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Suggest Treatment For Elevated Liver Enzymes
Question: Good evening,
My Dr. just let me know that I had a blood test with elevated liver enzymes...My AST was like 62, and my ALT was 83. I am a 28 year old male. No medical conditions, except being overweight. I had a blood test 3 months before this and my liver levels were just fine. for a month before this test I was take 2 vicodin per day for my back. I had taken them for a month straight. Is this why these numbers came up? I have no symptoms or pain. Just concerned about what this means. Could I have Hepatitis, Cirrhosis, or Liver Cancer. Very concerned. Thank you
My Dr. just let me know that I had a blood test with elevated liver enzymes...My AST was like 62, and my ALT was 83. I am a 28 year old male. No medical conditions, except being overweight. I had a blood test 3 months before this and my liver levels were just fine. for a month before this test I was take 2 vicodin per day for my back. I had taken them for a month straight. Is this why these numbers came up? I have no symptoms or pain. Just concerned about what this means. Could I have Hepatitis, Cirrhosis, or Liver Cancer. Very concerned. Thank you
Brief Answer:
Minimal elevation, Probably not significant
Detailed Answer:
Hi, How are you?
Thanks for writing into HCM. My name is Dr Suresh Raghavaiah. I am a liver transplant Surgeon and I will attempt to answer your question today.
Addressing your question regarding liver disease, You have a very mild elevation of enzyme levels. It is considered medically significant only if the elevations are more than twice the normal values and it will definitely be evaluated if the levels are elevated more than three times normal.
In your case, the levels are very minimally elevated and we would not attach any significance to it. Having said that, given that you have confessed to being overweight, I would advise you to get a ultrasound scan of the liver to look for fatty liver. The possibility is very slim given your age, but it will put your mind to rest.
Vicodin does contain paracetomol, but for it to cause liver injury it has to be taken at much higher doses than you have been taking.
I would advice you to repeat the test in a couple of weeks to look at the trend. if it has normalised (which i think it will), then there is nothing more to worry.
I would also suggest you to work on eating healthy and exercising to attain a healthy weight.
Hope this helps and hope you feel better. Please do not hesitate to contact me for any further clarifications
Dr Suresh Raghavaiah
Minimal elevation, Probably not significant
Detailed Answer:
Hi, How are you?
Thanks for writing into HCM. My name is Dr Suresh Raghavaiah. I am a liver transplant Surgeon and I will attempt to answer your question today.
Addressing your question regarding liver disease, You have a very mild elevation of enzyme levels. It is considered medically significant only if the elevations are more than twice the normal values and it will definitely be evaluated if the levels are elevated more than three times normal.
In your case, the levels are very minimally elevated and we would not attach any significance to it. Having said that, given that you have confessed to being overweight, I would advise you to get a ultrasound scan of the liver to look for fatty liver. The possibility is very slim given your age, but it will put your mind to rest.
Vicodin does contain paracetomol, but for it to cause liver injury it has to be taken at much higher doses than you have been taking.
I would advice you to repeat the test in a couple of weeks to look at the trend. if it has normalised (which i think it will), then there is nothing more to worry.
I would also suggest you to work on eating healthy and exercising to attain a healthy weight.
Hope this helps and hope you feel better. Please do not hesitate to contact me for any further clarifications
Dr Suresh Raghavaiah
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Bhagyalaxmi Nalaparaju
Thank you for your help. I understand. Even if the vicodin did not cause damage, could it still cause an elevation in those levels?
Does it suggest that things are ok given that my test 3 months earlier was normal?
If it were something serious like cirrhosis or Cancer, would the previous test been elevated or at least I would have had symptoms?
Thank you for your time
Does it suggest that things are ok given that my test 3 months earlier was normal?
If it were something serious like cirrhosis or Cancer, would the previous test been elevated or at least I would have had symptoms?
Thank you for your time
Brief Answer:
Get Ultrasound scan.
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Thanks for writing back.
It usually takes 10 yrs of continued damage to the liver cells to cause cirrhosis and liver cancer most often appears in the background of cirrhosis. Cirrhosis usually is asymptomatic till late stages.
You have nothing to worry about given your profile, but like I suggested please do get a ultrasonography of the liver which will rule out both cirrhosis and cancer for you. In addition please do get the liver tests repeated in a couple of weeks. If the enzymes are still elevated then you would need further evaluation. it is possible that vicodin did cause an elevation of your liver enzymes, but like I said before, the elevations are only minimal and of no clinical significance
Dr Suresh Raghavaiah
Get Ultrasound scan.
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Thanks for writing back.
It usually takes 10 yrs of continued damage to the liver cells to cause cirrhosis and liver cancer most often appears in the background of cirrhosis. Cirrhosis usually is asymptomatic till late stages.
You have nothing to worry about given your profile, but like I suggested please do get a ultrasonography of the liver which will rule out both cirrhosis and cancer for you. In addition please do get the liver tests repeated in a couple of weeks. If the enzymes are still elevated then you would need further evaluation. it is possible that vicodin did cause an elevation of your liver enzymes, but like I said before, the elevations are only minimal and of no clinical significance
Dr Suresh Raghavaiah
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Bhagyalaxmi Nalaparaju
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