Elevated liver enzymes: what should I be worried about?

My liver enzyme levels have come back quite high—I think I’ve got the terminology right, at least 😕—
and my doctor is still running a few more tests on the rest, though I know for sure that my ALT and AST are elevated. Does anyone have advice on what I can actually do to bring those numbers down?

I don't drink alcohol (🙄), I don't smoke, and I generally stick to a healthy diet, though I must admit I have a massive weakness for dark chocolate😍. I also take an omega-3 supplement regularly...

Honestly, I'm just left wondering what could have caused them to spike in the first place and why this is happening. 😠

You could've eaten just about anything that messed with your hormones
maybe some meds
either way, you gotta keep an eye on them so they don't spike
mine didn't settle back down for two whole years, and honestly, I have zero clue what even caused the jump in the first place

Good grief,😢 two whole years?!😲

My levels were only slightly elevated, and my doctor assured me it wasn't anything to lose sleep over, even telling me I could stay on my birth control without issue...
But now they've pulled me off the pill entirely, under the assumption that it was definitely contributing to the growth...

Honestly, what a headache... now I'm stuck getting blood work done every single month...🙄

Well, thanks for the heads-up.😘

It’s totally possible that some pills you’re taking—maybe meds or even just certain supplements—are messing with your liver enzymes and making them spike.

Is your bilirubin level up too?

Honestly, there are people out there—at least according to what modern doctors tell us—who just walk around with elevated liver numbers as their baseline. It's just how they're wired, I guess.

Just... try not to take random meds or unnecessary pills if you don't have to, right? And maybe cut back on the soda and booze. Eat a ton of greens!
Watch out for all that greasy takeout, margarine, and heavy fats.
Stress is also a total killer for your liver.
Your liver is basically a huge indicator of how your whole body is doing overall...

curly&hairy said:Holy crap😢 two years?!😲

Chill out. My ALT was sitting at 352, and hitting 36 is totally normal.
I’m pretty sure my birth control pills were the culprit, since every other test came back clean. When they suggested a liver biopsy, I just shut that whole idea down.
So, I still don't know what actually caused it, mostly because I wasn't exactly getting bloodwork done every single month. I mean, during that first month, I probably went in like 10 times, but that was mostly checking for mononucleosis, hepatitis, thyroid issues...
Since my ALT levels started dropping, I've just been checking in every six months.
😘 same to you
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P.S. They tried to pin the whole thing on alcohol, but when I told them straight up I don't touch the stuff, they pivoted and blamed my smoking instead.

The big shot said:says:
It’s entirely possible that certain pills, medications, or even just supplements you're taking have caused those liver enzymes to spike.

Is your bilirubin level up too?

Stress is also a silent killer for the liver.
The liver acts as an excellent barometer for your overall physical health...

I'm taking Claritin for my allergies, though the label mentions that in rare instances, it can impact liver function... I could almost see them pointing fingers at me when they wrote that part.🙄 😁

And stress... well, look, I'm a college student... being stressed is basically part of the curriculum, but then again, who isn't feeling the pressure these days? Between a boss breathing down your neck at work, the chaos of family life at home, money being tight, and gas prices constantly climbing at the Shell station... everyone is under some level of strain.🙂

jaja said:Just relax—my ALT was sitting at 352, yet apparently anything up to 36 is perfectly fine.

352😲

So, I’m still completely in the dark about what caused it, especially since I wasn't exactly heading to the clinic for blood work every single month.

I’ve actually gone in for labs three times over the last three months, and now I have to head back to the doctor again in just a few weeks...

P.S. They practically tried to label me an alcoholic, which I flatly refused to accept; once they heard I smoke, they just decided to blame the cigarettes.

My doctor gave me the same lecture, suggesting I cut back on my drinking and stop sipping so much Coke.🤣
When I told her I don't touch either, she just rolled her eyes at me.🙄 🤣

Yeah, 352. I checked my lab results myself.

I’ve been trying to wrap my head around what exactly this ALT is doing to my system—I spent quite a while digging through some medical journals online, but I couldn't find anything that actually made sense to me...

So, for now, I've just settled into a daily routine of having a serving of kefir, some acidophilus, or maybe a fruit yogurt... 🙂

By the way, I’m sitting at 66—I made sure to commit that number to memory, so you really did lift my spirits with your own figure of 😬

nimblehawk52 said:What the hell is that ALT even doing in my liver? I tried Googling it, but honestly, nothing came up that actually made sense...

Basically, now I’m hitting one probiotic drink, some Greek yogurt, or fruit yogurt every single day. 🙂

It’s probably just there so the nurses have something to scribble down when they draw your blood.😍
I haven't a clue what it's for—some damn enzyme, right? It shouldn't be a big deal unless it climbs above 36...
Waiting for someone like a specialist to weigh in, since they usually know this stuff inside out.👍

nimblehawk52 said:anyway, I'm sitting at 66—I made sure to remember that, so thanks for the ego boost with your numbers 😬)

I’m hovering right around that same spot. I went in for a checkup a few months back, though who knows what my levels look like today.

The doctors basically told me I just need to keep an eye on it, but they aren't sweating it unless the numbers start climbing toward those scary levels—like hitting 150 or 200+.

I’ve seen much bigger numbers than that survive
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Still kicking, still breathing 🎉🎉🎉

I had a nearly identical experience back when I was dealing with mononucleosis.

Frank Kim6 said:I felt exactly the same way back when I was dealing with mono.

Honestly, the third time I went in for bloodwork, the nurse looked at my charts and asked why my ATP and AST levels were so high—whatever those are—and then she actually had the nerve to ask if I’d had mononucleosis... which, for the record, I hadn't.🙄 )

By the way, those liver tests—they measure enzymes, right? If I recall correctly from my high school biology days, enzymes are basically the little workers that break everything down so that🤣
Basically, what exactly are these enzymes breaking down inside my liver? My liver itself? And why is having too many of them such a bad sign? Why did crimsonpuma48 have such sky-high numbers? Am I destined to end up just like crimsonpuma48? And what happens if things take a turn for the worse for me? What if I don't get as lucky as crimsonpuma48?🤔

Is this doctor from New Jersey or something?😵

nimblehawk52 said:and why did crimsonpuma48 have so many? am i gonna be just like crimsonpuma48? what if i kick the bucket? what if i don't get as lucky as crimsonpuma48?🤔

where's the doctor from New York?😵

a) you definitely don't look like you're dying😵
b) the doc should've put that mono test on your referral😕
c) no clue why I had so many, guess they just like me😍
d) probably because I turned down the liver biopsy; felt fine right then and there🎉

crimsonpuma48 said:You don't exactly look like someone who's about to kick the bucket just yet. 😵

And what exactly would you know about my appearance?🙂

I really think the doctor should have included that mononucleosis test on the referral just to be safe. 😕

I suppose I’ll eventually figure out if I've actually come down with mononucleosis. 😕

I honestly can't say for certain, as I opted out of the liver biopsy altogether; I felt perfectly fine immediately afterward, though. 🎉

How exactly does one go about doing that? And honestly, why on earth is it such an absolute nightmare? 🤔

It’s honestly a bit comical how my doctor couldn't even give me a straight answer on what this is actually for, and from the looks of things, it seems like nobody on this forum has a clue either.🤣

By the way, am I allowed to have coffee? I actually cut it out of my diet entirely, but if it isn't going to mess with my progress, I would love nothing more than to bring it back into my routine. 😍 I really miss 😍

nimblehawk52 said:What the hell do you know about what I look like!?!🙂

I guess I’d figure out if I had mono 😕

How does that even work? Why is everyone freaking out over it? 🤔

It's hilarious that my doctor couldn't even explain what it actually does, and clearly nobody on this forum knows either.🤣

a) if you can wiggle your ears, you're fine
b) you don't even need to realize it if it's mild
c) they take a piece of your liver for testing—whether it's a needle or full-on laparoscopic surgery, believe me, I was done talking about livers at that exact moment

I haven't cut out coffee, just fried food and red meat.
Nobody even told me to ditch the caffeine; they only nagged me about cigarettes, but since it wasn't my lungs on the line, I had plenty of opinions of my own.

I just finished my morning coffee🙂
Cheers to you all...☕ though I suppose I should be raising a glass to you too 😬