What do the blood test mean?

[vickie5989]

I just got my liver enzyme report and they are around 145.  I know t his is high but how high is dangerous?  I'm getting a sonogram but I don't know what they could look for.  Than kyou

[Gee704]

I have had difficulty getting on Janis and friends recently. Perhaps there is technical difficulty and it will be back on and running shortly.

Good luck to you Vickie!

[vickie5989]

Thank you for all your help.  You've been very helpful.

Vickie

[Bill1954]

Also, Vickie; to further familiarize yourself with this disease you can read through Janis and Friends, if you haven’t already. This site offers good, basic info on nearly all aspects of HCV management:

http://janis7hepc.com/have_you_been_just_diagnosed.htm

Be sure to look through the section, ‘other HCV info’, located in the right hand margin of their home page, and bookmark for future reference.

Best to you—

Bill

[vickie5989]

Thank you bill.  That's very informative.  I will write down those names.  I am curious to hear the outcome.  I wish they would out with a pill instead of having to give yourself injections.  I wasn't very good at that and several times I got blood in the syringe and I would freak out.  I'll keep up with what's going on in this community.

[Bill1954]

Good luck with your upcoming tests; I hope they find nothing seriously wrong. Hold tight, and when you go for follow up to discuss U/S scan results, be sure to also discuss the drugs ‘Telaprevir’ and ‘Boceprevir’. These are components of a new class of drugs known as ‘protease inhibitors’ which will hopefully be added to the treatment regimen next year. In clinical trial, they have increased efficacy, and in some cases have reduced treatment duration from 48/72 weeks to 24 weeks for genotype 1 patients.

We had one member in this forum that had attempted treatment 7 times previously; with the addition of Telaprevir (in clinical trial) he successfully cleared the virus, and remains virus free today.

The ‘PCR’ test I mentioned above is also known as a viral load test. If you have undergone treatment in the past, we’ll assume this test has been ordered; most likely several times, in fact.

I don’t know what to make of your symptoms; I was very fatigued myself prior to therapy, but it has resolved after I treated successfully.

Again, welcome and let us know how things go—

--Bill

[vickie5989]

I've had Hep C since early 1990''s  I was told I got it from the 2 transfusions I had when I was 31, now  58.  I've gone through 2 treatments which lasted about 6 months.  Stopped because it wasn't doing any good.  That's been about 8 or more months ago.  I had to work and I couldn't do both.  Yes, I got all blood tests.  I don't know what PCR is.  I do have hep C according to the tests, I just don't know what my liver looks like. I've been told I had Hep C for a long time.  I'm having the sonogram on July 8.  The liver place wants to do that before they go on to the next step.  They wouldn't have done this until they saw what my blood tests look like.  I had a sonogram a long time ago and it did show a little scarring then.  

I've been having pain.  I get so tired easily.  For some reason like yesterday I suddenly felt so weak I got a heart burn or dull pain in the middle of my chest, my body breaks out in a hot cold sweat and feel very weak.  It scared me.  My memory is getting dull.  Just everything feels bad.

Thanks for your reply

[Bill1954]

I’m sorry- I didn’t address the rest of your question. An abdominal ultrasound can identify lots of things, but it isn’t particularly good at discerning the ‘stage and grade’ of fibrosis, or scarring that the liver can sustain.

With the U/S scan, they’ll look for any anomalies such as hemangiomas that might interfere with possible upcoming biopsy. It can also identify liver and spleen dimensions, and size the portal vein (the main vein from the GI tract through the liver). If frank cirrhosis is present, it can detect ‘nodularity’ if pronounced.

Again, welcome; and good luck—

--Bill

[Bill1954]

Hi Vickie,

Welcome to the discussion group. Do you have Hep C (HCV)?

Elevated liver enzymes are often present with this disease, and they can vary quite a bit. My AST/ALT off treatment were often in the 250-300 range, but I’ve heard reports of acute infection with enzymes into the thousands. I don’t know if there’s an actual ‘danger level’; high enzymes are suggestive of ongoing inflammation though.

Have you had a PCR test yet? This is the definitive test for presence of active infection. There are many of us that have undergone antiviral therapy, and some that are just getting underway. I’m glad you found this forum; the folks here can help you find your way through the medical maze.

Take care—

--Bill