Somebody please help! - Liver & Pancreas Disorders Message Board

nobodytotalkto · 01-13-2006, 10:30 AM

Hi, I am 25 years old and recently had routine bloodwork done (for hypertension). My test results came back perfect, except that my ALT reading was a 59 u/l. I was told that it shouldn't be any higher than 31 (but have found differing ranges on the net).

My doctor wanted me to do liver bloodwork this week but due to my insurance changing, I have to switch doctors and wait until after next week. It is killing me, not knowing what is wrong. I am not a drinker, smoker or do drugs.

After research, I found any number of things that could contribute to this...HUGE amount of stress over the past year, I'm obese, I have been addicted to exlax for nearly six years (senna can make your enzymes raise), I have been on a diuretic for a year and a half, I have a poor diet and exercise pattern and about a year ago, I took numberous amounts of advil for headaches and back pain (stress related).

I guess my question is have any of you had similar results and been able to correct them? I read that the liver is very well capable of healing itself if conditions are changed. Have any of you found this to be true? Please, any help you can give to me, is GREATLY appreciated. I also read it could be gallstones and someone mentioned they had a flush. How do you do flush your system?

happyelf · 01-13-2006, 02:53 PM

Hi nbttt--The waiting is the WORST, isn't it? (darn insurance--we really are at their mercy!) While high #'s are very scary to the patient, the good news is it is are totally reversible. Most ppl have them at some point in time and don't even know it. If the higher points are from stress,(reversible with good diet) or meds--d/cing the med will help bring the #'s back down. (easy to cut all stress out, right!! I wish!) Acetaminophen is a BIG culprit, but any med, anything we eat drink and breathe is filtered thru the liver-so it will be affected. Usually the dr will take your meds and stress etc into account and retest in a month or so. Even if the labs are not totally back to the "normal range" they are happy to see them on a downward trend. If they go up, they may do a CT to see if there's fatty liver or may even wait another month so see where they stand. My liver was at 3900/7900 (yes alt and ast) while I was very ill, it totally recovered. My"normal" range now is in the 100+/200+, and the lab where I go uses 45 and 65 as their upper limits for AST and ALT. Also abt 5 yrs ago I had a few fatty tumors which are now gone. You don't have to be overweight to have fatty liver...I'm not. As for the liver flush--I would never do that unless my dr has ok'd it--too many things can interact poorly with the liver and w/hypertension, you really need to seek a drs advice. Hang in there--hope you're feeling ok. It seems like next week is forever and a day. Try not to dwell too much on it... elf

nobodytotalkto · 01-14-2006, 10:53 AM

Thank you for responding happyelf. My appointment is Monday and seems like an eternity away. I know that they won't do blood tests that day, since it is the first time at this doctor, and she will want to get to know me first.

I have had so much stress lately and it makes it so I want to eat...here I sit with a bag of low fat chips at my side! I have been drinking my 8 glasses of water daily though, so I guess that is a good start.

I stopped exlax cold turkey on the 5th. I had been meaning to do it for so long, but I figured that since an organ is crying out for help, I better do it now. It's not easy to stop something you've been doing for so long. I told the last doctor that I was on them (basically admitting an eating disorder) and she didn't even care, she said "No, that wouldn't do it." I researched online and several places said that senna effects the enzyme levels. So I wonder....

I guess I should just relax and see how things go. I was so freaked out about my liver that once last week, I felt just below my ribs to see if it would hurt. It did. Then I felt the other side and it hurt too. I guess from being overweight and sleeping on my stomach, my weight puts pressure on my ribs, and I'm guessing thats what hurt.

Thank you again for your words of encouragement, they have helped me to feel like this isn't a lost cause.

happyelf · 01-14-2006, 09:12 PM

N--You are very welcome! I'm glad I could help. It's very scary--the 'not knowing' part--and sometimes it just helps to hear (or read) you're not alone! Two days away--then you'll begin to get some answers. I wouldn't be surprised if your new dr took blood. Eight glasses of water--that's great!! I'm happy you d/c'd the laxitives-you should be very proud of yourself!! (I'm proud of you--I'm sure that was not easy!!) My specialist said ex-lax, mylanta etc does elevate enzymes--but even high amts of protein (like if you're on a high protein only diet) can do it....but drs, like us regular ol' ppl, get to have their own opinions, and I'll bet if you line 10 of them up and ask them you get 5 diff opinions. My GP wasn't concerned when I lost weight very quickly, but at the hosp they asked my hubby abt any rapid recent weight loss--yes he said, and then they asked if I was on a low carb(which also meant high protein--which was what they were looking for) diet--no, BUT I did add TON of protein to my diet-which contributed to my liver failing. I think all the planets were lined up the month. lol Stress does bad things to our body, doesn't it? And who is without stress? (I WISH!!) I combat stress with Cheetos!!

(and NOT the low fat ones!!)

The discomfort you are feeling may be from the gallbladder area, I'm not sure. Is it only when you're laying down? Does it happen aft you eat at all? I'm like the "princess and the pea"-in my bed the bottom sheet bunches in the spot that hits under my braline--and if there is a wrinkle in my sheet, I get up and fix it until it's perfect, or I get a "bruise" as I call it--I'm such a whiner!! (family calls me PatP)

This is not a lost cause. It's just a scary time right now. Hopefully Monday this dr will allay your fears--or at least let you know you're on the right path. And I'm here-so you always have someone to talk to. Stay strong. Gina

nobodytotalkto · 01-17-2006, 12:54 PM

Thank you again. I went to the doctor yesterday (was really scared) and being a new doctor, my blood pressure was sky high (150/100). Needless to say, she was more worried about that then my liver enzyme. She put me on a new medication (ACE inhibitor) which I am not comfortable with at all. I have been on my diuretic for over a year with no problems but peeing a lot. Now I have this drug to worry about! I don't know if I will continue it (has warnings about damaging the liver), or just eat more garlic, and cut down on my meals.

She did send me to a lab to do blood work though. I am a big coward, I had the blood drawn from my left hand, rather than my arm. I was told my first time, that my arm veins are extremely hard to find. I guess because there is so much fat covering them

. So I have always felt better with the hand, rather than chancing them poking my arm a hundred times. Thankfully the lady was very coopertive and let me have my way (she acted as if I was extremely brave going through the hand).

Now I will be going back to the doctor's again in two weeks for my results. Thats an even longer time to wait. I guess I will work on losing weight, eating right and stuff until then. I still don't know what to do about the new pill which has caused me lightheadedness and a slight headache so far today.

The pains are usually first thing in the morning, not after I've eaten. It feels bruised, I guess. Like I said, probably from sleeping on my ribs at night - too much weight. :O It's on both sides of my body, is your gallbladder on both sides?

Again, thank you.
Sara