Liver enzymes elevated

[bubble]

I have been taking Truvada/Kaletra for about 8/9 months now.

Today my doctor told me that my liver enzyme AST was high. Normal is under 40 and mine today was 61. My ALT was 38.  I looked at my past lab panels pre-meds and my AST was 22 and my ALT was 20 so they are much higher now after only this short of time on meds.

My doc told me not to be alarmed and that it could be because i had a few drinks in the days prior to the test. i don't recall but i rarely drink. He wants to see me again in 6 weeks and told me to make sure and have no alcohol 2/3 days before test.

What do you all think?
thanks.

[Matty the Damned]

Hey Bubble,

Firstly if it was booze that pushed your LFT's up a bit you'd expect to see that reflected in another liver enzyme marker called the GGT. Maybe you should ask your doctor about that one.

HAART does have a tendency to play around with liver enzymes. Even when I abstain from the daemon drink my ALT and AST markers tend to be a bit high. I'm not sure I'd be overly worried with an AST of 61 in this circumstance but it is certainly something to keep an eye on.

Regards,

MtD

[bubble]

thanks for your response. i did read some post where someone had enzymes in the 800-1000 range then i read something where it was a bad sign to have them in the 400 range so maybe i'm over-reacting which i tend to do. I just wonder if it's concerning to have them "ten times the normal range" which i read, why is the normal range under 40 if it's okay to be 41-400?? anyway. i just am concerned. that's all.

[Blixer]

Bubble,  My doc said they really don't get concerned over slightly elevated levels.  She said that if they are 3X to 4X normal over a period of several tests, then they start to look into them.  In fact my ALT jumped to 139 and my AST to 78 before I even started meds.  Two weeks into meds my ALT was down to 62 and my AST was 46.  A year into meds I was at 45 ALT and 46 AST.  They just seem to bounce around for me all the time, sometimes being in the normal range, sometimes up to 2X normal.  My doc says not to worry at this point.  Hope that helps....

[bubble]

thanks. well that makes me feel a bit better. i know this is just part of the game... if it's not the HIV i worry about, then it's something else. ugh.

[BriGuyNY,NY]

hi there.  keep a check on the numbers.  elevated liver enzymes can also flag one of the hepatitis viruses.