Abnormal liver levels over several years....but told were fine on 2 occasions?

[Baileymaker]

So I have a few questions...excuse me if you think I'm jumping the gun a bit here,

I am 32 and I had a phone call today after a set of bloods being taken to say that my blood tests have came back with abnormal levels for my liver test, the practice manager said I had had this result back in 2012 also ( I remember calling up for the results.... They had told me all was fine for these) another blood test showed I was very anaemic and very low vitd deficiency a year later to be told again (a year later that the year prior of the results I was told was fine were the same) In 2014 I was admitted to hospital after losing a baby and haemorrhaging quite badly... I had a biopsy done from my cervix as had found what they called two masses which were removed, I had a blood transfusion then I was fine. In the hospital the Dr had said then my liver results were abnormal. After my discharge I asked my Dr about this on my follow up appointment at the medical practice to which he laughed and said we're fine....so I had never thought of it again. I had been feeling ill all the time after this long weeks if not being able to get up, feeling so cold for weeks on end to then sweating profusely. Unable to stand summers or winters no energy at all weeks of just dozing on and off. I don't drink , stomach aches , acidy feeling pain in the side to eventually come out of it and get back on track to feel like this again for a few months then the cycle continued. Eventually, migraines, dizziness, shaky general confusion and feeling generally unwell. Everytime I went to drs I was told fibromyalgia. And at times because have been feeling worse with stomach aches taking more and more time off work sick jespordizing my job Now this practice manager is telling me it was overlooked , and that the Dr will call me at home tomorrow to talk to me before I make another appointment? So I guess I want to know what questions to ask my Dr when I speak to him about these results..... as I feel they don't really take me seriously, and it would be very helpful to know the right things to say as with this surgery, they are all locums from all over you only ever see them once, so need to understand if this could be the cause of my symptoms or what this signifies..... What the least alarming causes of this would be? If anyone would be kind enough to help..... I have had several years of pain, being exhausted , I think they are overlooking something fairly simple perhaps a deficiency..but should I be angry that I was not told they were abnormal then and dismissed again? Would being told earlier change anything?

[Hidden]

Hi

I'm so sorry you are struggling. Yes, you should be angry when you've been told everything is fine when it's not. You could show your Dr this forum? Ask if you can have a biopsy or fibroscan as you really do not feel well. Ask what is causing you to feel like this,? Just say that you need answers. Write all questions down before you go to the Drs. Also write your answers down too. Could you take someone with you as an advocate? They could also write the answers down and speak up when needed. Please take care of yourself Lynne

[ThreeSmiles]

Hi Bailey

I agree with Lynne - too right you should be angry. Your doctors sounds completely disorganised...isn’t there another practice you can go to? I would - you can’t keep seeing locums ALL the time. And what was that Hospital doing saying your liver tests were abnormal without giving you some form of referral. Or getting your GP to refer you to the Hepatology Clinic?

I can’t add to what Lynne has said about questions except to emphasise how important it is to go with someone who can “look out/after” you. If you are anything like most of us (well for definite me!) even if you have written questions down, you’ll forget to ask all of them, and you will have forgotten half the answers before you get out of the building. Ask your friend to write all the answers down. Make sure you come out of there with a Plan of Action, even if it’s only a couple of things. Then at least you have something to monitor progress against.

Also ask to be allowed to have access to your medical records online. I was amazed how many times I read about blood tests that said “value out of range” patient informed - like hell I was! NOT!

Hope you get some answers.

Miles

[jbrking]

Sorry to hear about what you’ve been and still going through. Sounds very disorganised! As Miles says, get access to your test results. My doctors use patient access and all my blood tests from the last 12 years are available. Try not to panic in the mean time as ‘abnormal’ can mean just outside the range of say an ALT level. For a woman this is between 5-40 or 50 depending on your age. Mine was found at aged 38 to be nearly 200. I had no symptoms. Even on drugs they are stable at around 80 so always come back as abnormal but I’m 51 now and have regular scans and it hasn’t got worse. So pl try not to panic, but definitely as for your results as that will help you make sense of it. If you can’t have access via an app or website just ask for a printed out copy from the receptionist each time you have blood taken. Good luck x

[jazzjam]

This would make me so mad also and you have every right to be.

If your GP is dancing around and not really making any forward plans for you I would ask to be referred to a hepatologist as they look specifically at bloods. and get all your results either printed off or be given access so you can print them at home and take them with you.

I think until you can see your results it’s really hard to know what to ask. Google can scare most of us silly. It’s easy (I’ve done it) to see a bad result and google it for it to tell you something that doesn’t relate at all whereas the doctors will look at your bloods as a whole not just one specific reading being out of range.

As above, if you can take someone please do and write all your answers and information down that he gives you and try not to leave without a plan from the doctor. I know that’s not easy.

I hope you get some answers tomorrow finally and you health can start to improve 🌻