Elevated Liver Enzymes?

Question

I went to the hospital 3 days ago cos i was having chest pain which stated after a cough. My bloodpressure read 164/85 which i think is weird, maybe bcos i was nervous, but i went to walmart to check it and it was 133/83. I did a heart Xray and my blood was taken and some drugs were prescribed to get my blood level down. Today i was called for another reason. The Dr. said my liver enzymes seem to be elevated and another blood was taken. I have never drank alcohol in my 24yrs of life and never smoked either and i dont have any kind of pains on my right side which is were the liver is located. I dont have any of the symptoms of that except sometimes headache which is as a result of stress. So i'm confused... How possible is this???

Answer 1

Common causes of elevated liver enzymes include:

    * Side effect of medication, such as certain nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), cholesterol medications, antibiotics or anti-seizure medications

    * Drinking alcohol

    * Obesity

    * Diabetes

    * Elevated triglycerides

    * Infection, such as viral hepatitis and mononucleosis

    * Autoimmune disorders of the liver and bile ducts, such as autoimmune hepatitis, primary sclerosing cholangitis or primary biliary cirrhosis

    * Metabolic liver disease, such as hemochromatosis or Wilson's disease

    * Excessive use of certain herbal supplements, such as kava, comfrey, pennyroyal or skullcap

    * Gallstones

    * Tumors of the liver, pancreas or bile ducts

Treatment of elevated liver enzymes depends on its cause. It is important to tell your doctor about any nutritional or herbal supplements you're taking.

Answer 2

Liver enzymes can be elevated due to a number of reasons. Certain medications that can affect the liver include tylenol, pain medications, and other types of medications. Liver disease, such as hepatitis can also cause elevated liver enzymes. This could be a temporary situation, and may return to normal on subsequent tests.