High LFT results

[Bobbie2]

Hi I have been having blood tests every 6 months for 3 years because my LFT s are coming back abnormal. I used to be a heavy drinker but for the past few years I have cut down and never have more than 14 units a week. I have been in hospital for a hip replacement and then was readmitted as I had an infection. I was in for a further two weeks. During that time I didn't have any alcohol for over a month. And yet when I had my repeat blood tests a week later my LFTs were still abnormal. The doctor sent me for an ultrasound of my abdomen/ liver which has come back normal! So what can be causing these abnormal results if its not alcohol?

[Ruby1960]

have you been tested for Hepatitis B/C?

[Bobbie2 in reply to Ruby1960]

Yes Ruby. All negative

[Hdon]

Worth getting tested for Haemochromatosis - excessive iron absorption. It can cause serious liver problems if untreated. Fortunately there is a very effective treatment if diagnosed early enough.

[jbrking]

abstaining for a month won’t really show a difference but it could also be down to diet, depends what your other blood test results are eg do you have high lipid profile (fats in blood like gamma gt, cholesterol, triglycerides)

[AyrshireK]

Whilst 14 units is perhaps a reduction and is the so called 'safe' limit there is infact no safe limit and some folks will be more affected even with lower but continuous amounts of alcohol.

A regular 14 units per week is still a very significant amount for your liver to handle and having just the one month of abstinence isn't likely have changed your bloods very much as it takes quite a bit of time for any inflammation to go down so in all likelyhood it would take several more months of abstinence for alcohol related inflammation to disappear.

High LFT's can also be related to non alcohol reasons such as NAFLD (non alcohol related fatty liver disease) and you can have both ARLD and NAFLD at the same time.

Infection and pain meds can also affect your liver function/liver inflammation levels.

Then there are all the many other causes of liver issues that can affect liver bloods - auto immune things, the viral things, genetic things.

Katie

[Mali2024]

Depends which type of LFTs are coming back abnormal. My ALT was extremely high and currently getting treated for Auto Immune Hepatitis. I would recommend checking that and have a biopsy or ultrasound if it is still spiking!