very high liver enzymes

[Alexliver]

Hello everyone I am 36 years old not an alcohol drinker . No excess weight . I try to eat healthy. On Sunday I ended up in hospital due to pneumonia. Where very high liver tests were detected. I have blood test every day and every day the liver tests are increasing. An ultrasound was performed which showed no changes. My results today are ALT 191 ALKAINE PHOSPHATE 334 AST127 GGTP . I am so scared that it could be liver cancer .

[Flid]

Don’t panic! There are many reasons for high LFTs. (Celiac, gallstones etc) You can call the liver nurse for a chat and reassurance if you are in uk.

The fact that there is no sign of changes on the US is reassuring. Just keep on to them to check everything, possibly ask for a blood test with a wider scope to see if they can pinpoint the cause.

[Alexliver in reply to Flid]

Thank you so much for your reply. They already done tone of tests for all hepatitis all come back negative. Yes I’m in the uk . Can I just call liver nurse without any refferal? I just wonder why the liver enzymes rise daily ? I currently have pneumonia.

[Flid in reply to Alexliver]

It’s run by the British Liver Trust. I have never called as I am outside UK but they offer Informed and professional knowledge and reassurance which is what we all need when we faced with issue we don’t understand with our health. You don’t need a referral.

The moderators on here usually chip in with the number but I have looked for it online and according to the BLT website it’s 08006527330. You will probably have to wait until tomorrow - I don’t know their timings.

[BritishLiverTrust6 Moderator British Liver Trust in reply to Flid]

Thank you Flid for signposting to our helpline. As mentioned, if you are in the UK and would find it useful to talk things over, our nurse-led helpline is open Monday to Friday from 9am to 3pm on 0800 652 7330 (excluding bank holidays)

Best wishes

British Liver Trust

[Alexliver]

i’m so scare of cancer which not been seen on ultrasound as this is not the best diagnostic test. I’m terrified

[isi123]

Don't panic, your doctor will surely find the cause. But keep in mind that liver enzymes can rise with infections or if you are taking medications, there can be many reasons.

[Alexliver in reply to isi123]

They already run tone of test for all hepatitis all come back negative. Ultrasound come back ok so what else can be . I’m only 36 not overweight not drinking and no smoking at all . I never did.

[Flid]

As Isi said there are MANY causes of high LFTs and fighting an infection, like pneumonia, can cause hiccups in the readings, and there are loads of other things it could be. Hepatitis or cancer are only two remote possibilities and you are much more likely to have something less impactful.

Someone has seen that there is an issue, now they just need to narrow it down. Having them schedule tests is half the battle!

Have a chat with the liver nurse tomorrow and they will help you with the kind of questions you should ask and how to interpret the jargon going forward. You are in a good place because you are proactively searching for answers and have a team on your side. Uncovering the presence of an issue is the hardest part, now you have the investigations started - the answers are coming and much more likely to be something benign.

Being in hospital is hard enough. Try not to stress about it tonight and rest.

[Bobs2222]

I had high readings. They couldn't find a reason for them. I also had gallbladder issues like gallstones. I asked if they could be linked and they swore it wasn't. Well a few years later I got my gallbladder out and my readings dropped to normal within two weeks. Hmmmm....

So perhaps check for gallstones also.

[Alexliver in reply to Bobs2222]

I had ultrasound and didn’t pick anything wrong. But my liver enzymes higher every day 😞

[Hdon]

Haemochromatosis (Iron overload ) can also put stress on the liver so worth checking iron levels. It's eminently treatable if diagnosed.

[0range5520]

Hello,

Your story is so similar to mine. I too am a non drinker, normal bmi and was training for a marathon when I got pneumonia in 2017. My bloods were tested before I left hospital and the liver results were over the place, so I was referred to a hepatology. They feel there was a link with the antibiotics and the liver results, so bear that in mind. I am still under a consultant but they’re saying it could also be hereditary. Just thought might be something to bear in mind.

[CoreyTheFro]

I would check ferritin levels in blood. This is to see if you have something like iron overload where the liver is dumping iron in the blood. If you have high ferritin, then blood letting is an option to help lower it. Hemochromatosis was mentioned earlier and that is due to HFE mutation. You can test for this, but if it comes back as only having H63D gene then you are just a carrier. If you have the C282Y Gene or the combo of H63D and C282Y then you have hemochromatosis. This site would be good for helping navigate that IF you have hemochromatosis or a high iron saturation and ferritin: hemochromatosishelp.com/

But having high liver enzymes, which by the way my wife was hospitalized at AST 1800 and ALT 2400. I was able to get her out of the hospital and find a doctor that was familiar with the Berkson IV Protocol with ALA.

My wife's numbers have almost gone back to normal. About 10-20 points away from normal range on both. An option we are exploring as a cause is mold, but we are not sure.

Best of luck!

[Alexliver in reply to CoreyTheFro]

Did you manage to find a reason why your wife liver enzymes been so high ? Thank you so much for your reply

[CoreyTheFro in reply to Alexliver]

Still haven't figured out what caused it in the first place. Mold is something we are exploring as a potential cause. Mold effects everyone in different ways.

A thought of why liver enzymes were high was she had a ferritin level and she was tested for hemochromatosis but she only had 1 of the H63D genes, so she was considered a carrier. Typically people with high ferritin they seem as hemochromatosis, but in studies where one has the single gene that she has, 3 months later on a ferritin test it will usually come back in the normal range. Her ferritin is in the normal range. I did force her to do a hemochromatosis diet just to help lower it naturally since she was not allowed to blood let.

It has been going through my mind on why was her ferritin level high if the usual causes don't check out. The liver can break down red blood cells and cause iron to dump in the blood. That's called hemolysis. I've slowly started researching what could cause it if it be mold or bacteria or something maybe from a foodborne illness. It's nearly impossible to know.

[Curlmo]

Have they tested you for alpha1 antitrypsin deficiency which is a genetic disorder that effects the liver, lungs or kidneys. Both my parents had the faulty gene and I got both faulty genes and I'm SZ. MM is normal, ZZ is the worst. Check it out online and ask for a blood test to rule it in/out. Its known as the viking gene. My liver function test are always hig. GTTs are about 180 -200 and I don't drink alcohol either. Healthy otherwise. Get check up annually with the alpha1 team of Doctors. I'm in Ireland.

[Alexliver in reply to Curlmo]

Yes they did test me for it and it was very surprising because it elevated the range is from 0.9-2g but mine was 3.11 .