Online liver test

[Lesmail]

What’s the best online liver function test to buy does anyone know

[Hidden]

Goood afternoon Lesmail,

The British Liver Trust would only advocate obtaining a liver blood test via the GP service or NHS . This way the blood test can be assured to be performed under clinical conditions and reported appropriately in an NHS lab then sent to the GP/specialist for clinical consideration.

This process ensures that the doctors can assess the results and then order further investigations if necessary.

We cannot comment on the validity or accuracy of any home tests.

If people choose to buy these then it is often difficult to obtain medical interpretation as many GP’s will then request liver blood tests again via the routine route to ensure validity.

Liver blood tests are one part of a diagnostic process that often also includes assessment of medical history, symptoms, physical assessment, imaging tests and other medical tests.

I hope this helps,

Trust9

[Lesmail in reply to Hidden]

Thankyou all my tests keep coming back normal from gp and I’m still in pain in the liver area especially after drinking

[Hidden in reply to Lesmail]

I am sorry to hear that.

I dont think repeating on line blood tests will gain you anything ?

Is your pain there if you dont drink ? Perhaps you need to eliminate alcohol for now.

Why dont you fill in our online liver screener and have a look at our 'love your liver' section on the website.

britishlivertrust.org.uk/in...

You can also call the nurse led helpline if you wish to talk things through on 0800 652 7330 Mon-Fri 10am -3pm

Take care,

Trust9

[Lesmail in reply to Hidden]

Thankyou I’ll have a look x

[CocoChannel in reply to Lesmail]

I always had normal LFT results even though I drank way too much, was overweight and had a fatty liver. I don’t believe LFT can detect a fatty liver. Mine was seen with an ultrasound.

I had pains around my lower left ribs, and doctors couldn’t give a reason why except to say it’s common with a fatty liver. This went away within months after I quit drinking as did the pains.

[Lesmail in reply to CocoChannel]

Yeh I’ve had an ultra sound too what showed normal this has been ongoing pain since last August , I stopped drinking and pain was still there I’m absolutely baffled cos I keep thinking if it was my liver there would be other signs by now , but in my mind I’m just obsessed with my liver it feels like something is bleeding and really sore under my right ribs xx

[JimmyJackson]

I agree that tests should not be done except by a clinician Having said that I have zero faith in them I have serious Cirrhosis yet my blood test come back normal

[AyrshireK in reply to JimmyJackson]

The reason that standard Liver Function Tests can return as normal even with cirrhosis is that these tests detect the function of the still working parts of your liver.

The 'dead, shrivelled, cirrhotic' bits don't emit any of these enzymes so you can't detect cirrhosis purely on the standard LFT's - if the rest of the liver cells are coping (compensated) then they will emit fairly normal LFT's.

But, if you have decompensated cirrhosis then you'll not have normal bloods as the rest of the liver will be struggling so you'll see rises or falls in liver enzymes.

In hospital and especially at transplant assessments they near take an armful of blood each time as they are running full liver panels which is about 15 vials taken for a vast array of tests.

Blood tests are only part of the picture and need to be taken alongside imaging scans, physical examination and even perhaps a liver biopsy.

Katie

[JimmyJackson in reply to AyrshireK]

Many Thanks Katie

That makes sense but in my case many years ago I had a blood test for an unrelated reason & it showed a slight liver enzyme problem I followed the medical advice to have a blood test every 6 months to the letter each one was ok My problem was only diagnosed when I was diagnosed/ had a scan for bowel cancer

So actually those blood tests gave me a false sense of security so if anything were useless minus

[Uplight99 in reply to AyrshireK]

I’m now very confused. Everyone is telling me to get my liver levels done to reassure I don’t have any issues with my liver but you’re saying there some stuff they don’t detect? What should I say to my GP then? I’m not getting any symptoms of liver issues it’s just in the back of my mind

[AyrshireK in reply to Uplight99]

Liver tests are a good 'starter for ten' to give an idea what if anything is going on with your liver.

If for example you do have jaundice in your eyes then your bilirubin would be elevated, with ongoing inflammation your might see an elevation in liver inflammation markers.

In some people with cirrhosis then the standard liver tests might show up fairly normal as it's the working bits of the liver that emit the stuff tested for, the shrivelled cirrhotic bits are no longer functioning so they don't emit the stuff tested for. A compensated liver can struggle on doing a lot of it's essential functions.

Later on again when the liver is really struggling (decompensated) then you start once again to get deranged liver function tests as other chemical build up or reduce in the blood stream depending on what jobs the liver is failing to do.

The British Liver Trust has a page all about liver tests and testing. britishlivertrust.org.uk/in...

[Uplight99 in reply to AyrshireK]

Ok, so I should ask my GP to get my liver enzymes tested. If these all come back ok do I just assume everything’s alright or ask for further tests? I doubt I have cirrhosis because I’m only 21 but obviously the chance is always there.

[AyrshireK in reply to Uplight99]

You should explain your concerns to your doctor, be totally honest about your alcohol consumption to date and they should run a full set of bloods which would include liver function, kidney function, full blood counts etc. etc. If these show up any abnormalities then you'd need follow up. If they come back all completely normal then in the absence of symptoms you may have 'dodged a bullet' but take it as a warning and seriously consider your future relationship with alcohol.

Remember not all liver issues are alcohol related either - my hubby has cirrhosis and yet has been t-total all his life.

You need to look after yourself and 'love your liver' as the BLT site says and promotes.

Katie

[Uplight99 in reply to AyrshireK]

Ok thanks you, this should all be possible with the current state of the NHS?

I’m sorry to hear that, how did he get cirrhosis if you don’t mind me asking? Also, is it automatically a death sentence or can you still live a long life? I’m not very educated clearly

[AyrshireK in reply to Uplight99]

Hubby got an auto immune issue and his own immune system attacked his liver, sadly it was already at the cirrhotic stage before we even knew there was any issue.

No, its not an automatic death sentence, hubby been diagnosed for 8 years now, it's possible he'll need a transplant in the future but just now he's deemed stable. It's the other issues/symptoms that go along with cirrhosis that make it life threatening. When the liver starts to struggle to do it's 500 different jobs. Hubby was fit and active and now is living a sort of 'half life' - unable to work, drive, concentrate for long, no sex life, severely limited in what exercise he can do when he used to be a long distance walker (challenge walks of 100 miles in a weekend and suchlike). It takes a massive amount of positive thinking and support to continue on when life isn't taking the path you hoped for and you can't/couldn't have done anything to prevent it.

You must look after your liver, its such an important organ, 500 different jobs it does so when it does start to go wrong that's a hell of a lot of different systems in your body that take a hit due to it's gradual failure - hormone regulation, detoxifying your blood, helping with digestion, bodies thermostat, an important part of your immune system and loads more. britishlivertrust.org.uk/in...

Learn more about your liver and you'll realize how important it is, at 21 years old you've got a chance to make the changes to protect yourself and your liver. If alcohol is the issue for your liver then you've got the opportunity to turn that round - there are a lot of folks on here who wished they'd had the chance to stop the rot before it got a full on grip.

All the best to you.

Katie

[Lesmail in reply to JimmyJackson]

what was your other symptoms if you don’t mind me asking? Mine is just pain in liver area and sweating and sometimes shoulder pain but all tests keep saying fine x

[JimmyJackson in reply to Lesmail]

My only symptoms really consisted of loss of energy which was quite unusual. In a way I was lucky, as in desperation to establish the cause, my GP sent me for a colonoscopy which found a very early bowel cancer, which otherwise undoubtedly would have remained undetected,( I had done a poo test only weeks before & it was clear).

A subsequent Scan showed the liver problem which was the real culprit.

My main side effect is that I suffer very bad insomnia which I am told is one of the symptoms, plus the loss energy & sex drive.

I keep very fit & eat a good diet no alcohol which for me is no problem, I have also lost over a stone in weight which has helped