So I was referred for a liver scan as my ggt was 216 and my alt was 42 everything else normal. Assumed it was alcohol related but didn’t think I drank that much!
I rang today to chase as it’s been nearly 4 week, told me oh there’s a back log we’re doing all urgent scans so it’s probably going to be next year now that we do yours 😫 I have so much anxiety over this I just wanted my scan so I can see what’s happening if anything. I probably will have my next blood tests before my scan!
Anyone else been delayed?
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Lucky87
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Our consultant has to put the request for ultrasound in 3 months in advance - even for hubbies 6 monthly ultrasounds. Last year hubby was put forward for an 'urgent' MRI scan to follow up some new lesions that appeared in his liver and that urgent list was also 12 weeks wait.
Obviously covid is also playing a part on waiting list times.
Hang in there.
Katie
Unfortunately, many patients are experiencing delays in medical testing due to Covid backlog.
If this is having a negative affect on you and causing anxiety it may be worth discussing with your GP. Take care.
My daughter was referred by her GP for an MRI scan to find out the degree of her endometriosis. There were no available appointments so decided to go privately for which her GP had to write to Spire to refer her. Appointment was made for within a week and was under £300. Although we recieved the results of her scan, she won't get the laparoscopy done for at least 18 months. Has to see how she gets on with the mini pill to ease her regular excruciating pain. Apparently this is the normal procedure and nothing to do with covid. Going to give it the 6 months then will get the laparoscopy done privately too if necessary.
May I ask please Lucky why you are putting this down to being alcohol-related? There are certainly other factors to be considered. Have you taken a look at your life-style to see how much fatty food you eat.
Are there any other medications your taking? Are you diabetic by any chance? You could well be right about the alcohol, but it doesn't hurt to try and look at the bigger picture.
Hi! The doctor suggested it was alcohol related. I don’t have the greatest diet I eat a lot of crap but not over weight. I was taking ibuprofen for 8 days 3x a day for leg pain when I had my bloods done.
Sometimes I find that some GP's try and cut corners. If they can make a quick diagnosis based purely upon what you tell them. This way they don’t have to go ordering up a barrage of tests and scans to establish what the cause is.
So, based upon what you have told them, they have just put it down to being an alcohol-related condition. Most all medical diagnosis is based upon ruling out what it’s not. After having ruled everything out, what is left is normally the correct diagnosis.
By just accepting what you’ve told him, is not medical science, but just guesswork.
I see you’ve stopped taking ibuprofen for the past six weeks or so, and hopefully, you’ve cut down on the multi-victims you were taking. It would be interesting to know how your blood results have now settled down.
Do you know if your GP plans on re-doing your liver fuction test again?
I went to a&e for bloods and it was a doctor there I told them I didnt believe I drank much and he said that’s not what your bloods say. I was mortified as I felt like he was saying I was an alcoholic ! I like an odd glass of Prosecco here and there and maybe a bottle on weekend but I can go the whole week without a drink and then Just one on a weekend.
Well she said they’d usually send for more bloods but because I had obstetric Choleostasis when I was pregnant she was sending me for a scan first. I may ask to repeat bloods as it maybe that that actually comes first. The nurse I saw recently said she was surprised she’s not put a repeat on for me to have it redone. She did say to me she’d see what scan shows and then request bloods again in a few months as no point requesting them earlier cos levels may not have improved much.
I’ve stopped drinking altogether and stopped drinking Diet Coke and eating chocolate, I’m eating like all healthy cos I’ve been so scared! 😩
Hi,Just reading your post and it says about multi vitamins, is that correct that they aren’t good for your liver ? If so any idea which ones, as I do take some never realised before.
There is a lot of conflicting information when it comes to offering good advice about the taking of multivitamins. It's quite a natural response for a person to hopefully want to take something that might help make their liver better, but here a little knowledge can be a terrible thing:
When I was diagnoses with having cirrhosis, I knew that the liver was a rich source of iron, and asked my consultant at the time if maybe I should take multivitamin supplements with iron. He went on to tell me, that in some cases of liver disease, there can be more iron in a damaged liver than in a healthy one. And then on the other side of the coin, too little iron can make a person anaemic.
So, in my case, if my damaged liver already had an abundance of iron, and I was to start taking over-the-counter iron tablets, it could have made my damaged liver even more damaged as the toxic levels would have been too high for the liver to cope.
A damaged liver may also suffer from a Vitamin D deficiency. Many people with liver damage who are admitted into hospital will be put on a high vitamin D intravenous drip.
I would seek advice from your GP or consultant before taking too many vitamins, as some vitamins can be more toxic to the liver than others.
Try to avoid reading Dr Google, as the information out there can be scary and confusing. Above all don’t go buying these advertised gimmicks, like, “Liver Detox” wonder cure. Human livers have been working just fine for over 200,000 years. One of their many jobs in to detoxify the blood. The liver doesn’t need detoxifying. These so-called remedies will only detoxify your wallet or purse.
I looked into a number of these so-called Liver Detox companies back in February 2019. Take for example a company that advertises on Amazon called, “Prowise Healthcare” they advertise a product called, “Livcare” and claims to detoxify the liver and gallbladder, priced at £21.49. On their website, they give their company address as being, 17 Dyson Drive, Uxbridge UB10 0GJ. This, according to Google maps, turns out to be a residential block of private flats.
However, according to Companies House, Prowise Healthcare is a registered company, but their address is given as being: 321 Birmingham Road, Sutton Coldfield, England, B72 1EH. This, in turn, turns out to be “Heathers Rest Home”, 321 Birmingham Road, Sutton Coldfield, England, B72 1EH.
What I’m trying to point out here is that there are a lot of sharks out there so just be careful. They like to prey upon us when we are at our weakest.
Stick to your GP’s advice. If your GP feels you require extra vitamins they will prescribe them in prescription. Just be careful.
Thank you for your reply, wow that was certainly eye opening about those companies. I have a large liver cyst which apparently I have had for years but has got bigger over the last few years. It’s compressing up against my PV and I believe bile duct but the Drs want to leave it as I am not having (at the moment) to many symptoms, I have another scan in 6 months. Said that de roofing will now be considered. Have to say I am worried silly, and I do take vitamins so thought errrrr.
I had a fibroscan done in 2018 didn't hear a thing until June 2020 I was up at the hospital in April 2020 with stabbing back pain and nose bleeds not for the first time done tests ultrasound told me everything looked ok but a bit of fatty liver just to take it easy cut down the drink I have been a drinker for over 40 years I got a letter for an appointment over the phone specialist rang me I thought for tests just done in April he mentioned the fatty liver but says to me did I ever get results from test in 2018 I said no he said you need to stop drinking your borderline cirrhosis I near fainted I got to see my doctor asked him did he ever get results he said no like you I'm worried sick told me I would get a scan in 6 months haven't heard anything still haven't given me any medication nothing I asked about painkillers he to me just take some paracetamol I was told not to take ibuprofen are any anti inflammatories there not good for the liver sorry for my rant and going into one but just get advice of your doctor goodluck Godbless
I’ve actually had a call today from a different hospital there’s two close by to me and she said the main one rang and asked if they could fit me in there as I had rang up so I’ve booked in there for 17th December
That's good you have a date I hope everything works out for you and get a bit of good news I haven't had a drink for near 5 months my doctor told me to just concentrate on not taking a drink that's the main thing to start with luckily I've been able to do that on my own but I think I'm addicted to fizzy sweets lol I drink diet coke are Pepsi max no sugar are salt in them but haven't even been contacted by anyone only seen my doctor at the start that's it well I wish you all the best for the 17th Godbless take care .
See I’ve stopped drinking Diet Pepsi well I had Pepsi max but I’d drink it instead of water all the time. Apparently these drinks are worse than alcohol cos of what’s in them! So I’ve stopped drinking my fizzy pops eating chocolate drinking wine and trying to eat really healthy as I’m that paranoid! I’m hoping my scan shows a healthy liver and that I can maybe indulge once in a while cos I love chocolate 😩 when I was told about my liver enzymes I googled and I saw shoulder blade pain being a symptom and I’ve had that for years so I’m really paranoid I’ve had something wrong but never been picked up. My last bloods prior to these was in 2016 when I was pregnant with my son and they weee all fine and I had shoulder blade pain before then. My friend said it’s maybe my gallbladder as after pregnancies sometimes you have gallbladder issues. I’m not quite sure what ggt blood levels are but she seemed to think it was to do with bile flow that would suggest gallbladder 🤷♀️
Hi, I don’t know what type of scan you are waiting for but I have been waiting for a Fibroscan since October last year! I have got myself in such a state that I am now going private. I suffer from anxiety and have been unable to take my medication for this as doctor advised to stay off it until they figured out what was wrong so it’s been a year of complete worry for me. I sincerely hope you have better luck than me.
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Ultrasound Scans - Results
Fibro scan & ascites 
Ultrasound scan on liver 
Frightened about upcoming scan 
Scans alcohol cirrhosis
