Question about elevated Liver Enzymes

[Bubba2112]

Hi...couldn't really find a dedicated Forum to "Liver" so thought I'd post here.

Anyway, I take a lot of Acemetaphine/Tylenol for Migraines. I had my Liver checked out last week and my enzymes were "slightly elevated" in her words, coming back at 52. She said normal is 10-42

What I'm wondering is anyone eles's experiences with Liver Enzyme count. Is this high? I generally will take 1000-1500MG of tylenol per day for the migraines. Am I safe in assuming this is the cause of it? Can I expect them to continue to get higher if I keep taking this amount? Is 52 really "THAT BAD"?


Thanks to anyone for their help!

[Brndnsdad]

Bubba,
I had similar results with elevated liver enzymes. My PCP referred me to a gastroenterologist who ran some more tests including an ultrasound. Everything was normal except for a slightly enlarged liver, which he called a "fatty liver." He had me lose ten pounds and ran tests again. All tests came back within normal range. He encouraged me to keep my weight down because a fatty liver can become a non-alcohol type of cirrhosis of the liver. Bottom line is to go see a gastroenterologist to have your particular condition evaluated.

[Mollyrae]

Hey Bubba,  Anon was right. You should be tested for Hepatitis C. I started with Migranes that would not go away. After many tests, the Hemotologist finally discovered the Hep C. I had had it for 25+ years before they diagnosed me. Are you having any other symtoms like fatigue, sore muscles& joints, cold or flu? i was asymptomatic and did not realize I was having symptoms til i was diagnosed. Please have the Doc test you if you have not been tested already. I will be thinking of you. Take care, Mollyrae

[norcogal]

If you are concerned about your liver, you may want to investigate natural homeopathic remedies. There are many nutritional supplements such as "Liver Renew", There is suggestive evidence that milk thistle will help your liver. Please google this for more information. You can also check out the hepatitis c forums to see what other supplements are suggested

[HARRYBEADS]

Kia has a good point, I switched to mscontin or dilaudid low dose.These are straight no additives, yiu can get ms contin in 15 mg dose and it's like 2- t3's every 8 hours.
2 mg dilaudid is abit stronger but work great on migrains.

Harry

[Kia222]

I wouldn't worry too much about a failing liver or a liver transplant.  Slight elevated, as stated by your doctor, means just that.  However, I would completly eliminate tylenol from your pain management treatment.  Ask your doctor about prescribing something else for the migranes.  If you drink alcohol or take any medication for high cholesterol or high triglycerides, that will also elevate your enzymes.  After you eliminate taking tylenol for about 3 months, go back to your doctor and be tested again.  It sounds like all will be okay and it is early enough to get under control...  Good Luck!

[HARRYBEADS]

Don't listen to the over reactions, they must get kicks out of it. Know need to be concerned about the hep unless you had blood or risky behavior.

Young people have higher level because of growth. Watch over time!!!!!!!!!!

Relax
Harry

[AnonDH56]

Even if you had Hep C, commonest causes of liver failure I believe, you could go on for 20 to 30 years and even then never have liver failure. They test for actual VIRAL LOAD, # of viruses per ml and mine is 1.8 million and my liver enzymes are just about like yours but I cant drink. I take tylenol in the Vicodin I use though I have tried a dozen times to get Drs. to Rx something without it. The Vicodin is Hydrocodone + Tylenol but you can get Hydrocodone + Ibuprofen, forget name, VicoPren? I rarely take just tylenol but any drug combo you might be Rxd, just ask that there is any Tylenol in it. So, even with high viral load my liver has just minimal signs of Fibrosis (think fiber threads), and no Cyrrohsis?sp. Even then some are curable with Interferon and Ribovarin, I am not and mostly feel 75% normal, 75% of the time. You can have a biopsy done if they suspect trouble and even an untrasound tells alot. Like last person said, most all above is big over reaction IMO.
Good Luck
D

[HARRYBEADS]

Women have times where these elevate, do you excersize,drink or have a cold or flu. All these effect ast but it's the big picture over time that you need to be concerned about, fluctuations happen daily,if over a year or so your levels stay high the Doc will do more tests. Trust your Doc, doing the right thing. Try the Hep c group here they know a thing or two about AST and can explain it to you better than I can. But your fine, relax or your AST levels will rise.

Harry

[Bubba2112]

HARRY

thanks for the info and reassurance, but if the norm is 40 and 1.5 * 40=60,  mine are 52...I'm really not that far off, know what I mean?

[HARRYBEADS]

I know a little about the liver enzymes and yours are fine. Start worring if you reach 1.5 times the norm.AST is effected by exersize and such, the Doc should monitor your levels over time to get a real picture because they flucuate daily.
Your fine.

Harry

[sandee1818]

If one was to OD on tylonol the drs and emts could not get you back in other words your just dead.
That is serious to me. and while most don't intend on killing themselves they can

[Bubba2112]

AnonDH56, I really appreciate the info. I'm wondering if me posting this did more harm than good, as one person telling me I have Tylenol Poisoning and another saying I may need a liver transplant definitely freaked me out.

I saw the DR and she did not order anymore tests, just said it's probably the tylenol and dont take as much. I do drink alcohol, just not a lot...but never drink AND take tylenol. I know about that. I'll check out that forum too

[AnonDH56]

Thanks to those trying to help but being 5 to 10 percent high, freak out, NOT!. First off, do you drink alcohol? If so, never do so near time you take tylenol. Just the alcohol will elevate your AST and ALT for sure, even higher than you got. Now, if you want good info from a forum, Google Hepatitis C forums and there are many. There you can learn all about the liver. Most docs that see elevated ALT will order the cheapest but useful test to see if you have Hepatitis C, just lets you know if you have the antibodies. If so, more definitive tests are next but you can have it twenty years B4 symptoms!!! Likely millions have it and do not know it yet. Definitely get on to something more specific for migraines and try and get tylenol out of the picture but despite variation in sensitivity, if it never bothered you before, I doubt it is now. If under 1000 mg a day dont worry until you have further tests. When you are ready for a liver transplant your ALT with be 10+ times or more the norm, not 10% over and you will feel like you are going to die. Try this site,... www.hepcnet.net/forums.shtml & there are many more. Good luck and if more ?'s just ask.

[ADSF]

Bubba, don't freak out about it.   Do, however, talk to your doctor about getting some other type of treatment for your migraines that does not involve tylenol.  There are many other drugs that metabolize in the liver, and you may want to avoid those as well, unless of course it necessary for your health.   My dad has liver disease, and he has been instructed to never, EVER take tylenol.   I'm not a doctor, but I'm sure you are no where even near needing a liver transplant.   It would be a good idea to keep an eye on your liver, though, because you only have one, and liver troubles can cause lots of problems.     Good luck and I hope your numbers just level off on their own.  

[Ghilly]

With regard to your second post re: your liver values, no matter what portion of your liver values might or should be affected by Tylenol, if there is anything abnormal about it at ALL, just to be on the safe side I would avoid anything that could have a negative effect on the liver.  Sometimes the liver will regenerate itself and any previous damage is repaired, other times it won't.  It's not worth taking the chance.

Ghilly

[Ghilly]

The most tylenol that can safely be ingested in a 24 hour period is 4000mg.  Remember, however, that that is generally speaking and that not all individuals react in the same way to the same drugs.  For some people who might have a sensitivity, that safe level could be much lower.  Just because Tylenol is an over the counter drug doesn't mean that it is safe.  

If you are a migraine sufferer who has to take a lot of Tylenol, it would be safer for you to talk with your doctor and have them prescribe something specifically for migraines, like Imitrex or a similar migraine medication.  Safer still would be for you to start documenting everything you eat, what the weather is like, anything stressful that happened during the day, etc., to see if you can figure out what it is that triggers the migraines, and if you can, then you can eliminate that from your life and not have to worry about them, or at least not have to worry about them as often.

You might also talk with your doctor about prescribing you a pain reliever that doesn't contain any Tylenol.  It sounds, from the results of your test, that you are one of those individuals who is sensitive to it and cannot tolerate it as well as many, so to be on the safe side, I would stop taking it.

Ghilly

[Bubba2112]

I want to bump this as I was mistaken.

I got my report today, here's what it says:

Bilirubin, Total   Me=1.9    Normal= 0.2-1.2 mg/dL

AST Me=52   Normal = 10-40 U/L
ALT Me=44   Normal = 9-60 U/L

I mentioned I'm on the Tylenol, and my Dr was a little more perplexed because she believes typically a medication like Tylenol will affect the ALT over the AST, but my ALT is well within normal, but my AST is high.

ALso, my BILIRUBIN is pretty high for some reason.

Anyone have any thoughs or input on this? Difference between AST and ALT and why ALT is fine but AST isn't? Really appreciated

[Bubba2112]

Kande

How high were your enzymes? Mine are 52...do you think I need a liver transplant?

[Kande]

Hello, I don't want to scare you but, I had a liver transplant because of Tylenol. I didn't use that much either. I personally would never touch that stuff. I think you will be o.k.,but I would never use Tylenol again.

[Bubba2112]

Holy ****!

I've been poisoned?

I really dont know what to do or say now. The doctor didn't have an urgency to send me to an ER room or anything, but now I'm scared ******** based on that Sandee. So is my liver about to go into failure?????

[sandee1818]

Your dr needs to put you on something stronger that does not contain tylonol
Tylonol poisioning is VERY SERIOUS.