*****I Don't drink or smoke BUT am overweight by 2stone***
I had a blood test for a different purpose which came back fine. I spoke to the receptionist and I was told all my test results were fine, i even went to pick up a copy of the test ( am guessing they left out the liver result) all were fine but my cholesterol level is a tiny bit high, and have started working on lowering it.
Few days after I picked the result I got a letter from the GP requesting for a retest in two months time, i didn't understand why. I manage to speak to the GP over the phone and ask him why i need a retest - He said my liver test was a bit abnormal, that my liver is holding more fat than it should. He said he's looking for Hepatitis B or Hepatitis C that he requested for the test in 2 months because the liver may have heal itself by then. He added if the repeat test comes back abnormal too i will be sent for a scan.
Since I got this news i have been feeling extremely down, i can't function properly. DOES ANYONE KNOW WHAT THIS COULD BE!!!
I just wanted to knock this reply out in case it's reassuring to you.
There are all sorts of reasons for abnormal liver test results - many many reasons, and often they resolve themselves after a short period of time.
At this stage, if there was something serious up you might see some results indicating more serious disruption of liver function - doesn't sound like that's the case.
The chances are that the liver results that were elevated were liver enzymes. These enzymes are produced when the liver is inflammed. The liver can become inflammed for a number of reasons - have a few drinks for example and then take a liver test - but the liver is extremely good at regenerating cells and repairing itself - did you know you can cut half off and it will grow back!! True!. Also you can live normally with only 20% or so of your liver functioning. If however the inflammation continues unabated - from whatever cause - the damage leads to progressive scarring of the liver tissue and if it continues long enough cirrhosis, which is a fully scarred liver which can't recover (although even then it's possible to function quite well). In your mind you should separate the inflammation of the liver from the level of scarring. You may have inflammation but very little scarring.
So your doctor is right to check in case there is anything that has caused inflammation. So he can stop it. Fat can do this too so the best thing you can do now is to get as healthy as possible - you'll have to do this in any case so best to start now. If the cause of the inflammation can be found and dealt with then prospects are good as the liver keeps repairing itself and scarring short of full-on (and not early) cirrhosis can reverse.
Of course its entirely possible that this is a small episode and that the results will improve of their own accord. This happens all the time and is likely what your doctor is expecting.
So right now I'd say relax and focus on losing weight and being healthy, you don't have any reason to panic based on what you've said.
Hope that helps. Do keep checking back in here - it's a very helpful forum.
Best regards.
Hey Misterx,
Thanks for your reply. Your words are very encouraging.
One of the reasons why i am deeply concerned is that I have not been exposed to possible hepatitis recently and the last time i went out of the UK was 7 months ago - even if i got a viral infection then it should have resolve by now since it hasn't it may mean only one thing - potential serious liver problem.
Honestly though am leaning towards congenital fatty liver.
Thanks - happy to help.
It's a huge jump from having hepatitis to saying serious liver problem.
The word hepatitis means inflammation of the liver - from any cause -including various viruses called Hepatitis which give you hepatitis. If hepatitis (inflammation) goes on long enough it will cause fibrosis (scarring). If fibrosis continues long enough and enough of the liver is scarred the extensive scarring is called cirrhosis.
Your body is a working system, your liver is a working system. A blood test is a snapshot. So at any given time - as I mentioned say for example after a few drinks - there may be inflammation of liver cells which will be reflected in higher levels of liver enzymes in the blood. This is why any single snapshot - unless the levels are extremely high indicating something acute (for example an overdose of drugs) - is not indicative of very much at all. You have to look and retest to see if there is a pattern..Also you could quite easily have a mild infection that is being dealt with by your body without noticing anything.
There is much much much more chance that a single blood test showing increased liver enzymes is not the result of anything serious.
Also you really do have to separate hepatitis (inflammation) from the damage to the liver. As soon as the inflammation is stopped the liver will start to repair itself- and regenerate cells. As I mentioned earlier you can grow back half a liver in a few weeks.
In the absence of any indication that the liver is failing to function properly I can't see how you have any reason to suspect anything serious. Even if the next results are elevated it may not indicate anything untoward - bantam12's reply was indicative of the possibilities.
If you suspect fatty liver you should of course not wait to address that and sort out weight and diet as soon as you can.
Cheers.
Hey MisterX,
To the best of your knowledge is Hep B and Hep C curable?
Hi,
Well I'm sure there are people here with much better understanding of both Hep B and Hep C than me but to the best of my knowledge Hep B is usually dealt with by the immune system. If not there are effective medications to control viral load. Hep C can be eliminated.
britishlivertrust.org.uk/li...
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Jjjo I'm guessing your GP is running tests for Hep C and Hep C so he can rule them out as a possible cause of the elevated enzymes. Not because he necessarily thinks you have them, but he would be failing in his duty of care if he didnt check. Its quite usual now for GPs to check for HIV too, even if your lifestyle suggests this as impossible! As Mister X says there are so many things that can cause liver damage and elevated enzymes that if a patient cant pinpoint themselves what might be the cause (obvious ones being a long history of drinking alcohol or perhaps a long history of intravenous drug use) then the GP will start at the top of a list of possible causes and work their way down eliminating them by blood tests. Unless you yourself can think of some way you might have become infected with a blood borne virus, I would be focussing more on the likelyhood that your weight has been a contributing factor and, being something you can do lots about without needing a doctor or medication, start rethinking your nutrition and find a nutrition plan/diet plan that suits you and will enable you to lose weight.
Thanks for your reply Bolly. Well have had the Hep C and B done today. The result will be out in 3 days.
Hi
I r very educated on this subject. Am well informed
Hi