Author Topic: just got my blood work (Read 12259 times)

hogie · « **on:** January 08, 2016, 11:44:53 am »

I have had hep c for 2 years and just got my blood work done and the Dr said my liver is in bad shape my AST levels are 128 U/L and my ALT levels are 352 U/L I am worried and the Dr was less than helpful I'm. Waiting on a referral. To a liver specialist to get help. Can anyone help me understand what these numbers mean or how bad of shape my liver is in. And the hep count in the blood is 925590 U/L if that matters.

gnatcatcher · « **Reply #1 on:** January 08, 2016, 01:58:33 pm »

Hi, hogie, and welcome to the forums. Liver enzymes of AST=128 and ALT=352 plus a viral load of almost a million mean that your immune system wasn't able to get rid of the hep c on its own, so it is going to need the help of medicine. Today's medicines have very high cure rates, and most people have either no or mild side effects. Once you get rid of the hep c, your liver begins to heal, and those enzymes return to normal. As you can see below, I took the medicine Harvoni and my high enzymes were back to normal within 4 weeks of starting the Harvoni.

Yes, the next step is to see a liver specialist, If your regular doctor didn't do so, the specialist will do more testing to find out which genotype your hep c is (in order to choose the appropriate medicine) and how much (if any) fibrosis your liver has (in order to know how long the treatment should be). Fibrosis is scored from F0 (none) to F4 (cirrhosis).

Feel free to keep asking questions. Best wishes.

Gnatty

hogie · « **Reply #2 on:** January 08, 2016, 02:11:03 pm »

So with levels that high is just the hep not liver disease or cancer

gnatcatcher · « **Reply #3 on:** January 08, 2016, 02:28:31 pm »

Hogie, just the hep can lead to levels that high or higher. See this post:
http://forums.hepmag.com/index.php?topic=3615.msg34207#msg34207
from Lucinda Porter, our global moderator who is an RN and has been cured of hep c.

There's another test the specialist might order: an ultrasound of your liver. If you've never had an ultrasound before, it's easy and gentle -- you even keep your clothes on. The ultrasound will show whether there are any tumors, whether your liver is enlarged, etc. Although I'm not a doctor or nurse, I'd be very surprised if having hep c for only 2 years would result in cancer; I had it for almost 44 years without getting liver cancer.

hogie · « **Reply #4 on:** January 08, 2016, 02:42:09 pm »

My Dr never said anything about an ultrasound I am worried that maybe my levels ar so high because of a different problem because I know alot of people who've had hep for a long time and are fine and I've only had it for 2 years and my eyes and yellow I'm fatigue all the time and I'm side cramps all the time

lporterrn · « **Reply #5 on:** January 08, 2016, 03:55:31 pm »

Your numbers are not unreasonably high, but you will need more tests to get an accurate picture. Do you happen to know what your platelets are?

hogie · « **Reply #6 on:** January 08, 2016, 04:29:06 pm »

Idk about platelet would that be on the test with the alt they did say I am geneotype 3

KimInTheForest · « **Reply #7 on:** January 08, 2016, 04:59:06 pm »

Hi Hogie, and welcome to the forums!

One thing you will want to do (if you aren't already) is get printouts of all your lab results - either directly from your doctor or from the lab's online portal if they have that sort of set-up.

Your test results for platelets will be found in the part of your lab results called "Hematology" or "Complete Blood Count" (abbreviated CBC).

With your eyes being yellow, you also want to look at your bilirubin count. That will be located with your AST and ALT results, which on my own lab printouts is under the heading "Chemistry Panel".

Basically, I just wanted to say don't worry too much at this point. See what the specialist advises. Hopefully you can start treatment soon and then your problems will be over because you will almost certainly be cured with these new drugs. I had Geno 3 for 45 years before being cured last year by 12 weeks of Harvoni+ribavirin in a clinical trial in Canada. And my health is fine. No lasting problems from all those decades of Hep C. And my AST/ALT were often high like yours.

Good luck and keep us posted!
kim

gnatcatcher · « **Reply #8 on:** January 08, 2016, 05:21:20 pm »

I see Kim has chimed in while I was typing this -- sorry there's some repetition.

Platelets are usually tested together with white blood cells (WBC), red blood cells (RBC), and most often other things as part of a panel of tests called "Blood Count" or "Complete Blood Count" (or something similar). The ALT and AST are typically part of a panel of tests called "Hepatic Function Panel" or "Comp. Metabolic Panel" (or something similar). You are entitled to get a copy of all your lab results from your doctor's office.

Yellow eyes (jaundice), fatigue, and side cramps can all be the result of hep c and/or they can be the result of other liver problems. In order to figure out what-all is going on, the liver expert will look over all the tests your doctor had you do and will decide what further tests are needed. An ultrasound is not the only test that can be used to see whether there are tumors.

Most people don't know how they got hep c. Are you sure you've had it for only 2 years, or was it only diagnosed 2 years ago? It often takes hep c many years before the person feels symptoms; the ALT and AST can be normal for many years before the hep c has caused enough damage for their values to rise.

I agree with Kim: "don't worry too much at this point." Perhaps your doctor stressed the importance of your seeing a specialist soon in a way that scared you, and of course having symptoms is scary. But Kim is proof that genotype 3 can be fixed -- you can be cured. You just need to see that specialist and get treated.

hogie · « **Reply #9 on:** January 08, 2016, 06:21:40 pm »

I got a print out of the labs and i can't find anything like what you guys are talking about I called my Dr about an ultrasound and never heard back they are very unhelpful and 3 years ago I was tested for hep and there was no trace and then tested positive 2 years ago.

gnatcatcher · « **Reply #10 on:** January 08, 2016, 06:28:39 pm »

Kim, do I remember your writing that genotype 3 is the fastest-moving form of hep c?

Hogie, what else is on your labs besides ALT, AST, and HCV genotype and viral load?

hogie · « **Reply #11 on:** January 08, 2016, 06:33:17 pm »

There is a bunch of other levels all of them are in the normal range except the BUN is 28 M/L and the BUN/creat is 35.9% and GFR >60

beto · « **Reply #12 on:** January 08, 2016, 07:22:48 pm »

See the specialist...though I think your GP should be a bit more informed. After you know what is going on, you will have some relief...deep breath...best of luck and keep us posted my friend.

gnatcatcher · « **Reply #13 on:** January 08, 2016, 07:29:13 pm »

BUN, Creatinine, and GFR tell how well your kidneys are functioning. At both of the labs I go to, the Normal Range (also known as Reference Range) for the GFR is >60 (any value greater than 60 means the kidneys work very well; the number can be somewhat lower without serious problems). With the other tests, too, being slightly out of range is usually not a problem. You haven't said how old you are, but kidney results do tend to get less normal as we age.

Back to your liver. Kim was asking about Bilirubin: is that word on your printout anywhere? If not, the specialist will probably include it in the next test you take.

Here is a link to a good site about understanding lab results:
https://labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/liver-panel/tab/test/#what
Note that doctors often need results from a number of tests before they rule things in or out, so it's impossible for you or me to diagnose ourselves. But the information on that web site can prepare us to understand what doctors then tell us.

I'm glad beto has joined in -- he's a great friend to have.

hogie · « **Reply #14 on:** January 08, 2016, 07:46:28 pm »

I am 28 and it doesn't say that b word anywhere on my paperwork
Thank you all for helping me here you're all so awesome

HealthGal3 · « **Reply #15 on:** January 11, 2016, 05:31:05 pm »

Hi Hogie

Everyone is correct. You need to get a copy of your blood work. This way, you'll know how everything else is working in your body. My original liver enzymes were never very high, but my viral load was in the millions. I also had a F4 on the Fibrescan. I was monitored for over 10 years before starting treatment. My doctor felt it was worth waiting for the newer treatments as long as I was in good health. However, I knew that I probably couldn't wait much longer because my fatigue was getting really bad and other health issues. I had the virus since 1990.

Find yourself a good doctor who educated in this disease, and you'll be on the right track.

Keep us up to date.

HealthGal

hogie · « **Reply #16 on:** January 13, 2016, 03:13:12 pm »

I go in for an ultrasound on Tuesday and the Dr sent a referral. To a specialist just waiting on a call from them I will let you all know what they say Tuesday thank you all

HealthGal3 · « **Reply #17 on:** January 13, 2016, 06:33:31 pm »

Good for you, Hogie!

You need to be your own health advocate, or they'll walk all over you. Let us know what happens.

Take care

HealthGal

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Author Topic: just got my blood work (Read 12259 times)