elev enzymes is it AIH - PLEASE help - Liver & Pancreas Disorders Message Board

MOMOF3INNC · 03-03-2006, 03:14 PM

I'm new to the board and was hoping to find out information regarding high liver function tests. It's kind of a long story, so I'll try to be brief. I went for a physical in April of 2004 and my liver enzymes were slightly elevated. They asked me to come back and repeat the blood tests in a few months. In June 2004 I went back and they were even more elevated. They did more tests and the doctor said I had a Positive ANA (indicative of auto-immune disease). From there I had an ultrasound that was negative and even had a biopsy that came back completely normal. I went to see a liver specialist who drew tons of labs that are more indicative of auto immune hepatitis. All these labs came back negative, including the ANA. He told me to monitor my levels and do nothing unless the levels go over 100. Fast forward to last Friday I went in to a new doctor and asked him to draw the levels to see where they were. Now they are both over 100 (AST 128 ALT 104). So it starts again. I go to the specialist on the 28th of the month. I am almost 36 and I feel healthy, I have no symptoms. I exercise regularly. I am not overweight at all. I drink occasionally. Any ideas? I thought when I had the biopsy in July 2004 that it was the definitive test to see if I had autoimunne hepatitis. I am trying not to be stressed, but it is hard. Any information would be helpful. Thank you in advance.

Mrs.Crabtree · 03-05-2006, 07:54 PM

I have been diagnosed with Autoimmune Chronic Active Hepatitis and I can tell you a few things what I've dealt with. When I first found out about it, I was yellow from head to toe. I thought it was the lighting in my apartment, so I didn't think anything of it. My parents on the other hand, felt differently. After being admitted into emergency, they did numerous blood tests. My ALT levels were approximately 650 and my AST levels were around 800. Wow eh? I too feel very healthy. I don't feel any pain and I don't have any discomfort. However, the side effects from the medications do cause numerous problems. These are cosmetic based and sometimes, not often, discomfort from sore knees and water retention. Your doctor seems to have found the problem before it gets worse, so be thankful for that. Just this past Christmas, I was diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver. The only reason we found that was because my stomach was distended to the point where I looked like I was 5 or 6 months pregnant. My stomach was firm to push on and I had all other symptoms of being pregnant. When I did the test, it came back negative. It turns out, the portal vein that goes into my liver developed what they call Portal Hypertension. It is almost as if there was a "kink" in the vein. Therefore, all fluid that was to go through my liver was being backuped up into my abdomen. Now that I've been on diuretics ever since Christmas, my stomach is back to normal. It does get bigger every once in a while due having salt in my diet. Sodium-free diets are very difficult to follow.

I know I have spoken a lot about myself, but I hope that gives you a bit of information. Go see a Gastroenterologist if you haven't already. Where abouts are you located?

MOMOF3INNC · 03-07-2006, 06:31 AM

I'm located near Charlotte, NC. What's weird to me is that I jusr found some old lab values from 7 years ago and my AST and ALT were elevated at that time also. I had the liver biopsy done in July of 2004. If I have had something for 5 years at the time of biopsy shouldn't it have shown up? All the tests that were done in 2004 to diagnose AIH came back negative. Could I still have it? If not what else could it be?

Thanks for the response. Hope you are doing well.

Mrs.Crabtree · 03-07-2006, 10:03 AM

Well, I had a liver biopsy done and it didn't show anything either. Mind you, I believe they are mainly checking for scar tissue on the liver or any cancer. Have you seen either a Gastroenterologist or a liver/hepatitis specialist? That's where I would start. What are your other symptoms? Are you jaundice? How is your weight (if you don't mind me asking?), health in general?

I have a print out of my entire medical history from the age of 19 and it is a timeline of all medical problems that I've had that either the doctors or myself believe are the cause of the AIH. I don't mind sharing that information with you if you like. You may not have AIH at all. However, Autoimmune diseases are strange. There are so many different kinds of autoimmune diseases and they effect everyone differently. Since they are hereditary, your mother (probably) had a form of autoimmune disease but dealth with different problems than yourself. For example, my mother breaks out in hives every night and usually because of her body temperature or the environment around her. I don't deal with that particular problem.

Either way you cut it, you should go see a specialist if you haven't done so already. Good luck!

MOMOF3INNC · 03-08-2006, 05:56 AM

I have seen a hepatologist two years ago, and they couldn't find any reason for the elevated levels. I am not jaundice and I feel extremely healthy. All the lab values that are indicative of an autoimmune disorder came back negative. I am stumped as to if I have a problem or not. I go back to see the hepatologist at the end of the month.