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What Causes Liver Enzymes To Be High?
Question: Hi. Liver enzyme 1000. Very worried I have cancer
Brief Answer:
This is not the most likely diagnosis.
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
cancer is not the most likely diagnosis when liver enzymes are high. On the other hand, I could not tell what's wrong with your health with the very limited data you've provided. Please send a scanned report so that I could see the whole picture. Please also include clinical information like symptoms or signs. Why were you tested? Your medical history? Do you use any drugs?
And some more specific questions: did you have pain on the upper right abdomen? Yellow discoloration of the skin? Dark urine? Fever?
Have you done any radiological test? (ultrasound, MRI, CT)
I'll be waiting for your answers.
Kind Regards!
This is not the most likely diagnosis.
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
cancer is not the most likely diagnosis when liver enzymes are high. On the other hand, I could not tell what's wrong with your health with the very limited data you've provided. Please send a scanned report so that I could see the whole picture. Please also include clinical information like symptoms or signs. Why were you tested? Your medical history? Do you use any drugs?
And some more specific questions: did you have pain on the upper right abdomen? Yellow discoloration of the skin? Dark urine? Fever?
Have you done any radiological test? (ultrasound, MRI, CT)
I'll be waiting for your answers.
Kind Regards!
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Prasad
Sorry. Yes, went to ER Wednesday night w sudden chills and shaking, fever was 100 but down to 98.7 when I left. CBC all good, one vial of blood culture positive for cocci, but they had to stick me 6 times to get blood and had to use ultrasound and got blood from IV port. Liver enzyme 1000 but ER doc didn't seem concerned. Sent home w nothing, said probably a virus. Still worried, feel fine though. No fever or pain.
Forgot to mention was a heavy drinker until stopped completely on July 25th. Also a gastric bypass patient, 2008. B12 was 180, iron 90
Forgot to mention was a heavy drinker until stopped completely on July 25th. Also a gastric bypass patient, 2008. B12 was 180, iron 90
Brief Answer:
Needs further investigation
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
a scanned report would be very helpful. There is not a single liver enzyme. The most commonly used are four: AST (SGOT), ALT (SGPT), ALP and gamma-GT. It's essential to know every single value to get some idea.
Till you do send to exact values I'll give you some possible explanations.
Very increased transaminases levels (AST, ALT) with minor ALP and gamma-GT elevations are usually found in hepatitis.
Very increased ALP and gamma-GT with less AST and ALT are usually found in obstruction of the bile ducts due to any cause (cancer, infection etc).
Drugs can cause any value. Hepatic veins obstruction (Budd-Chiari syndrome) can cause really high values of transaminases. The same applies for shock liver (which is a serious condition caused by very serious infections). Alcoholic hepatitis or cirrhosis won't cause that high values.
The potential causes are many.
Without more information it's impossible to even guess what could be wrong.
I'll be more specific in what I ask this time, to help you give me the necessary data.
- AST, ALT, ALP, gamma-GT, bilirubin (direct, total), Hepatitis surface antigen (HBsAg), Hepatitis core antibody (HBcIgM/HBcIgG), Epstein-Barr Virus antibodies (EBV IgG, IgM), HCV for hepatitis C, total blood count, C-reactive protein, amylase.
- Ultrasound results (liver, gallbladder, pancreas, spleen)
I cannot trust the cocci positive culture that much. There is a certain procedure for drawing blood for cultures and your description does not match the procedure standards.
Please also provide some more information about your liver status. Drinking has detrimental effects on the liver. Do you have cirrhosis?
In any case fever and shaking suggests an infection. True rigors are usually caused by serious bacterial infections but some viruses can do that too.
Any liver enzyme at 1000 U/L is very high, so please also check the units.
B12 is very low. The gastric bypass can cause it and also if you were drinking too much and had no food then this could be the cause as well but you need supplementation no matter what.
I'll be waiting for the results. Please remember that the more data you provide, the more specific the answer will be.
Needs further investigation
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
a scanned report would be very helpful. There is not a single liver enzyme. The most commonly used are four: AST (SGOT), ALT (SGPT), ALP and gamma-GT. It's essential to know every single value to get some idea.
Till you do send to exact values I'll give you some possible explanations.
Very increased transaminases levels (AST, ALT) with minor ALP and gamma-GT elevations are usually found in hepatitis.
Very increased ALP and gamma-GT with less AST and ALT are usually found in obstruction of the bile ducts due to any cause (cancer, infection etc).
Drugs can cause any value. Hepatic veins obstruction (Budd-Chiari syndrome) can cause really high values of transaminases. The same applies for shock liver (which is a serious condition caused by very serious infections). Alcoholic hepatitis or cirrhosis won't cause that high values.
The potential causes are many.
Without more information it's impossible to even guess what could be wrong.
I'll be more specific in what I ask this time, to help you give me the necessary data.
- AST, ALT, ALP, gamma-GT, bilirubin (direct, total), Hepatitis surface antigen (HBsAg), Hepatitis core antibody (HBcIgM/HBcIgG), Epstein-Barr Virus antibodies (EBV IgG, IgM), HCV for hepatitis C, total blood count, C-reactive protein, amylase.
- Ultrasound results (liver, gallbladder, pancreas, spleen)
I cannot trust the cocci positive culture that much. There is a certain procedure for drawing blood for cultures and your description does not match the procedure standards.
Please also provide some more information about your liver status. Drinking has detrimental effects on the liver. Do you have cirrhosis?
In any case fever and shaking suggests an infection. True rigors are usually caused by serious bacterial infections but some viruses can do that too.
Any liver enzyme at 1000 U/L is very high, so please also check the units.
B12 is very low. The gastric bypass can cause it and also if you were drinking too much and had no food then this could be the cause as well but you need supplementation no matter what.
I'll be waiting for the results. Please remember that the more data you provide, the more specific the answer will be.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Raju A.T
Wouldn't you think that if the total results of the liver function results were alarming that the ER doc would've told me to get a follow up? He just casually mentioned 1000 and said not that concerning but I am concerned, but if he wasn't then maybe I shouldn't be either?
Brief Answer:
This is how it should be...
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
1000 is way too much if we're talking about U/L and definitely needs further investigation. I don't know what your doctor had in his mind since you haven't provided the necessary details. Do you think it could be a misunderstanding?
If it is really 1000 then the tests I've already suggested in my previous answer are absolutely necessary just to start the investigation. Depending on the results, more tests might be needed.
Follow up tests are needed 100%.
I hope I've helped, although I could have helped a lot more if you'd given me the data.
Kind Regards!
This is how it should be...
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
1000 is way too much if we're talking about U/L and definitely needs further investigation. I don't know what your doctor had in his mind since you haven't provided the necessary details. Do you think it could be a misunderstanding?
If it is really 1000 then the tests I've already suggested in my previous answer are absolutely necessary just to start the investigation. Depending on the results, more tests might be needed.
Follow up tests are needed 100%.
I hope I've helped, although I could have helped a lot more if you'd given me the data.
Kind Regards!
Note: For further follow up on digestive issues share your reports here and Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Raju A.T
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