Does a complete blood workup include a full liver panel and what could potentially cause abnormal aminotransferase levels? ?
My husband had blood work done yesterday, and received his results today. A lot of stuff is out of whack, including elevated AST &ALT. He apparently has hypothyroidism, as well. The paperwork came back to him with instructions to make an appointment for an ultrasound of his thyroid.
Clearly we are going to discuss this with his doctor, but in the meanwhile I am going to panic. I have to assume the doctor saw the results, I don’t think anyone else could have ordered an ultrasound. Nothing was mentioned about the rest of the test results, which I thought might be unusual, so now I’m worried.
My husband does not drink or do drugs. However, he had back surgery last year and takes OTC and prescription pain medication as needed. He is relatively young, 30 y/o.
What could we potentially be facing here? I know the list can be long, and I am NOT looking for a diagnosis. I’d just like to know what the possibilities are until we are able to talk to his doctor. Hopefully tomorrow.
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7 Answers
Maybe I’m asking too much…
Let me rephrase. Could this be normal? Might that be why nothing was mentioned about it when he received his results, not even instructions to make a follow-up appointment?
I don’t think there is any thing called a Full Blood Workup that checks for everything. The doctor usually orders certain tests to be done through blood work depending upon the patient’s condition.
For instance I’ve had some problems with elevated cholesterol levels and low vitamin B levels, so the doctor checks for those things specifically. There’s hundreds of things that the doctors can check for, but each of those things has to be ordered specifically.
OTC and prescription meds can cause liver and kidney problems. So usually, if a patient is on any of those meds, the doctors will check for problems related to the possible side effects.
An ultrasound is a fairly common procedure to check for thyroid problems. He may just have some elevated or lowered levels of common thyroid hormones and his levels may have to be adjusted with meds. It’s a fairly common problem and pretty easy to treat. Don’t start worrying un-neccesarily. Just make the appt. to see the doc and ask him/her lots of questions.
I often bring a list of questions with me, so that I don’t get tongue tied. Good luck : )
Know that so-called “liver function tests” can be elevated in response to something as simple as having received an injection (intramuscular). Medications taken for high cholesterol can also elevate the results of these tests.
As for the thyroid, the ultrasound will help see if it is lumpy and they may want to follow up with a biopsy. The can irradiate the thyroid or remove all or part of it if necessary and thyroid hormone replacement is very common. Thyroid cancers are the slowest growing of cancers and removal of the thyroid pretty much takes care of it.
@Kardamom‘s suggestions above are excellent (bring a list of questions)!
Don’t panic. There’s several things going on here. Did you get a followup call from the doc?
Don’t panic…......some doc. do the ultra sound just to see…....also you have to ask for a full hep. panel…........just tell your doc. what you want….......and remember….....the doctors work for YOU….........good luck and if it is thyroid before they do anything get second opinions…if your doctor gets annoyed for you asking he is no good for you….it is your body (or your husbands) second or even third opinions are a necessary procedure because doctors are human…........good luck again…......peace
Agree with @Kayak8 and @Kardamom. The list of things that can elevate liver enzymes is quite long, and can even include being overweight (fatty deposits in liver). Hypothyroidism is also quite common, and can be associated with a viral infection. Sometimes it will go away on its own; other times it persists.
Has he seen the doc yet?
@Dr_Dredd yes. He has not had the thyroid ultrasound, yet, though.
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