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Hep c test results and liver panel

I'm somewhat of a hypercondriac, but it comes and goes. In a test panel I did on Oct 23, 2015:
Hep C Antibody - reactive 1.31 < 1

Follow up with Doctor October 29,2015
Hep c antibody - no reactive or negative.

5 months later after a life insurance physical:
ALT-72
AST-47
GGT-121

I am a heavy drinker . Should be worried about the hep c or more along the lines of the drinking ?
4 Responses
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Avatar universal
You had one low positive antibody test. Now you have elevated liver enzymes. It would be a good idea to have an HCV/RNA (viral load) test and that will tell you once and for all if you have hepatitis C. That test looks for actual virus, not just the antibody. Your elevated liver enzymes can be from hep C or heavy drinking. Have the viral load test.
Helpful - 0
683231 tn?1467323017
There are many causes of elevated liver enzymes

Quoted from Mayo clinic

Many diseases and conditions can contribute to elevated liver enzymes. Your doctor determines the specific cause of your elevated liver enzymes by reviewing your medications, your signs and symptoms and, in some cases, other tests and procedures.

More common causes of elevated liver enzymes include:

    Certain prescription medications, including statin drugs used to control cholesterol
    Drinking alcohol
    Heart failure
    Hepatitis A
    Hepatitis B
    Hepatitis C
    Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease
    Obesity
    Over-the-counter pain medications, particularly acetaminophen (Tylenol, others)

Other causes of elevated liver enzymes may include:

    Alcoholic hepatitis (severe liver inflammation caused by excessive alcohol consumption)
    Autoimmune hepatitis (liver inflammation caused by an autoimmune disorder)
    Celiac disease (small intestine damage caused by gluten)
    Cirrhosis (early stages of liver scarring)
    Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection
    Dermatomyositis (inflammatory disease that causes muscle weakness and skin rash)
    Epstein-Barr virus
    Gallbladder inflammation (cholecystitis)
    Heart attack
    Hemochromatosis (too much iron stored in your body)
    Hypothyroidism
    Liver cancer
    Mononucleosis
    Pancreatitis (pancreas inflammation)
    Polymyositis (inflammatory disease that causes muscle weakness)
    Toxic hepatitis (liver inflammation caused by drugs or toxins)
    Wilson's disease (too much copper stored in your body)
Helpful - 0
683231 tn?1467323017
you do not test positive for hep c antibodies you do not have hep c

The best person to consult with about your test results is your doctor. We here are all patients dealing with hep c and treatments for hep c we are not medical professionals
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I haven't been at any risky behavior either, tested before in January and all was clear then too
Helpful - 0
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