liver function terrible

[nickster#1]

Glad you dropped into this thread Tat as my thinking was same as yours. I think we need to know if was a fasting sample or not too as could make a difference. To assess how well your liver is actually functioning you need to know serum albumin, bilirubin and prothrombin time.

A protime to assess liver values...???
A simple CMP will tell you where your liver values are. As to the original post in this thread and the values you posted for your liver, they are actually pretty good.
A protime is used to assess your bloodclotting factor. Blue top tube with sodium citrate, and it needs to be filled to the mark for an accurate result. The only time I ever seen anyone drawn for protime is people who are on coumadin, or if a doctor is doing a d-dimer to see if it is elavated, and indication for a PE, or blood clot.

 

[Barch]

I hope this isn't hijacking too bad, but I just ran my liver tests a couple of times... Elevated both times (1 month apart), but the first time the AST was really high, and the second time the ALT was really high. I've been dealing with several years of shoulder pain and chronic migraines, which is probably the root of the problem (acetaminophen), but stopped taking painkillers a couple of months ago. Any takes on why the flip-flopping of elevated AST and ALT?

p.s. My first numbers were: AST- 111, ALT- 58 IU/L
Second set: AST- 44, ALT- 93

Any input is greatly appreciated!

Tat, or any of the other gurus... Any ideas?

 

[Tatyana]

TAT, would you recommend i get retested now and fast beforehand, or wait out the month as i originally intended?

It takes three months for any modifications you make in your diet and lifestyle to show up in your cholesterol.

This is the issue hun, you are stressing so much, what do you think would give you peace of mind?


Whatever you choose to do, getting bled again immediately (I did a week later when I had an abnormal creatinine), or wait for a month, just make sure that you haven't been drinking, taking any NSAIDs and that you have fasted for 10 hours.

Water, BLACK coffee or tea is fine, anything else, NO.

 

[Tatyana]

I hope this isn't hijacking too bad, but I just ran my liver tests a couple of times... Elevated both times (1 month apart), but the first time the AST was really high, and the second time the ALT was really high. I've been dealing with several years of shoulder pain and chronic migraines, which is probably the root of the problem (acetaminophen), but stopped taking painkillers a couple of months ago. Any takes on why the flip-flopping of elevated AST and ALT?

p.s. My first numbers were: AST- 111, ALT- 58 IU/L
Second set: AST- 44, ALT- 93

Any input is greatly appreciated!

I am going to text my friend in the lab and get her to send me the reference for the paper on ALT elevations.

Your liver is a pretty amazing organ. Not only does it make the majority of the proteins in your blood that are used in the acute immune response, for transporting other nutrients and minerals around, most of the clotting factors, it is also the food processing and detoxification center in the body.

If the enzyme systems are overwhelmed with processing food or detoxifying substances, and this is even things like your old sex steroid hormones, the breakdown products of red blood cells (bilirubin), any medications, drugs........then some of the cells are going to die and leak out their enzymes.

Some of this turnover is natural, which is why you will have SOME of the liver enzymes in the blood.

The liver is remarkably resilient, it can take A LOT of abuse as long as you do not have any odd inborn error of metabolism, not that I am recommending abusing your liver.


This is the other issue, the reference ranges only include 95% of the population, and I am starting to have my suspicion that athletes need a different reference range.

Again, for peace of mind and to be certain, I would get tested again, but the bloods are only a part of the diagnosis of any disease.

If everything else is normal, and you have no clinical symptoms, your physical examination is good, then again, just to be responsible and for peace of mind have some follow up testing.

I think I am going to start a liver/liver function test thread in the medical section.

 

[Barch]

Tatyana,

As always, you're a wellspring of information! Thanks for your post.