High ALT/TRIG/Chol/HDL and Red Cell count - Liver & Pancreas Disorders Message Board

Tellesfamilia · 07-28-2005, 10:51 PM

Hello,
I guess i will start off by saying I am 23 years old female, am overweight I am 5'6 and 240, I have been put on many diets and low cal diets and still continue to gain weight, I work out 1 time a day and eat very healthy. I move my bowels on adverage 8 times a day always runny or soft. My abodomin swells as if I am preganat, and stays like that for hours, and with that have pain in my r side under my breast. This is cause by eating very small amounts of food and water.Over the last month I am very run down, no engery and have pain under my r breast area, can not sleep at night thought it was my gal bladder and that came neg, with a visit to the er. and now two months later with routine blood work, to check for thyroid problems, I now have high levels in these areas:

ALT (SGPT) is at 60
Triglycerides is at 275
HDLCholestrol is at 30,
CHOL/HDL RATIO is 5.7
Red cell count is 5.26

I do not drink, not even ocassionally, last drink I had was over five years ago, before I had my daughter. I know it may be fatty liver, I recently had another blood work to check for hepatitis, and today it had came back neg and my alt levels are still high, what does that mean. And will I always be weak and tired. Or is this even a symptom. I am schedualed to have a ultrasound next week,followed by a schedualed liver biopsy(sigh) now as far as I have read a ultrasound can show the enlargement of liver, but a liver biopsy is needed to say for sure what it is. Is this true?

So another question, a liver biospy, if needing to have that done, do pateints have pain afterwords, and can a calmant pill be prescribes to calm a patient down or would that effect the liver, I am not sure if I could go through that mentally. Also if some one here has had it done are you in pain afterwords and how long?

Also moving bowels as much as I do and it being most of the time runny like diarriah what could cause that if diet and excercise are ok. Any advice would be helpful. Thanks a bunch.

Hope I am not asking to much questions, just alittle nervous, I am a stay at home mom of one with a husband in Iraq, so my brain is ratteling, and I am sure all you know the wait game is more scary then the actual diagnosis.

Well any advice would be greatly appericiated, thanks again,

happyelf · 07-29-2005, 08:26 AM

Hi tellefamillia...
I'm sorry you're having to deal with all of this on top of your "normal" everyday life--this is the LAST thing you need. Stay at home mom is the toughest job in the world, Thank your husband for me--he's my hero--one of the many fighting for our freedom.

You came to the right place--there are many ppl here w/alot of great info.

I was scheduled to have but didn't need a liver biopsy a few yrs ago-so while I've never had one-I know what I was told to expect. I may be facing one again soon--will find out Mon when I see my spec. So--I have exp in the liver area. My dr offered me a sedative prior to the procedure--I would definitley ask your dr abt that. I was also told by others who have had it done-the thought of it is scarier than the actual biopsy. They find the spot in the liver they want to take from(I think by ultrasound), give you a shot of local anesthetic-which may sting a tiny bit--then while you lay on your back they insert the needle in a obtain the sample. They say it doesn't hurt at all-maybe a tiny bit of pressure-and this part is quicker than the prep for it. Then you're asked to lay on you side for a few hrs(maybe as many as 4-6) to decrease any chance of bleeding, and then you go home. It is an outpatient procedure. It sounds scary I know-and a lot to wrap your head around I'm sure.
I wonder why they want to do a biopsy-did they mention what they were looking for? Your hep was neg-that's great. Fatty liver is common--so don't get to worried abt that. Your ALT at 60 is usually considered in the normal range-right on the cusp. Values for ALT are 5-60 and it's common for ppl's number to elevate and fluctuate frequently--sometimes to double or triple the high end of the range. DO you take any meds--any OTC's--like tylenol or advil? They usually just retest your blood aft a month-and ask you to abstain from and OTC meds in the meantime. Everything we eat drink and breath is filtered through our liver-even colds flus and other bacterial/viruses affect our liver #'s-so you see how easily those liver enzymes (ALT and AST ) can be affected. As for your trigs, etc--am not too sure what all that means-although I know a high trig/cholesterol goes hand in hand w/each other and have to do w/the amt of lipid in the blood plasma.

Also-just b/c you don't have gallstones in you gallbladder doesn'e mean it's functioning properly...I'd mention this to my dr also--they may do another test called a hida scan that will measure how well your gallbladder is working or emptying. Some ppl don't have stones, but "sludge" which lays in the g-bladder and creates the same symptoms as stones. Some of what you're describing sure sounds GI related...the liver usually doesn't have those type symptoms. Have you seen a gastro specialist?

Hang in there-I know this is nerve racking. I'd write down all my questions and ask the dr next time you go ... which is... when?
Take care--ask us any questions you need to--it's never too many.
Hope you're feeling better-a little at least. Let us know how you are.
Elf