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What Do My Lab Test Results Indicate?
Question: Dr. XXXXXXX Berger-Durnbaugh
Hello, me again. I hope all is great with tou. So i had labs done again. They came back normal.
3-9
Alt-46; Ast: 42; Tbili: 1.00
3/28
46: Ast: 39; Tbili-.9
Ive read that you can have normal enzyme levels and still have cirrhosis. My question is given my Tbili actually went down a little would that take that possibilty out of the equation? Do you know how this works?
I ask because although liver panel is normal i still have symptons. Some new ones actually. Along with stomach pain, pins and needles in feet and hands and itching.
Thoughts?
Hello, me again. I hope all is great with tou. So i had labs done again. They came back normal.
3-9
Alt-46; Ast: 42; Tbili: 1.00
3/28
46: Ast: 39; Tbili-.9
Ive read that you can have normal enzyme levels and still have cirrhosis. My question is given my Tbili actually went down a little would that take that possibilty out of the equation? Do you know how this works?
I ask because although liver panel is normal i still have symptons. Some new ones actually. Along with stomach pain, pins and needles in feet and hands and itching.
Thoughts?
Brief Answer:
Your current symptoms aren't caused by your liver:
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
I am glad to see your liver function test is all normal.
While a very high level of bilirubin in the blood can cause itching (and very yellow skin when this happens), your liver panel is all normal, and there would be no reason that this would cause the skin to itch. Likely it is from dry skin or some type of skin sensitivity or irritant.
Pins and needles are a non-specific symptom and even anxiety can cause it. I do not think your fatty liver with normal liver function would be causing pins and needles symptoms.
The stomach pain may be from an irritation in the stomach. You might want to try taking Zantac 150 mg 1-2x/day for a few days and see if this provides improvement.
The main concern for your liver is going to be staying off of alcohol. Because it will be from repeated bouts of drinking over time that your liver can get damaged. Do you have a support group or have started a treatment plan so that this won't happen? That is what I am concerned about.
Your current symptoms aren't caused by your liver:
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
I am glad to see your liver function test is all normal.
While a very high level of bilirubin in the blood can cause itching (and very yellow skin when this happens), your liver panel is all normal, and there would be no reason that this would cause the skin to itch. Likely it is from dry skin or some type of skin sensitivity or irritant.
Pins and needles are a non-specific symptom and even anxiety can cause it. I do not think your fatty liver with normal liver function would be causing pins and needles symptoms.
The stomach pain may be from an irritation in the stomach. You might want to try taking Zantac 150 mg 1-2x/day for a few days and see if this provides improvement.
The main concern for your liver is going to be staying off of alcohol. Because it will be from repeated bouts of drinking over time that your liver can get damaged. Do you have a support group or have started a treatment plan so that this won't happen? That is what I am concerned about.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
I travel quite a bit for work picking up bad habits and have been reckless over the past number of years. Believe me that is a huge concern and im taking care of it. Not to get personal but I have an excellent wife amd 2 amazing little girls. I have to be around. Im very paranoid and anxious right now.
My ALB improved from 4.5 to 4.7
ALKP is 44 down from 56
Total protein is 7.7
Absolutley everything came back slightly improved accept ALT that stayed put at 46.
So ive read on legitimate sites that all LFTs can be in normal range in early stages of cirrhosis with the enzyme levels elevated during times of liver damage with the degree of elevation depending on the severity at the time blood is drawn.
I am paranoid and you are right about the anxiety. Ive read that pins and needles are a symptom and i also have very blotchy red and white palms the last 4 days. Another sympton from what i read.
Do you see it a possibilty for the labs to improve although slightly, in most areas if early stages of cirrhosis is a possibility? With my enzymes hardly fluctuating at all (ALT stayed the same and ALKP and AST actually went down a little) if early stages of cirrhosis is present it would be quite a coincidence that they were so similar to the last lab, right?
I
My ALB improved from 4.5 to 4.7
ALKP is 44 down from 56
Total protein is 7.7
Absolutley everything came back slightly improved accept ALT that stayed put at 46.
So ive read on legitimate sites that all LFTs can be in normal range in early stages of cirrhosis with the enzyme levels elevated during times of liver damage with the degree of elevation depending on the severity at the time blood is drawn.
I am paranoid and you are right about the anxiety. Ive read that pins and needles are a symptom and i also have very blotchy red and white palms the last 4 days. Another sympton from what i read.
Do you see it a possibilty for the labs to improve although slightly, in most areas if early stages of cirrhosis is a possibility? With my enzymes hardly fluctuating at all (ALT stayed the same and ALKP and AST actually went down a little) if early stages of cirrhosis is present it would be quite a coincidence that they were so similar to the last lab, right?
I
Brief Answer:
Not cirrhosis:
Detailed Answer:
I don't think you have cirrhosis because your ultrasound showed fatty liver and not cirrhosis (scarring), your enzymes are in a healthy range, and there wouldn't be enough time for cirrhosis to have occurred since your ultrasound. So consider that you have dodged the bullet and do what you can to prevent further alcohol use and you should be fine.
I do not think your ALT is concerning.
Labs provide helpful information, but need to be looked at not as individual numbers but in the context of history and overall picture, including the values of the other tests. And given that your ultrasound did not show cirrhosis, and your overall liver panel is good, you do not currently have cirrhosis.
Hope that helps.
Not cirrhosis:
Detailed Answer:
I don't think you have cirrhosis because your ultrasound showed fatty liver and not cirrhosis (scarring), your enzymes are in a healthy range, and there wouldn't be enough time for cirrhosis to have occurred since your ultrasound. So consider that you have dodged the bullet and do what you can to prevent further alcohol use and you should be fine.
I do not think your ALT is concerning.
Labs provide helpful information, but need to be looked at not as individual numbers but in the context of history and overall picture, including the values of the other tests. And given that your ultrasound did not show cirrhosis, and your overall liver panel is good, you do not currently have cirrhosis.
Hope that helps.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Thank you for your input, as always. Couple side questions.
Ive been checking blood pressure lately because it was getting fairly high. It has slowly dropped last few days. I thought i heard blood pressure goes the other way when something like cirrhosis is present. Is that correct??
Also,
My stool was yellow this afternoon. I'm hoping it was probably something i ate. Would it even be possible to have your stool change to yellow with a normal bilirubin level?
Thanks .
Ive been checking blood pressure lately because it was getting fairly high. It has slowly dropped last few days. I thought i heard blood pressure goes the other way when something like cirrhosis is present. Is that correct??
Also,
My stool was yellow this afternoon. I'm hoping it was probably something i ate. Would it even be possible to have your stool change to yellow with a normal bilirubin level?
Thanks .
Brief Answer:
Some information:
Detailed Answer:
Blood pressure can vary even from things such as having more coffee one day, and can change depending on anxiety and stress level too.
We would not expect to see blood pressure changes with cirrhosis until very late stages. And blood pressure changes are not a typical first sign for presentation of cirrhosis. So I wouldn't make much of it other than it is good that your blood pressure has gone down. Alcohol intake can definitely raise blood pressure, so without it, I would expect to see your blood pressure return to a healthier level.
An episode of yellow stool doesn't mean much. It can be from things we eat. It can also be from more rapid transit time through the colon. When there are obstructive liver problems, the color can be a clay color (tan or khaki color), not yellow. So I wouldn't make much of that either.
Some information:
Detailed Answer:
Blood pressure can vary even from things such as having more coffee one day, and can change depending on anxiety and stress level too.
We would not expect to see blood pressure changes with cirrhosis until very late stages. And blood pressure changes are not a typical first sign for presentation of cirrhosis. So I wouldn't make much of it other than it is good that your blood pressure has gone down. Alcohol intake can definitely raise blood pressure, so without it, I would expect to see your blood pressure return to a healthier level.
An episode of yellow stool doesn't mean much. It can be from things we eat. It can also be from more rapid transit time through the colon. When there are obstructive liver problems, the color can be a clay color (tan or khaki color), not yellow. So I wouldn't make much of that either.
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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