Elevated AST / ALT Levels

Hello,
My lab work came back with elevated liver enzymes:
AST = 52
ALT= 145

I had been taking tylenol on a daily basis for back pain but never more than the recommended dosage. I also socially drink, 1-2x a week. Could this have any affect on the lab results? My Dr. has scheduled another test but wants to wait 4 weeks. I am so afraid I have something serious like liver cancer or something.

[Paderla Anitha, DNB]

Hello and hope you are doing well.

Your liver enzymes seem to be elevated. Normal values for SGOT is 0-35, SGPT is 4-36, ALP is 30-120, Bilirubin is 0.3-1.0, Gamma Glutamyl Ttansferase (GGT) is 8-38. They can be elevated due to alcohol consumption and due to Tylenol also.

If you do not have symptoms of liver disease like jaundice, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and fever, I would advise you to stop alcohol and tylenol and recheck the levels after four weeks.

Hope this helped and do keep us posted.

[johnny999]

Thank you for your response. My other enzymes were within their limits, just AST/ALT were elevated. My blood count, glucose and electrolytes were all normal too.

I have not taken any tylenol or have had any alcohol in almost a month, not until I have my re-test which will be on 28 Jan. I am hoping it was the daily usage of tylenol that has contributed to the elevated AST/ALT.

[Paderla Anitha, DNB]

Hello and hope you are doing well.

Hepatotoxicity from paracetamol (tylenol) depends on the dosage. Acetaminophen when taken in therapeutic doses of up to 4000 mg/d demonstrated no adverse hepatic effects. In adults and adolescents, hepatotoxicity may occur following ingestion of greater than 7.5 to 10 g (ie, 24 regular-strength or 15 extra-strength caplets or tablets) over a period of 8 hours or less. However, chronic heavy alcohol abusers may be at increased risk of liver toxicity from excessive acetaminophen use.

Hope this helped and do keep us posted.