter (for obvious reasons, ;-), but something similar can happen to human livers in case of extreme obesity.
Not suggesting this is happening to you, but if you are overweight or overeating, just try to cut back and eat quality food that's low in saturated fats. Best of luck...
If you've recently gained 8lbs, then maybe you are overweight anhd/or have been overeating? As an aside, have you ever heard of goose liver pate, or 'Foi Grois'? It's a French delicacy made of grossly fattened goose livers enlarged several times beyond their normal size. It's produced by keeping the goose immobilized and force feeding them massive amounts of food. The excess food is converted into a rich and tasty form of fat that's stored in the liver. It's a toxic process to the liver and can cause permanent harm if it goes on unabated. In the goose's case that turns out not to matter (for obvious reasons, ;-), but something similar can happen to human livers in case of extreme obesity.
Not suggesting this is happening to you, but if you are overweight or overeating, just try to cut back and eat quality food that's low in saturated fats. Best of luck...
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