Confused over liver function test results

[danix83]

Hi all im new here. im a 33 year old female . With no health problems. ive been a heavy drinker for 10 years. in may had a routine blood test all normal apart from liver function it was 84 . I realise this was the alcohol. i has retest after 4 weeks during this period i cut down on drinking bit didn't stop. results where liver function had gone down to 67 but another enzyme relating to alchol damage was 121. So they said retest 3-6 mths . During this time I have dramaticly cut down on alcohol but did still drink most weekends . for the last 2 mths ive only had 2 nights where ive had 8 cans and the last time was 3 week ago. so was expecting results to be good. blood results where the 121 has gone down to 102 but the overall liver function has gone from 67 up to 78. so worried as it should have gone down

[Millie09]

Hi Danix ,well I was a social drinker for over 30 years . It was only in the last four years since 2003 I was drinking heavy to escape a stressful job and a violent ex husband , I have Cirrosis now for nearly 9 yrs . I have done all what my doctor and my gastroenterologist told me to do and thst was quit drinking all together . Have you had any other tests done to rule out any other underlying problem ? I think it's worth a second opinion or maybe a trip to A&E .. LFT tests can vary in accordance to medication , alcohol , genetic problems etc .. So I would seek out another source .. Good luck .. Linda

[danix83 in reply to Millie09]

Hi linda and thanks for reply. they said retest in 2 weeks while i totally obstain and if its still high go for a liver scan. think im more disheartened as after 3 weeks with a drop i was expecting it to have gone down.

[Millie09 in reply to danix83]

Your welcome , well that's good advice there to be honest , they can rule out that the cause is alcohol related or not , don't be too disheartened on your test results , it can take time , I know I was disappointed on many occasions but you will know one way or another soon enough , fingers crossed for you and please let us know how you get on . Best wishes Linda

[briccolone in reply to danix83]

Don't be disheartened. If you've been drinking a long time it can take a while for enzymes to normalise. Check my posts on elevated ggt. My advice is to take a break for 6 weeks and test again bad timing I know as xmas is a coming but take this as a wake up call and start taking it easy on the pop best

[Hidden]

Hi danix83 and welcome.

I'm really sorry to hear about your recent test results and can understand your concerns. The good news is your GP seems to be on the ball and monitoring your results closely which in itself is a good thing.

Well done for cutting down so much on your intake of alcohol, it can only do your liver good. Don't be too disheartened at your second set of results, it can take time and, as your GP has probably advised, total abstinence is the best way forward always, regardless of the cause. Your liver is precious.

I know it's scary but hopefully it's just a warning and there's no lasting damage, you have found out in time and have the chance to change things. It's never too late to stop. I drank heavily for a few years, like yourself, but as it started to affect my health I gave up altogether almost 10 years ago and it was the best thing I ever did.

Keeping my fingers crossed for you that your next results are more positive.

Take care,

Jacqui x

[StressedDad123]

Hi Danix

I feel I am in a similar situation to you. I am 30 and suffered anxiety for years which for last few years has made it very difficult to leave the house. I have been using alcohol daily as a coping mechanism. Also my dad died 3 and half years ago from liver disease and ironically since then i have been drinking more to cope. I went for a blood test a month ago and got results showing slightly raised ALT indicating fatty liver. I was told to cut down / stop drinking amd go back for another test in a couple of weeks. I have been sober for 2 and a half weeks and the 2 weeks before that i cut right down to between 4 and 8 units a day. I am hoping new blood tests will be requested on friday when i see my gp again and that it will have dropped.

Well done on cutting down, believe me i know how hard it is, but if you can you really need to stop completely so it can be ruled out, even just for a couple of weeks before your next test. If it is the cause, this should greatly help.

I understand your frustration i am feeling the same at the moment.

Tom

[Geffy22]

Like lots of people on here do, hun, try drinking a lemon juice and hot water every morning (at least) before anything else. Look up how best to make it, it can be a bit bitter but occasionally I make a perfect one which is very nice!!! Your GP sounds good, stay with her/him - ask for some dietary advice if you feel you need it to make sure your 'feedings' your liver.

I drank in my teens, stopped in my 20s and rarely drink now all because my friends and I decided we could always pretend to be drunk if needs be to get into the spirit but as one of our group was raped when drunk, we really didn't need to drink.

My friends now all drink socially, so If you can cope with being out with friends who drink great, but it is tough esp when they're trying to get you to do something a bit risqué...!

Good luck xxx

[danix83]

Thanks everyone for replys. feel much better now hearing them. im always worried and anxious about most things to the point that some stuff i cant stop thinking about, this being one of them. which again i feel is down to booze! ik try not to worry and give it more time thanks again

[Hidden in reply to danix83]

Hey danix83, I spent a long time drinking on my emotions...fear, worry, anxiety, you name it I drank on it.

I chose to go to AA and it was then, and only then, that I was taught different coping mechanisms on how to deal with all of these feelings without the use of alcohol as my crutch, because that is what it had become.

I thought it was my best friend but it turned out to be my worst enemy. It started out as my solution to my fears and anxiety but in the end it became the cause of them.

Chin up, there is a solution and it doesn't need to be alcohol, it just likes to make you feel it's the solution, hence they call it Cunning, Baffling & Powerful.

Thinking of you.

Jacqui xx

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Hi Jacqui,

I was just reading this thread and came across your post. I have been diagnosed with **ALD and have struggled to stop drinking completely. I am terrified of getting Cirrhosis but my habits are the same as lots of people on here. I can find any reason to have a drink and jokingly refer to wine as my BF. Only it's not a joke. I have been toying with AA for a long while now and I'm still nervous about it as my doctor insists I have 'an unhealthy relationship with alcohol' and that I am not an alcoholic. Not sure where else I could go for help though?

**NB: I just realised I have used the wrong acronym here, I have alcoholic liver disease. Early stage liver disease/fatty liver not ALD.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Hi Lily

If you've been diagnosed with ALD you really do need to stop drinking.

It's difficult, but not impossible, believe it or not there is a life, an enjoyable one, without alcohol.

I drank for any reason you can think of but deep down I knew it had become a problem. Sometimes I'd also joke about it, sadly it's not even funny...it fools us into thinking it's our BF when in fact it's slowly killing us.

When I went to AA no one could tell me whether I was an alcoholic or not, I was told to listen to the similarities and not the differences and then "I" could decide if I was an alcoholic. My did I hear many similarities, yes some differences as well but I was told they don't count...things I hadn't found I'd done were explained to me as "yets". Carry on and it only gets worse and those "yets" then become another similarity.

I still go to AA, best thing I ever did, unfortunately not all GP's are really up to scratch on alcoholism, AA offer talks & info to them, some take it up and learn a lot, others are still lagging behind a bit for the want of a better word. I'm a recovering alcoholic who had 'an unhealthy relationship with alcohol' hope that puts your GP's words into perspective.

If you google AA there's a questionnaire you can do, I tried it, answering all the questions honestly, and it just confirmed what I already knew. I rang the helpline and off I went, that was almost 10 years ago and I haven't needed to drink since! I thought I'd never enjoy life again, how could I be the life and soul of the party again without a drink? Guess what? I can still do it, still laugh, still mad, but don't need my BF who was killing me.

All I can say is give it a try, your liver is precious and your drinking will rob you of it.

Let me know, I wish you luck and a happy, healthy, sober life.

Take care,

Jacqui xx

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Thank you so much Jacqui xx

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

No problem. Hope it made some sense! Passionate about recovery and AA but still puddled 😊 xx

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Sorry! Just saw your note at the bottom of your msg, I'd guessed that's what you meant, I know these acronyms can be confusing 😉 So you have ARLD (alcohol related liver disease) in which case the best gift you can give your liver is to stop drinking now before it gets any worse.

Wishing you luck and sending you strength xxx

[Hidden]

I trained as a massage therapist and so of course saw many people with back, neck problems etc. One of the things we were told in training to pass onto the person being treated, was to remember that it probably took many months, if not longer, to get to this level of pain and so one treatment cannot be expected to "fix" the problem.

This also applies to your body in other ways. If something has been assaulting the liver (whatever that is), it may have been going on for some time, without you knowing it. Therefore, it is only to be expected that absence of this assault will take a while to have an effect and not be instant. I hope this makes sense?

[Hidden]

Hi,

Welcome to the forum.

You may find The British Liver Trust publication 'liver disease tests explained' useful to read, it has an explanation of liver function tests, scans etc.

Here is the link for you;

britishlivertrust.org.uk/wp...

We do ask kindly not to post test results on the forum as differences in normal range for different laboratories can make it difficult to compare or comment on individual test results specifically.

This is due to the different brand of tests that are used and how these are interpreted. There are, however, international normal ranges that all doctors, nurses and health care professionals use as an appropriate guide.

It would be advisable to discuss your test results with your doctor who knows you best.

I hope that is helpful. i am sure you will find loads of fantastic support on here,

Best wishes,

Rebecca