Liver Function Test

jader

Hi,

After 4 years, all of a sudden I noticed that my panels are quite varying. I mean, they don't seem to be holding steady .. With everything digital now, I have access to my records and have seen how they are going up and down and now up again. 

Bilirubin is the same at .5

ALT is now 32 whereas before it was at 19 .. but in 2007, it was the same as now  ..32.... so why did it go  down, how did I manage to get such average numbers but now on the high side?

ALP (alkaline phosphate)  is now 99, it was 95 before.

They seem to be fluctuating a great deal.  But in January of 09, it was 111. In August of 2008, it was at 88.

What could be going on with this?  I am not a heavy drinker and I don't seem to have any pain in bones so it shouldn't be calcium getting into my blood stream. Does exercise have anything to do with this??? 

jader

No one has any input?

ananda8

Here is a list of blood ranges. 

http://pathcuric1.swmed.edu/PathDemo/nrrt.htm

As you can see the range for ALT is 7 - 56 U/L

The range for ALP is 31 -126

The range for Bilirubin is 0.2 -1.3

These are huge ranges and fluctuation can depend on what you have eaten in the past couple of days or week.  It can fluctuate based on hydration levels.  It can fluctuate based on whether you were fasting before the sample was taken or not.

When I have labs taken, I always fast whether the instructions say to or not.  I try to have the same level of hydration by having the labs always taken in the morning.

bcincolorado

Jader:

My husband had a liver transplant so I know all about liver numbers and labs.  My pre-op labs were worse than his BEFORE his transplant!  The BS ordered some scans before surgery and it turns out I have "silent" gallstones that are causing my liver numbers to go up.  At some point she said I will need to schedule to have it removed before I have problems with it, but you might have the same thing.  I never had heard of that before myself and always thought they had to hurt you, but it might be something that is not a big deal either.  I'm just waiting until all my surgery and reconstruction stuff is finished up and then we'll deal with the gallbladder latter one.  An ultrasound might be able to find it too.  Talk to your primary care doctor too, he may be able to feel something.  My onco sure asked me about it after poking around in my abdomen area.  Good Luck!

YATCOMW

These are all considered very mild changes......you have nothing to worry about here.

You will always see numbers going up and down like this even from day to day.  My doctor doesn't get excited unless they are well out of the normal range.

My liver numbers go form 14-30.........my alk phos from 50-80......been like that for six years since I have been monitoring them.  It doesn't take much to make them move.

Hope this helps.....no worries.

Jacqueline 

SoCalLisa

Is there some reason they are doing liver function testing?

are you taking tamoxifen?

jader

Thanks everyone!

Yes, Lisa, that's why they are ordered ... I was on tamoxfen but now its an AI.

weety

My onc does the liver function test every 3 months.  It seems from reading this thread that small increases are not anything to worry about.  My ALP was at 55 during chemo (50 before) and now at 65.  I'm trying not to read anything into it, but it is my nature to worry. . . I'm only on herceptin now, nothing else.  Interesting though, is that my bilirubin decreased from .8 to .3. 

  

Anonymous

Hi,

Liver enzymes can go up for a number of reasons. Meds, liver diseases, mets. Have you had scans of your liver to see whats going on? Ultrasound is good. I have liver dis. I never had elevated ALT/AST which the liver will leak out if there is something wrong. One time in the past 10 yrs, they were ever so slightly elevated. After biospy it revealed bridging fibrosis, stage 2, grade 2. That was 2001, and Im doing fine..Praying yours is just fluctuating due to meds that can be adjusted. Blessings.