High ALT levels

[BAL23]

Hello

I recently had a full blood test as I have been having on going muscle pains, all my results came back OK apart from my ALT levels. They were 20ul 3 weeks ago and 67ul yesterday. All my other liver functions were in the normal range. Is this something to be worried about?

I do have a doctors appointment scheduled to talk about my results, they want to repeat the test in a months time... but with my results doubling in just 3 weeks, i am worried what difference it will be in a months time.

Thank you

[BritishLiverTrust11 Moderator]

Hello

No one on this forum can diagnose you. Here is the link to information on our website explaining liver disease tests, diagnosis, and screening, which you may find useful britishlivertrust.org.uk/in...

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

[AyrshireK]

Your doctor is doing exactly the right thing in retesting in a few weeks - this will establish whether your result was a blip or there is a pattern of elevation. Even though your ALT has increased it is still barely above upper limit of normal and your ALT can rise and fall - even within the same day. Your previous result was fine so this may well be a blip.

Elevations can happen for all manner of reasons and doctors generally only start to get concerned when ALT goes to over 3 or 4 times upper limit of normal and often if someone has something inflaming the liver you see figures for ALT into the 100's or even 1000 s.

Follow the looking after your liver advice on BLT website for next few weeks and on retest hopefully it will have normalized again.

Katie

[DaveQ67 in reply to AyrshireK]

I wouldn’t worry, in general that seems okay. Bloods can vary frequently for any reason.

[Rufituts]

Hi BAL23 it is a little worrying when you get a high reading of ALT, as I have found out recently. Mine was 139 and then 3 weeks later it was 33 (I believe the normal range is (0-45), and yes I was worried with a 139 reading, so I did a bit of digging on google and the medication I take/had taken. I had a UTI (urinary tract infection) a week prior to my blood test with the 139 reading and I’d taken an antibiotics for that - this medication raises ALT! I also take Pregabalin - this raises ALT! I take an antibiotic for Rosacea/Acne - this raises ALT! I was also taking over the counter pain killers, not to excess and these raise ALT! I stopped all medication that would have to be processed by the liver and 3 weeks later my ALT level dropped to 33. Huge relief. Therefore, don’t panic too much, just analyse what you are taking medication wise and look into if these can raise ALT levels. All the best.