Elevated ALT and AST

06-06-2017, 12:55 PM

Up until December of 2016 I would have at least 4 beers every night. When I went to the Dr, my enzymes were in the 169 range. I stopped drinking and my enzymes have gotten better. In April my ALT was 26 and my AST was 56, but as of today my ALT is 39 and my AST is 68. I started taking lexapro for anxiety about a month ago... that might be why it's higher again.... I am starting to get concerned. Is this something I should be worried about and can it cause serious damage if my numbers stay where they are. My doctor tells me not to worry about changing my diet or anything like that, but why shouldn't I if my numbers are not within the normal range?? Can anyone with any experience help me understand this a little more?

07-01-2017, 10:45 AM

The only number out-of-normal-range is the AST score and that can be affected by many different influences. And even so, the number may be a little out of normal range but is not something that is cause of serious concern.
It appears you are getting tested on a regular basis. If so, then your doctor will only be alarmed if the test continues to rise over a prolong period.
With that said, it is normal for liver tests to be different during each blood work. Only when your blood test are double the normal range, or continue to rise, will your doctor become more concerned and take action.

07-02-2017, 10:09 AM

Thank you so much for your reply!! I was starting to get a little concerned. I have started juicing because I have heard that was good for your liver. My doctor also said when I went there the first time that he thinks I may have alcoholic liver disease but never confirmed it... he just said it looks as though it was that way with how my numbers were. Do you by any chance know anything about that? I have t drank at all now and I am afraid to drink... I only want to drink like once a month, but I am afraid to because of his comments... maybe I just need to switch to a Dr that will explain this a little more? Lol

07-03-2017, 11:27 AM

Maybe you can help me too. My husband's ALT is running 94 and his AST is running 125. The Dr. seems concerned but hasn't recommended any treatment. I might add that in December he started running a low grade fever and started having chills. He stayed off work for a month and decided to retire because of his health. He is now starting to be nauseated slightly and is never hungry when meals roll around. What do you think. Appreciate any help out there.

07-06-2017, 12:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kaco

Maybe you can help me too. My husband's ALT is running 94 and his AST is running 125. The Dr. seems concerned but hasn't recommended any treatment. I might add that in December he started running a low grade fever and started having chills. He stayed off work for a month and decided to retire because of his health. He is now starting to be nauseated slightly and is never hungry when meals roll around. What do you think. Appreciate any help out there.

Kaco you have many things going on in this situation. First the blood test -- if this is the first time that your husband has had high levels of enzymes it could be due to an infection where your liver is working to clean the blood. This could cause higher levels of AST and ALT. Taking aspirin or other meds could increase the levels.
I do not know how long it has been since the blood test, but due to the higher levels, this does need to be regularly checked. (at least every six months)
Also asked the doctor about the bilirubin levels. Even though this is not the best indication of liver problems, if the bilirubin is high along with the liver enzymes, it could help the doctor determine if some other treatments or procedures are recommended.

Watch for yellowing of the eyes (jaundice), weight-loss and a constant pain right under or right at the right lower side of the rib cage. This pain will be constant and not a come-and-go pain that you have after eating. If having these symptoms you should contact your doctor ASAP.

The levels are higher than normal but is along more of watching the patient rather than start something radical. Follow-ups are the key in your husbands situation.

Steph- As far as your question about alcoholic liver problems, these Gastroenterologist see people daily that have abused alcohol for many, many years and by the time they see a doctor their liver is already is a state of Cirrhosis. And since they see so much they are quick to use alcohol as the problem.
In our support group we have an Italian woman named Rita. For most of her life she has wine with her meals. That was just the way she was brought-up. She had high levels of AST and ALT over 300. Her doctor advised that it was due to her drinking wine and placed on her chart alcoholic liver disease. -- After test it was found out that she had hepatitis and alcohol was not the cause. some doctors tend to use alcoholic liver as a catch-all if the patient has ever admitted to drinking.

07-06-2017, 03:09 PM

Thanks for getting back to me. This is his third set of tests and all came back high enzymes. His bilirubin was 1.1, nothing was mentioned by the doctor about whether this is high or low. He has lost weight from 260 to 170. His only pain is in his hip and more so in his knee on the left side. He staggers when he walks and occasionally falls down and can't get up. When he gets a small scratch it bleeds profusely for hours. A hangnail is cause for a bandage. He has several purplish bruising on both arms and one on the left ankle. Naps are a constant with him. at least 3 per day plus all night. He runs a low grade fever mostly at night and his urine is orange. I know this adds up to cirrhosis but on the other hand if it is cirrhosis where is the swelling of the stomach and the jaundice. His skin is more ashen colored but no yellow although he is getting darker than usual without the sun. His eyes look more cloudy than anything. There seems to be no water buildup at all but I'm no doctor. He says he has no pain except for his hip and knee. All the Dr said was he thinks it likely his few drinks per day is a problem. No scan or MRI was ordered. The Dr told him to take Ibuprofen for the fever. Thanks

07-06-2017, 03:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pbt140

Kaco you have many things going on in this situation. First the blood test -- if this is the first time that your husband has had high levels of enzymes it could be due to an infection where your liver is working to clean the blood. This could cause higher levels of AST and ALT. Taking aspirin or other meds could increase the levels.
I do not know how long it has been since the blood test, but due to the higher levels, this does need to be regularly checked. (at least every six months)
Also asked the doctor about the bilirubin levels. Even though this is not the best indication of liver problems, if the bilirubin is high along with the liver enzymes, it could help the doctor determine if some other treatments or procedures are recommended.

Watch for yellowing of the eyes (jaundice), weight-loss and a constant pain right under or right at the right lower side of the rib cage. This pain will be constant and not a come-and-go pain that you have after eating. If having these symptoms you should contact your doctor ASAP.

The levels are higher than normal but is along more of watching the patient rather than start something radical. Follow-ups are the key in your husbands situation.

Steph- As far as your question about alcoholic liver problems, these Gastroenterologist see people daily that have abused alcohol for many, many years and by the time they see a doctor their liver is already is a state of Cirrhosis. And since they see so much they are quick to use alcohol as the problem.
In our support group we have an Italian woman named Rita. For most of her life she has wine with her meals. That was just the way she was brought-up. She had high levels of AST and ALT over 300. Her doctor advised that it was due to her drinking wine and placed on her chart alcoholic liver disease. -- After test it was found out that she had hepatitis and alcohol was not the cause. some doctors tend to use alcoholic liver as a catch-all if the patient has ever admitted to drinking.

Thank you so much for your help. You are really helping me feel a lot better about this. I was under the impression that I should never drink and became super paranoid about doing anything... if you don't mind me asking, how are you so familiar with all of this?? Also, I honestly do value your opinion since you have been so helpful to me... so, what is your opinion. Do you think I am still ok to drink once in a while as long as I don't get crazy with it and just keep having the Dr run my Bloodwork? Or should I cut it out and make him investigate a little more?? What's your opinion?
Thanks so much, I appreciate all of your help

07-11-2017, 10:00 AM

My wife died from Liver Cancer back in the 80's. She had always pancreas problem ever since I knew her but it was liver cancer that finally took her life. Of course they think it may have spread from the pancreas surgery she underwent- to the liver but after nearly a year of treatments that devastated her body, she decided to stop them all and let nature take it course. There was no support group back them for liver cancer so my wife started one at the local hospital. Even after her passing, I routinely hosted the group. Around 2000, the hospital sponsors the group and I attend a few meetings a year.
And like all groups of this sort, there are usually two types of people. You have end-of-life patients or people that have had a blood test and the enzymes are not in the normal range and they come to the meeting thinking they are about to die. You would be surprised to find out that the second group (bad blood test) people need just as much support as the EOL people. They tend to stop activites that have nothing or little to do with their health.
They are scred when there really is not reason. One slightly elevated test is not a red flag, just a warning to follow the levels.
>

I read that you are taking lexapro medication. Before coming off the medication, tell your doctor about the liver test and perhaps that could be the cause. But talk with doc first. Also do you take and statin (lower cholesterol) drugs? This seems to be the most common drug for high liver enzyme results.
>
As far as drinking, I would be ill advised to tell you to drink as much as you want. But one or two slightly elevated test is not a death toll. My wife never drank, yet still died from liver cancer.

07-11-2017, 12:07 PM

I am so sorry to hear about your wife... That's a shame... I have seen my father and many other of my family members lose their battle to cancer, it is a terrible disease and I could not imagine seeing my spouse go through that....thank you for turning your bad situation into help for others and taking time to give everyone on this forum advice.. I know I certainly appreciate all of your feedback... you have helped answer my questions and put my mind more at ease... i definitely agree with you that people who have elevated enzymes look for support as well as people with EOL diagnoses. I was freaked out when I found out mine were elevated... I assumed it was from drinking, but then when I stopped drinking and they went from 160 something to 60 something and not normal it started to bother me... then o had an ultrasound done and got s call an hour later saying they found a nodule in my liver and I had to get an MRI done to diagnose what it was... so I, of course, thought I was dying of liver cancer... it turns out it's an fnh... but my liver specialist has not really explained anything to me about anything... just keeps wanting bloodwork. I just want to try to do everything I can to reverse it because he did tell me I do also have a fatty liver. I am assuming it's from drinking because I used to have 4 beers every night for probably 7-8 (not while pregnant of course)years? Now I haven't drank since January when they found the nodule because it scared me to death. I am 31 years old with a 3 and 5 year old boy. Definitely want to do all that I can to make sure I am here for them as long as possible. I definitely think the lexapro made my levels go up. It was around 50 something when I had my last test before I started taking it... and then it went up to 66(or close to that). I will have to tell my liver specialist the next time I see him in September. When the nurse called to give me my last liver results I told her, she said she would make a note of it, but that was it. I am also thinking about changing my liver doctor because I feel like I don't get a lot of explainations that I need... anxiety gets the best of me, hence why I finally started taking lexapro haha. It's a vicious cycle! But no, I don't take any meds for cholesterol, I only started taking lexapro and I have been taking birth control for about 15 years...
Thank you again for all of your help, I REALLY appreciate it

Elevated ALT and AST

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