Liver Function

both my DH & my Mom had elevated liver functions. Both were due to using Tylenol. Neither were excessive in their use, but it still messed up their levels.

My Mom found out thru a scheduled round of bloodwk. My DH found out when he was black-listed by the Red Cross. He was a dedicated donor & it really upset him that he was booted out....even tho' his levels normalized.

That happened to my son when he was a younger teen. And, his liver was enlarged. Yes, it is scary. What they did was wait for 3 months, check his bloodwork again, and palpate his liver every time we went in for anything.

It turned out that by the next time we checked his bloodwork, nothing was wrong. And his liver never felt swollen after the initial time.

We found this accidentally when he had a staph infection from a cut on his knee that was infected. We didn't even realize it, because it didn't hurt him. What hurt were the lymph nodes in his GROIN, big time! Swollen and painful. Turns out that the infection from his knee cut caused the lymph nodes to work overtime to fight the infection. The doc put him on some strong antibiotics to beat the infection.

The doctor told us that he couldn't imagine that the liver and the infection/lymph node issue had anything to do with each other. Far be it from me to question that, since I'm not a doctor, but there has never been another time that there were any liver problems before or since.

Anyway, I would talk to your son about this and ask for a "head to toe" exam to rule something like this out.

Good luck, S..
Dawn

The doc s

I've had elevated liver function. It means that your liver is putting out too much of some substance. Yes, it can be serious but it's usually not.

One serious cause is cirrhosis of the liver. This is extremely rare in young people and non existent unless someone is a heavy drinker over a period of time.

Could he have been tested shortly after having drank a lot of alcohol? If so, I suggest his liver function would be high but would be normal after a period of time not drinking. Too much alcohol does affect the liver's ability to function. It has to work especially hard to metabolize the alcohol.

My elevated liver function went down to normal when I stopped drinking. I was drinking a moderate amount but my liver could not handle it probably due to my age. I'm 68. My liver is once again healthy.

Certain drugs can cause elevated liver function. I don't remember which ones. The solution is simple. Stop taking those drugs. And the liver will be fine. I know statins is one of them. I also had to quit taking it as well as stop drinking alcohol.

There is no reason for fear at this point. I suggest that because of his age the cause is simple and he'll be fine.

Every time I get strept or another infection, I have elevated liver function.
I get retested 2 weeks after stopping the antibiotics and it is normal every time. They worried me too and it is very common.

Certain medications cause an elevation in liver function. Let him talk to his healthcare provider and find out if there is any reason to be alarmed.

Hi S.,

Of course he needs to determine why his enzymes are high. If it is something like Sue mentioned then a Liver detox from the health store should fix it within a few months. He also can see a ND (Naturopathic Doctor) who can be more specific. Yes, this can be very dangerous but when caught early it can be fixed. Don't panic. Take it one step at a time!

God bless,
M.

Liver enzymes can be elevated in a normal and healthy person if they have ingested something that is metabolized primarily in the liver. Examples would be alcohol or Tylenol. Had he taken any medication or had much to drink in the day or so before his test? I hope it's something that easy!

I have elevated liver enzymes. It appears to be from medication. I am now weaning myself off of said medication and I will have to have labs done after a few weeks. Liver levels can be elevated for many, many reasons: use of pain killers, a lot of exercise, fatty liver disease, hep...