Should I Be Concerned If Tests Indicates Liver Enzymes Are High, At 106 And 73?

Posted on Tue, 3 Dec 2013

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Tue, 3 Dec 2013 Answered on

Fri, 20 Dec 2013 Last reviewed on

Question : I was recently informed that a blood test for some separate issue had indicated my liver enzymes are high, at 106 and 73. How much should I be concerned? I know that I drink quite a bit, perhaps as much as 1.5 liters of liquor per week. Could this be the cause? Could reducing consumption reduce those levels?

Answered by Dr. Dr. Yogesh D (8 minutes later)

Brief Answer: Need not worry too much, but should stop drinking Detailed Answer: Hello Mr. XXXXXXX Thanks for writing to us with your question. Based on your findings, I would say, your liver enzymes are not alarmingly high, but certainly in the range of alcohol induced liver damage, and if you continue to drink excessively.... you will get progressively worse liver function tests and a failing liver, which would be irreparable. Hence, I suggest you reduce alcohol consumption drastically, and limit it to two drinks at the maximum per week. The cause is definitely alcohol consumption. Reducing consumption right away will reduce the liver enzyme levels, but might take around 1 to 3 months. Hope you will find this information useful and informative and I sincerely hope you will act on it too. Wishing you good health. Warm regards.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Dr. Yogesh D (6 minutes later)

Thank you, doctor. Real quick, how would you define a "drink"? I.e., how many ounces, and does it matter if it is beer/wine/liquor?

Answered by Dr. Dr. Yogesh D (6 minutes later)

Brief Answer: Please follow the link provided. Detailed Answer: Hello Mr. XXXXXXX Thanks for writing back, I am providing you with a link, which I am sure you will find interesting and informative as well. WWW.WWWW.WW Go through that, it answers your question more than adequately. Happy to be of help. Regards.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Dr. Yogesh D (1 hour later)

OK, one final question for you. The link says about "low-risk" drinking: "No more than 4 drinks on any single day AND no more than 14 drinks per week." So are you saying I should stick with a couple drinks per week for the next three months or so to get levels back to normal, then the amount of drinking described above would be safe? Thanks again, and happy to give you a good rating for your fantastic answers.

Answered by Dr. Dr. Yogesh D (20 minutes later)

Brief Answer: Avoid drinking for a couple of months. Detailed Answer: Hello again, I would advice complete cessation of drinking for a couple of months to let your liver heal. Past that, I would advice much lesser consumption than 14 drinks per week, the important thing to keep in mind is, not all human beings are the same, some can tolerate alcohol better without much compromise to liver, and some just can't and we can never know exactly what would be the threshold for each individual. In your case, I tend to think that the threshold is not very high, hence my suggestion to limit to 2 drinks per week. No matter the amount you drink, the liver can be damaged. Complete cessation is best, however, social or occasional drinking is not so much of a problem. The link I gave you above also gives you information about how to stop drinking and whom to contact if need be. You should establish your threshold by trial and error if you must absolutely continue to drink, check your liver enzyme levels at frequent intervals, preferably shortly after you have consumed alcohol and see how the numbers are, that would give you fair idea how you should manage your drinking and may even motivate you enough to stop drinking regularly. I sincerely hope I have provided you with usable information, you are however welcome to ask me for clarifications if need be. Thanks once again for using our services, we look forward to serving you in future. All the best. Warm regards.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar