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Liver function test results

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JamesV6CDX:
For ages I’ve been complaining of pain on the right side of my torso coming and going, in addition to fatigue and stomach problems.

I saw the doctor who sent me for an ultrasound of my liver and abdomen. This came back normal.
He examined me and said he could feel no enlargement.

The symptoms have persisted, and last week I underwent a blood test with full liver function tests in addition.

The results have come back as “normal”, but, a couple of the levels are towards the upper end of said thresholds.

The two I think are of concern are

Serum ALT level 28 u/l (range is 10-35)

alanine transaminase (ALT), an enzyme that is produced and used inside liver cells. If the liver is under stress, levels of ALT present in blood can start to rise.

ALT is an enzyme that is mostly produced by liver cells and therefore it is a good marker of liver disease. When ALT levels rise, it is usually a clear sign that the liver cells are showing signs of damage.

One of the biggest causes of raised ALT levels is fat in the liver, usually caused by drinking too much alcohol too frequently”

gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase - 47 U/L (range is 12-64)

GGT test measures the amount of the enzyme GGT in your blood. Enzymes are molecules that are necessary for chemical reactions in your body. GGT functions in the body as a transport molecule, helping to move other molecules around the body. It plays a significant role in helping the liver metabolize drugs and other toxins.

GGT is concentrated in the liver, but it’s also present in the gallbladder, spleen, pancreas, and kidneys. GGT blood levels are usually high when the liver is damaged.

And finally, bilirubin levels - 16 umol/L (range 0-21)

When the liver is badly damaged by high intake of alcohol, it becomes swollen. This swelling blocks the removal of bilirubin, and bilirubin levels then rise in the blood. A raised bilirubin level indicates serious long term damage to your liver

I don’t consider myself a big drinker but accept I drink more than the couple of units the government say I should per day.

I’d take those results as “normal” for an overweight bloke in his 50s, but for a slim early 30s guy I don’t like them at all, and I’m thinking I will go tee-total, and have a retest in three months.

Maybe there is some sense in the government guidelines after all!

Doctor Gollum:
All the drugs etc from your treatment will be stress testing your entire system anyway, regardless of alcohol intake... Obviously mixing the two is asking for trouble.

Also don't forget that given the physical pounding of the accident, that your nerves and muscles will never quite be the same...

Field Marshal Dr. Opti:
All three tests are perfectly satisfactory.

I'm not quite sure what your concern is.

I recently had a 'top of the range' blood test where over eighty 'functions' were tested. About forty were in the middle of the normal range, twenty at the top of the normal range. Another twenty were batshit high or abnormally low.

The doctor seemed unconcerned. We all have to die of something. :)

Field Marshal Dr. Opti:
James......I'll see if I can find the results of my liver function tests. That should put your mind at ease. ;)

Lazydocker:
Exactly as DG said... Medication and pain relief will have an impact too ;)

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