Elevated Liver Enzymes

[sflynn84]

Hi. I was recently contacted by my Rheumy after recent bloodwork and was told my liver enzymes (AST and ALT) were elevated. He wants to retest in a month. I’m wondering if anyone has had a similar experience and what the outcome was. I made the mistake of checking with Dr. Google and now I am terrified!

[AgedCrone]

Don't be terrified.....a lot of the meds we take often give the liver a blip, but it usually settles down. If it doesn't ...it's usually just a change of meds.

It it was serious your Rheumy would want to see you now....he wouldn't wait a month.So sleep easy!!

[Lily77]

In my own experience, if your liver is being severely damaged by lupus, then the test results will be dramatically high and your doctors will act very quickly with a multitude of tests. I had rapid MRI scans, transjugular biopsies, etc. Even then, as I found, the liver can still repair very effectively. It can be healed, and I was able with the help of meds and a good diet to heal the liver almost completely....bringing hugely high tests results back into normal range. Wishing you the very best and a joyful Christmas, Lily

[happytulip]

Liver function tests can come back abnormal due to viral illness, flares or meds. They generally tend to correct themselves pretty quickly. If they were sky high you would be in hospital. Don't fret, give it time and get the retest and see what the results are. I'd lay off any booze though, just to help things settle.

[Penguintaz]

As others have said if it was that serious they would have you in hospital! I seem to constantly be getting high blips with my liver results, despite no real change on diet, no alcohol or med change, much to the confusion of my Rheumy. They did an ultra sound on it plus some more blood tests but nope it's super healthy! The liver is the best at repairing it's self so it tends to settle down quite quickly X

[PMRpro]

They may go up with certain medications (including paracetamol alcohol) and there are a few autoimmune disorders that cause those particular ones to rise, polymyalgia rheumatica being one. When they monitor them and see a rise, they wait a month if they are only slightly up and check again to see if they are rising. If they are - you stop the medication it might be due to or they investigate further. The liver is an amazing organ - it heals itself given half a chance.

[Tala59]

Do you take Metotroxat? MTX has an influence on changing liver Enzyme.

[sflynn84 in reply to Tala59]

I am only on plaquenil right now.

[Tala59 in reply to sflynn84]

Just think positive❤️ every things will be fine.