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What Causes GGT Levels To Keep Fluctuating?
Hi, I am a 67 year old woman and my ggt readings keep going up and down. Starting at 91 then 95 back to 91 then up to 101 and at the moment is 188. I have never been a drinker or smoker. My cholesterol ranges from 5.9 to 6.4 but hdl good etc. blood pressure thyroid everything good. I have taken inderal 10mg once a day for twenty years for my migraines and anxiety. That is the only medicine I take regularly. I have had a ultrasound of liver gallbladder spleen and all good. I had jaundice as a child of eight and the doctors also checked now for hepatitis but all fine. They say it is a mystery but if it keeps going up I will need a liver biopsy which I really don t want. What could be the cause?
Sat, 19 Sep 2020
Hi,
Inderal is normally not known as problematic for the liver, and your GGT is elevated, however only slightly to moderate. So you should see a HEPATOLOGIST (liver doctor), maybe he/she will find a cause. But please, don’t be too anxious. When I attended medical school we learned that we treat patients and not lab results. There are so many causes for an elevated GGT, most of them benign, that it doesn’t make a physician nervous. However, if the enzymes (GPT and GOT, also known as ALAT and ASAT) are also elevated that’s a reason for a bit of concern. But also in this case the recommendation is: see a hepatologist.
Take care. Hope I have answered your question. Let me know if I can assist you further.
Regards,
Dr. Alexander Davis, General & Family Physician
Inderal is normally not known as problematic for the liver, and your GGT is elevated, however only slightly to moderate. So you should see a HEPATOLOGIST (liver doctor), maybe he/she will find a cause. But please, don’t be too anxious. When I attended medical school we learned that we treat patients and not lab results. There are so many causes for an elevated GGT, most of them benign, that it doesn’t make a physician nervous. However, if the enzymes (GPT and GOT, also known as ALAT and ASAT) are also elevated that’s a reason for a bit of concern. But also in this case the recommendation is: see a hepatologist.
Take care. Hope I have answered your question. Let me know if I can assist you further.
Regards,
Dr. Alexander Davis, General & Family Physician
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