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Elevated liver enzymes


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Hello everybody,

I am curious if anybody had this happen to them: last I got my checkup my liver enzymes were elevated. The doctor told me it's possibly hepatitis and that I should get it checked out by a liver specialist. I am going to do that but I am just curious if anybody had something similar like this happen to them and if so what was the result/outcome?

I read that hepatitis A is basically no big deal so I am hoping that is what I have.

I am vaccinated against hepatitis B (11years ago) and the doctor told me: in that case that is very unlikely.

What I worry about is hepatitis C which is quite hard to cure. Anybody actually knows how hard is it to contract that by anal sex? (Compared to maybe HIV)

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Note: I am not a medical expert. I recommend discussing this with an infectious diseases specialist.

Hepatitis A is spread through fecal-oral transmission - just as easy as HIV to transmit if engaged in rimming.

Hepatitis C is spread via blood to blood contact. HCV is a bit more challenging to catch through sex then HIV, but still possible.

Hepatitis C is not spread through semen, saliva, tears, sweat, or urine.

Most commonly, hepatitis C is spread through sharing drug injection equipment.

For sex, things that cause bleeding for a top or a bottom can increase the risks of transmitting the infection - which can happen in either direction. For both top and bottom - warts from HPV, hemorrhoids on the bottom, and irritation/tears in the rectum from fisting, intense pounding during sex, a lack of lubricant, or a tops’
cock piercing increase the risk of Hepatitis C transmission. Some people get Hepatitis C through sharing sex toys without washing them off.

HIV is sensitive to the hostile environment that exists outside of our bodies. If exposed to air, it will die off in minutes or hours.

Hepatitis C is a much
more durable virus. It can survive outside of the body for up to 4 days. If in a syringe of leftover drug and blood, it can infect for several months or longer.

I’d suggest getting tested for Hepatitis C. Ask for a viral load test; it can take a long time for the antibody tests to determine whether if you are infected or not.

Being HIV+, I’m very in tune with my body’s functioning on a day to day basis. I started noticing signs of infection; but all of my antibody tests came back “non reactive;” a viral load test will directly determine if you have an active infection of the virus. 

Also, stay calm. If you are hepatitis C positive, there are several treatments on the market that cure the infection in 8-12 weeks. They are well tolerated with no side effects. Don’t wait for the virus to become chronic to get screened and treated; it’s nasty long term.

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Many things can elevate your liver enzymes. Excessive drinking, partying with recreational drugs, etc. I had elevated liver enzymes last summer and I had to have a battery of tests, blood panels, MRI of my abdomen. The enzymes were elevated for about 3 weeks and then dropped to normal. It was determined it was due to the antibiotic  I had recently taken for treatment of gonorrhea. 

 

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there are many reasons for elevated liver proteins. much depends on what they are and the ratios of one to the other. you should have been given blood test results and it doesn't take a medical degree to interpret these. hepatitis is one cause ( of any form) but so is fatty liver. this is endemic in the USA. it can just be too rich a diet and the liver laying down down fat . it can also be alcohol related and again the ratios can indicate  if its one or the other. In my case I needed to take a tablet and the standard doctor did not want to prescribe because I was slightly outside the norm. the consultant made comments about doctors not knowing anything and told me if I lost 10% of my body weight in a 3 month period he was almost certain my liver tests would return to normal.  I did and it did. Another thing to consider is ultrasound of the liver surface to check for lesions which are more indicative of issues. my advice.. dont fret about what doctor says ...they seldom know it all. get further liver tests inc hepatitis. and remember it could be many things including being slightly overweight.... good luck

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If your liver is talking to you, it's a good idea to listen - at least to identify the source.  If it is HCV, there are treatments - expensive, but effective.  Your liver will heal, but the sooner you get treated, the healthier your liver will be and the longer you'll get to keep your liver.  Find out what's going on now.  Then you can decide how to proceed. 

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  • 2 months later...

Thanks everybody, I went and they checked for everything including hepatitis tests and ultrasounds and also a second blood test of the liver enzymes.

 

Everything was negative/normal. My liver enzymes were normal for the second time so all is good fortunatly.

 

I have decided to do a hapatitis B booster vaccine and get vaccinated against hepatitis A also after all of this.

 

They will check everything again next  year so thats it for now. And thanks for all the feedback.

Edited by MakingYouBleed
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  • 2 years later...

I've had elevated liver enzymes for a long time, but my doctors believe it is probably due mostly to fatty liver caused by my drinking habits.  I've read that the liver issues I have may make me not a candidate for PrEP, but I haven't really looked into that seriously because I'm not planning to go on PrEP.

 

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I had found out I had elevated liver enzymes after a routine blood test back in 2015, on my doctor's advice, I cut back on fried/fatty foods and drinking for a month, and the levels returned closer to normal. Was a bit of a scare at the time tbh, but I was smashing back Domino's Triple Cheese base Meatlovers Pizzas at least 2-3 times a week beforehand, lol..... those things were freaking decadent

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1 hour ago, Filthpig69 said:

I had found out I had elevated liver enzymes after a routine blood test back in 2015, on my doctor's advice, I cut back on fried/fatty foods and drinking for a month, and the levels returned closer to normal. Was a bit of a scare at the time tbh, but I was smashing back Domino's Triple Cheese base Meatlovers Pizzas at least 2-3 times a week beforehand, lol..... those things were freaking decadent

Exact same thing happened to me too. Mildly persistently elevated liver enzymes, fluctuted throughout the years. Already numerous negative tests to the hepatitidies. Once I lost weight and started going to the gym they've normalised!

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38 minutes ago, Blacoe said:

Exact same thing happened to me too. Mildly persistently elevated liver enzymes, fluctuted throughout the years. Already numerous negative tests to the hepatitidies. Once I lost weight and started going to the gym they've normalised!

Mine got a little better after my Dr  put me on a statin drug since apparently the liver enzymes can be worse if your cholesterol is too high.  They tell me that I need to drink less and lose some weight and get more exercise and they might go back to normal levels.

 

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