RE: elevated liver enzymes.

[Guest guest]

I always thought they check the liver because certain meds may

affect the liver.

From:

sList [mailto:sList ] On Behalf

Of JLACP@...

Sent: Friday, January 29, 2010 12:15 AM

To: deniseslist

Subject: elevated liver enzymes.

Blood test results just came back with elevated liver enzymes

AST 49

ALT 90

This is a " new " development.

Doctor says this indicates stress to the liver.

From what? What to do about it? Could not get a

satisfactory answer from my daughter's doctor.

Wants her to go for a liver scan.

Anyone had elevated liver enzymes & /or liver scan?

Any guidance appreciated. Going to start researching now.

Thanks.

Lucille

[Guest guest]

Lucille, you did not give enough information. A lot depends on how

old your child is, what she has, and what meds/treatments she is on.

These are enzymes produced by the liver. Depending on your lab's

normal ranges (each lab is slightly different) the first is probably

close enough to normal to be within the ballpark of lab error (not

that they made a mistake, but every time you run a test a thousand

different variations give you a +/- range). The second is mildly

elevated. Infection and other nasty things can elevate it, but they

usually will give you a level of hundreds to thousands, so you can see

these are very mild elevations. That does not mean it isn't a nasty,

these could be the beginning of further elevations, so a trend is even

more important than this mild elevation.

These could indicate that a diet or medication is stressing the liver--

for instance, these are watched with everyone who is on cholesterol

meds, for example, as a way of finding out if the liver is being

irritated by those medications. Herbal products can also cause it.

By far, the most common reason is Tylenol. A study I think about a

year ago showed that even normal doses of Tylenol can cause an

elevation of liver enzymes. When you combine that with other meds the

person is on, the effect is compounded. This is why Tylenol scares

me. Normal doses from one source can cause it, and frequently

patients are not aware that there is Tylenol in some of the other

things they are taking and can easily overdose. It is one of the most

frequently overdosed medications, usually number one, both accidental

and deliberate. And if an overdose happens, you have to get to them

in time to give the antidote, or the liver is dead.

Gall stones that block the bile duct might also cause it. Viruses

other than hepatitis can cause a mild elevation. Some parasites can

elevate them. Pancreas problems can also irritate the liver. A

physical injury (eg a fall) can cause it. There are other things, but

these are the most common.

It could be a transient nothing. It could be something else.

What to do about it? If it is a med, stop the med, or give something

to support the liver. If it is a gallstone, deal with the gallstone.

If it is a virus, probably nothing you can do but watch and wait. If

it is something else, deal with the something else.

A liver scan is usually not the first test unless you already suspect

the patient is at risk. Usually, a repeat blood test is done to see

if the enzymes are going up or down, unless there is some reason not

to delay. Then an ultrasound is done, similar to the ultrasound you

had when you were pregnant. A liver scan is done by giving an IV

injection of a radioactive tracer (very short lived), that is then

processed and eliminated by the liver. This shows you how the liver

is functioning overall, lets you see the liver actually on the job,

doing what it does. There is also the possibility of an MRI or CT of

the liver. Without more information, I cannot tell you why her doctor

is going straight to a liver scan.

If a patient is on a med that stresses the liver and it cannot be

stopped, then you might be able to try (with your doctor's ok and

guidance) several supplements that support the liver. For instance,

no patient should be on cholesterol meds without also being on Co-Q-10

or ubiquinone to prevent damage. And milk thistle can protect the

liver from things that are trying to kill it. Also, the patient

should probably be supplemented with glutathione or a precursor like

SAM-e. Homeopathics can also be helpful. No herbals should be used

unless prescribed by an expert--most herbals are processed by the

liver, and it is already stressed.

If your doctor is not familiar with these, the people who publish

Facts & Comparisons (the pharmaceutical bible, very respected) also

publish a similar book on herbal medicine. It used to be called the

Lawrence Review of Natural Products, and is now just called the Review

of Natural Products.

Good luck

>

> Blood test results just came back with elevated liver enzymes

> AST 49 ALT 90

> This is a " new " development.

> Doctor says this indicates stress to the liver.

> From what? What to do about it? Could not get a satisfactory

> answer from my daughter's doctor.

> Wants her to go for a liver scan.

> Anyone had elevated liver enzymes & /or liver scan? Any guidance

> appreciated. Going to start researching now.

> Thanks.

> Lucille

>

>