pregnancy & elevated AFP w/RUQ pain

[Guest guest]

Hello everyone,

I'm new and need some advice. I hope someone here has some insight

they can share.

I am 5 months pregnant and have been taking tylenol 3 for an

unrelated condition. This med has been very constipating for me and

I worry it has been masking my RUQ (right upper quadrant) pain.

I've had the RUQ pain for at least a couple of months but, thought

nothing of it - just dismissed it as constipation or digestive

issues associated with pregnancy or the meds.

Well, my first blood screen for birth defects came back about 6

weeks ago with slightly elevated AFP (alpha fetoprotein). This test

has a high rate of false positive so, I just dismissed it the first

time. My ultrasound indicated all was normal with the baby. Well,

they re-ran the blood screen and it came back with elevated AFP

again - this time the doc says it was slightly higher (not sure of

the exact reading).

Sure enough, now I realize that the pain in my right side is not

indigestion or constipation - I'm guessing it's definitely my liver

or gall bladder. Everything I find on the internet says that

elevated AFP indicates liver cancer. I have searched high and low

for SOMETHING that says elevated AFP can be indicative of gallstones

or something else more common (and less fatal).

I'd like to know if anyone here has heard of slightly elevated AFP

levels not associated with liver cancer but, with some other liver

condition? Also, if my AFP was WAY high, wouldn't my doctors have

freaked out? So, I'm assuming it was only a little high...

Any advice or thoughts? Thanks much...