CPK counts. AST/ALT

[worryingmom]

My son age 17 was in the hospital  in the beginning of the month with a CPK count of 40115  ALT of 135 and AST of 515.  My question is what caused all of these numbers to be so high.  He was tested for  Hepatitis and the results came back negative.  His CPK counts are now back to normal. However his AST score was 70 on the 9th and his ALT was 109. He was retested on the 18th and his AST is 64 but his ALT went up to 141 again.  

I am afraid he is going to have damage to the liver.  What should I do?  Are there any tests the doctors can do it find out what is causing these scores to be so high?  

[worryingmom]

He didn't have any injury just woke up not feeling well. He had a fever, muscle aches, diahhra and just felt terrible.  His doctors have done numerous tests and everything comes back negative.  So we are totally stumped.

Mary thank you for the positive thoughs.

Hector, thank you for the information.  

I will try and get a list of tests already complete on my son to see if that will help figure it out.

[HectorSF]

Talk to the doctor he has all the data. If he can't find the cause get another opinion. As others have said that are many causes for CPK and ALT/AST to be abnormal. Only a doctor can develop a diagnosis.

MedlinePlus -
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003503.htm

"Creatine phosphokinase test
Creatine phosphokinase (CPK) is an enzyme found mainly in the heart, brain, and skeletal muscle. This article discusses the test to measure the amount of CPK in the blood.

Why the Test is Performed
When the total CPK level is very high, it usually means there has been injury or stress to the heart, the brain, or muscle tissue. For example, when a muscle is damaged, CPK leaks into the bloodstream. Determining which specific form of CPK is high helps doctor's determine which tissue has been damaged.

This test may be used to:

Diagnose heart attack
Evaluate cause of chest pain
Determine if or how badly a muscle is damaged
Detect early dermatomyositis and polymyositis
Tell the difference between malignant hyperthermia and postoperative infection
Determine if you carry a gene for muscular dystrophy (Duchenne)
The pattern and timing of a rise or fall in CPK levels can be diagnostically significant, particularly if a heart attack is suspected.

What Abnormal Results Mean
High CPK levels may be seen in patients who have:

Brain injury or stroke
Convulsions
Delirium tremens
Dermatomyositis or polymyositis
Electric shock
Heart attack
Inflammation of the heart muscle (myocarditis)
Lung tissue death (pulmonary infarction)
Muscular dystrophies
Myopathy
Additional conditions may give positive test results:

Hypothyroidism
Hyperthyroidism
Pericarditis following a heart attack
Rhabdomyolysis"

Good luck.
Hector

[Mary4now]

During my biopsy I noticed a young man in the room who had liver damage due to accutane.  There are so many things that can raise those numbers, and remember the liver regenerates itself with care and time.
Mary

[adamben101]

I don't have the list in front of me, but your treating Dr should know the top 10-20 things that may cause those elevated liver numbers.  Sounds like he was correct in testing for Hepatitis, but you just need to make sure he continues down that list and tests for everything in succession until some kind of answer is found.  If you don't feel the Dr is doing all he can or don't trust him/her, find another Dr.  Best of luck!

[willbb]

First of all..that is great news that your son tested neg .for HCV. A clue to what is going on with the CK and other enzymes  may lay in why he was in the hospital. Did he have a severe injury(especially in a muscle or muscles ) as this will shoot up all those enzymes especially CK.

Will