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Avatar universal

lab results alt levels

I went ahead and got a hepatic function panel done last week. i got results back and it shows my ALT level at 57. on the paper work i got from the lab it shows that everything is within range. for ALT the reference range is 9-60 U/L.  My question is this, since ive been searching ive seen that different labs have different reference ranges. do they test different? why wouldnt all labs have a standard range that everyone goes by? Im just curious like i said everything on the paper shows withen normal range. Any way to get alt range down in 40's?
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179856 tn?1333547362
Well that is good news indeed - give that liver a break and perhaps they will go down lower.
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Avatar universal
i havent had a drink since april 4th.
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179856 tn?1333547362
If you are drinking so hard that your liver enzymes are raised and your liver hurts and quivers perhaps the solution is to just not do it any longer.  If I poked a needle in my eye so hard it started to bleed, I'd stop doing it right away.  Same thing but there is no reason to believe it is hepc or won't go away when you do STOP.
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Avatar universal
Also, i wanted to add. during the four or five days, it felt like my upper right quadrant, would shake, or quiver (liver quiver no pun intended). that was another part that got me worried. i dont know if its stress or anxiety but after i started researching and worrying, it seemed like more signs of liver problem presented themselves, im not sure if its stress, in my head, or if there is a problem, so that is another reason why i got the lab.
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Avatar universal
well a couple months ago i had a bad night of drinking, i woke up and my sides were hurting, had some chest pain ect, and it lasted like 4 or 5 days. i went to the doctor and he told me it was nothing. So i kept worrying about it and i started looking on the net. you can imagine what kind of stuff i found on the net. so i saw this place that does lab tests, i went in and was going to get what they called an alcohol test, it was a pricey lab test, so i was looking at other labs they offer and i saw the hepatic one so i decided to check that out. got the lab test and you know the rest.
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Avatar universal
And though your own ALT is within your lab's normal range, you could look into some of the above factors since you'd like to reduce it into the forties.

Is there a particular concern you have?
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Avatar universal
There may be two explanations, the first very straightforward:

(http://health.yahoo.com/healthcare-doctorvisit/understanding-lab-test-results/healthwise--zp3409.html)

        "Why do values or reference ranges vary from lab to lab?

Labs may use different types of equipment and tests, and sometimes they set their   own reference ranges. Your lab report will contain the reference ranges your lab uses.   Do not compare results from different labs.

Only a handful of tests, such as cholesterol and blood sugar, have standardized reference ranges that all labs use. This means that no matter where these tests are done, the results are compared to the same reference ranges."

____________________________________________________________________

The second reason, if I recall from Zazaa's posting, is that doctors may interpret high and normal differently, even if the numbers themselves are within the lab's normal range. I could be wrong about this.

____________________________________________________________________

As for bringing down your ALT number, here are some things to keep in mind:

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alanine_transaminase)

"...elevated levels of ALT do not automatically mean that medical problems exist. Fluctuation of ALT levels is normal over the course of the day, and ALT levels can also increase in response to strenuous physical exercise.[1]"


(http://www.aafp.org/afp/20050315/1105.html)

"A thorough medical history and physical examination are the cornerstone of the evaluation of patients with mildly elevated liver transaminase levels.1 The history should attempt to identify risk factors for disease, with special attention directed toward family history, medications, vitamins, herbal supplements, drug use, alcohol use, abnormal liver testing, blood-product transfusions, and symptoms of liver disease. Table 26 lists selected medications and herbal supplements that may cause elevated transaminase levels. Physicians should ask patients directly about their use of illicit drugs, herbal supplements, and other alternative "supplements" because these sometimes are omitted from the patient's initial response to questions.


Common Agents That Can Cause Liver Transaminase Elevations

Herbal supplements/vitamins
Chaparral leaf
Ephedra
Gentian
Germander
Jin bu huan
Kava
Scutellaria (skullcap)
Senna
Shark cartilage
Vitamin A

Medications
Acetaminophen
Amiodarone (Cordarone)
Amoxicillin- clavulanic acid
Carbamazepine (Tegretol)
Fluconazole (Diflucan)
Glyburide (Micronase)
Heparin
Isoniazid (INH)
Ketoconazole (Nizoral)
Labetalol (Normodyne)
Nitrofurantoin (Furadantin)
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
Phenytoin (Dilantin)
Protease inhibitors
Sulfonamides
Trazodone (Desyrel)

The presence of other significant health conditions that can cause or augment liver transaminase elevations also should be noted; examples are diabetes, heart disease (including congestive heart failure), thyroid disease, muscle disease, and cancer. Physical findings and sequelae of liver dysfunction are given in Table 3.

Once the history and physical examination are completed, additional testing can help discern the etiology of the transaminase elevation (Figure 1).4"

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179856 tn?1333547362
57 is not that high but I don't think it's like the "perfect" level they are usually lower but unless you have a reason I wouldn't worry about it.

Like Jm said - is there a reason that you had it done, it's not common like a CBC.
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Avatar universal
Can I ask what prompted you to get a hepatic function panel? Was it part of a routine physical or did you ask for it? Do you have Hepatitis C?
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