slightly elevated liver test (only one test)

[vluera]

I recently had a liver test and all were normal but one was a little elevated. The normal is 10-30 and mine is 42. Is there anything i should worry about. I dont really drink but i have drank before im 26 years old. My doctor said that its probably a fatty liver. I am about 15 pounds over my normal wieght. I am freaking out!!!  oh yeah did i forget to mention i also have very bad anxiety.

[mikesimon]

You said "My doctor said it's probably a fatty liver".
If he made that statement on the basis of one elevated liver function test result I would seek another opinion - either from a hepatologist or a gastroenterologist. Fatty liver isn't usually diagnosed on the basis of one liver function test. The following is from the Mayo Clinic.

"If your doctor suspects nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, you're likely to have certain tests, including:

    * Liver-function test. A damaged liver releases certain enzymes. If this blood test shows that these enzymes are mildly elevated, it may be a sign that you have liver damage.
    * Ultrasound (ultrasonography). This noninvasive test uses sound waves to produce a picture of internal organs, including your liver. Abdominal ultrasound is painless and usually takes less than 30 minutes. While you lie on a bed or examining table, a technician applies a conductive gel to your abdomen and places a hand-held device (transducer) on the area, moving the transducer along your skin to locate your liver and adjacent organs. The transducer emits sound waves that are reflected from your liver and transformed into a computer-generated image.
    * Computerized tomography (CT). This test uses X-rays to produce cross-sectional images of your body.
    * Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Instead of X-rays, MRI creates images using a magnetic field and radio waves. Sometimes a contrast dye may be used. The test can take from 15 minutes to an hour. You may find an MRI scan to be more uncomfortable than a CT scan. That's because you'll likely be reclining on a stretcher enclosed in a tube with very little space above you or beside you. The thumping noise the machine generates also is disturbing to some people.
    * A liver biopsy. Although other tests can provide a great deal of information about the extent and type of liver damage, a biopsy is the only way to definitively diagnose nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Your doctor may perform this procedure if you are over age 45 and you are obese or have diabetes. Additionally, your doctor is more likely to order this test if your liver function tests don't go back to normal after treatment. In this procedure, a small sample of tissue is removed from your liver and examined under a microscope. Your doctor is likely to use a thin cutting needle to obtain the sample. Needle biopsies are relatively simple procedures requiring only local anesthesia, but your doctor may choose not to do one if you have bleeding problems or severe abdominal swelling (ascites). Risks include bruising, bleeding and infection."

It's always a good idea to lose weight if you're overweight.
If your doctor suspects a fatty liver he should have ordered follow up tests.

Good luck,
Mike

[Jody515]

Just start thinking in terms of getting rid of that 15 lbs now while you still can. If you do, you can control this thing, it is important though to stary on top of a fatty liver & not let it get out of control for your health.