High Gamma GT results due to medication?

[silver-shark]

I recently had a health check via my insurance company and my Gamma GT levels came back high (105 U/L). I have a very balanced diet and excercise 3-4 times a week. I drink alcohol, but not everyday (a couple of drinks during the week and at the weekend perhaps 3-4 drinks) but I understand high levels most usually are caused by alcohol abuse.

The month before the test I was suffering from a covid-like bug (I tested negative 3 times) and was taking paracetamol each day, and the week before trapped a nerve in my neck so was taking ibuprofen and then naproxen.

My question is: could this have given me the high gamma GT results?

I also had a birthday party a week before the test so consumed a high level of alcohol then. Could that binge also have pushed the levels up temporarily or is that spike unlikely to made a difference to baseline?

Thanks

[AyrshireK]

The covid type bug, the medication and indeed your alcohol could all potentially have pushed up what is the most sensitive of all the liver enzymes. It's definitely worth repeating the test in a few weeks time to see if it was a blip or a pattern.

Have you actually added up the units in your couple of drinks through the week and 3-4 at the weekend? It doesn't take a lot of drinks to put you above the recommended (so called safe) limit. (This from the NHS website)

Drinks and units

A 750ml bottle of red, white or rosé wine (ABV 13.5%) contains 10 units.

See the guide below to find out how many units are in your favourite tipple.

Units and calories for drinks

Type of drink Number of alcohol units

Single small shot of spirits* (25ml, ABV 40%) 1 unit

Alcopop (275ml, ABV 5.5%) 1.5 units

Small glass of red/white/rosé wine (125ml, ABV 12%) 1.5 units

Bottle of lager/beer/cider (330ml, ABV 5%) 1.7 units

Can of lager/beer/cider (440ml, ABV 5.5%) 2.4 units

Pint of lower-strength lager/beer/cider (ABV 3.6%) 2 units

Standard glass of red/white/rosé wine (175ml, ABV 12%) 2.1 units

Pint of higher-strength lager/beer/cider (ABV 5.2%) 3 units

Large glass of red/white/rosé wine (250ml, ABV 12%) 3 units

Katie

[silver-shark in reply to AyrshireK]

Thanks Katie. I have monitored alcohol units and I'm rarely over the weekly limits, plus due to the covid bug (and a subsequent trapped nerve) have not left the house in 10 weeks so my alcohol intake has been minimal.

The consultant wanted me to avoid alcohol for 6 weeks and retest but if the medication was to blame that would only bias the test against alcohol. I think I'll continue my usual routine and retest again. If it's high then I can remove alcohol and see if it's causing a reaction.

[JoJoClark]

I had the same after finishing a course of Naproxen and Zapain. It affected a few of my liver numbers. Retested 3 months later after stopping the painkillers and all back to normal x

[ceward204]

Isolated GGT is almost always 100% due to Drinking or Medication.

[silver-shark]

Thank you all for the clarification. I'll retest again before I make any significant changes to my lifestyle.