High liver enzymes due to exercise?

[ryan44Female]

[color="Indigo"][b]Hi everyone, I appreciate some feedback . I just started with a personal trainer. After dropping 35 lbs I decided that I needed to firm up and build a little muscle.

I work out three days a week. One particular morning my trainer worked me pretty hard almost to the point of exhaustion, not to mention the gym did not have air that day and it was during our recent heat waves here in Mi.

Anyway, about 40 mins after my workout I went into my work, I work at a local clinic, and had my Doc, that I work for, draw my labs for chol. Because of the weight loss I wanted to see where my chol numberrs were. In the past they were high.

To my surprise my liver enzymes came back very hight. My Doc states probably due to a viral infection of some sort. he added all the hepatitis labs and they were all negative.

I am not a drinkier, nor due I use drugs. I do not even take a tyel/motrin more then once a mo.

I have read on line that excessive exercise, especially right before a lab test for liver enzymes can cause an increase in ast/alt or sgot / sgpt levels.

My labs three months prior were very normal. I do not feel sick in any way. Asking my Doc if the exercise could have done this he said NO. He is also a gastro doc as well as internal med doc. But even though he should know about all this I'm still seeing online where it can be a cause of elevation in enzymes..



Any input would be greatly appreciate. I thought.......who should I ask that may know about this first hand???? BODY BULDLERS!

Thank you.

Ryan, yes I'm female.

[Cammo]

Hi Ryan,

I'm no expert on the subject but I'd suggest getting another test done (making sure you haven't exercised beforehand). Tell the Doc you're on a supplement or something & want to see if it's working. If the results come back the same as the first, then you can rule out the exercise theory & concentrate on looking for reasons down another avenue.

Someone here may have a better understanding of your problem & hopefully you can get a more direct answer.

[ryan44Female]

Thank you so much for your response. I've posted on other sites and never received any feedback. I APPRECIATE it.

I am going to have my labds drawn Monday before my workout with my trainer. I'm also going to lay low this weekend.

If the liver tests come back high next time and ulttrasound then possible liver biopsy will be needed.

My lifestyle is such low risk, no drinking...drugs or partners with hep c.

Thank you again.

Ryan

[Cammo]

No worries.

I hope all is well.

[narcsarge]

Ryan I agree with Cammo. Have another set of tests done and talk things over with the physicians. Also, since you already have had the first set of tests done, check with the first Dr. to see what he recommends. Some other questions I have are: (I work in a clinical lab btw)

Are you drinking enought water? Water is so key with all the exercise we do our bodies need it to help move nutrients and remove waste. Most people that I know don't drink nearly enough.

What supplements, if any, are you taking?

[ryan44Female]

Hi, thanks for your interest.

A lab tech, cool!

First a bit of history. I was about 40 lbs overweight. My ht 5'4 and I started out at 173. I had checked my chol and it was very high. LDL 202. Chol 293 with a HDL of 38. Liver functions normal. Doc that I work for put me on vytorin, right away. After about a month I went to him and asked if I could go off the meds for a short time and try diet. He said he'd give me 2 months to show some weight loss. Otherwise my levels were too high to risk health problems.

I went on a low fat/sugar diet and started working out on the treadmill . Then after losing about 20 lbs I hired a personal trainer.

My first day with the trainer I admit to being pretty stupid. I went in without water and even though he asked if he could get me some I declined. My I.Q. must have dipped to about 40 this day. By the time I was done with my trainer my clothes were soaked. Again, stupid move. I jumped on the treadmill for 30 mins at an incline. By the time I was done I was a ball of sweat and I was actually dizzy. I sat in the dressing room for 15 mins before getting into the shower. I was totally weak.

About 40 mins later I got to work and had Doc draw my labs for chol. I did an sma12, all tests were fine except alt/ast were high. Very high. Doc added all the hepatitis labs, aka hep c, b, a. All of which were normal. He also said no inlarged liver and I've had no symptoms. He thinks it's a viral infection and wants the labs redrawn Monday.

I do not take anything other then synthroid. No vitamens, although I need to look into a good one. But right now I didn't want to add anything. I stopped zoloft about 2 months ago after I started to drop weight and feel better. The exercise is helping with the depression and I do not feel the need to take it any longer. Although , I have had a few labs while on the zoloft and there were never any changes in the alt/ast.

So from march 30 , 2006 to current my ast/alt's went up, very high. I can't remember which one, the first on an sma12 was 183 and the 2nd was 101.


Thanks, Ryan

[ryan44Female]

Also, I have dropped weight fast. Probably too fast. Although when I'm eating right and not on a sugar binge I am not an over weight person. I have gone from 173 to 140 in just several weeks. Started end of May. I'm eating 1,200 to 1,400 cals a day so i'm not starving. But Iused to live on sugar and I believe that change is the difference.


BTW, I've become much more educated about weight loss/weight training. I do take water now and I do drink it.


hugs, ryan

[narcsarge]

Ok, just and FYI, the Dr. probably ordered the Hep panel to rule out Hepatitis. Also, I am not a "lab Tech" sorry I am an Information Services Tech (computers) for the laboratory. I have 6 years in this field so I have some knowledge of levels, testing, etc. Glad to see that you are weening yourself off the meds but do follow your Dr.'s recommendations. I am sure that you will find that the endorphines that are released during and after exercise will more then compensate then Zoloft ever did! Congrats on the lifestyle change. Make sure to discuss all of your concerns with the Dr. He will be able to monitor your blood chemistry and can spot trouble. Not that this is the place to air you medical labs but did he order a white blood cell count and platelets? Those 2 tests are the biggest indicators of infection. PM me if you wish!

[ryan44Female]

Thank you, I just pm'd you.

[NiteHawk]

I agree, get your bloodwork rechecked.
How long have you been off the Vytorin ? I know of a couple people personally who were taking it and had to stop because it raised their liver enzymes pretty high.

It sounds like you are also not doing things to raise them as well, like drinking and drugs.

Get another test and let us know. I hope all goes well.

[ryan44Female]

Thank You, NiteHawk.

I live a pretty boring lifestyle. I've never used drugs. I do not drink more then a couple drinks per year and for the most part I hate taking meds. I'm very bad at it, poor patient!

I did read one article that stated if you are an on and off med taker, meaning taking it one day and not the next it can create problems for the liver, if it filters through the liver.

here is one article I've read concerning the liver functions and exercise.
Interesting for anyone that is into heavy bodybuilding.


http://www.patient.co.uk/showdoc/40024562

[krenalor]

You could easily have a minor infection causing these problems, I really doupt exercise is the culprit. Drink water, and more water! I recently had a blood test and scored highest out of the 350+ people at work in over all health so don't ever quit eating healthy, doing cardio, and lifting. Your chloresterol numbers will greatly improve over time, mine still need some help at 42 HDL and 120 LDL-I would like HDL at 60+ and cut LDL to the low 100's or less.
Cardio in large amounts will help you out but don't ever do it without water or a good sports drink again.
I have even known one person that did a Superdrol cycle, a steroid known to destroy chloresterol numbers to the tune of single digit HDL and 200+ LDL numbers, to end his SD cycle at 56 HDL and 110 LDL because he did cardio twice a day and watched what he ate on cycle!

[ryan44Female]

Doc said he thinks they are high because of some viral infection. But I do not have any symptoms. I learned my lesson about water. What a dummy, eh? Sheesh.

[ryan44Female]

My liver tests all came back normal today. Either the lab messed up or I had a viral I was fighting or ......the other Doc I know was right that they went up because of over doing the exercise too soon.

[Cammo]

You must be pretty relieved.

[NiteHawk]

Glad to hear it ryan. Now you can relax !!

[narcsarge]

Way to go! Glad that you have a clean bill of health. Keep us posted on your progress. We are here to help!

[rons1ne]

Hello,

Long time reader, first time poster.

I recently had blood work done as well and my results have showed elevated liver enzymes (very high ALT and AST, above the hundres). But all my other reads are normal. I've been doing tests since June.

I also took a hepaptitis A, B and C tests three times and they've come back negative.

I exercise regularly and and the only thing I can think of is the supplement I am taking that may or may not be the cause for elevation. Currently I am taking NO-Explode. Has anybody else had high readings from any type of supplement as well?

I do not drink, smoke or do drugs. I eat 5-6 small meals a day. I am 5'8" and 185 pounds. Two years ago I was at my heaviest of 220. I did the atkins/south beach craze, coupled with exercise, which is how I lost the weight. Now I am eating a well balanced carb and protein meals.

[ryan44Female]

I'm concerned that your alt/ast have been high for awhile and your Doc has not sent you for an ultrasound.

There are a ton of reasons these two tests can be high. They can be high in heart conditions/muscle/kidney. Which is higher the ast or alt? The ast can be high for many other reasons other then the liver. But the alt is primarily found in issues dealing with the liver.

Also if you have had high chol and have been over weight for a few years, although at a better weight now, you could have what's called fatty liver disease. We see a lot of this come into the office. But the only way to really know is do testing.

My Doc totally does not believe my theory on the exercise. Yet my lab profile suggests it may have been the cause. I stopped exercising for two days and repeated the tests and they were back to normal. But I also had an abnormal ekg that I'm having a stress test for now.


Your doc needs to look into it further. Especially if he's still pulling blood from you and finding no changes for the better in the labs.

[on_yur_6]

FYI,

You can now avoid a liver biopsy wit ha simple blood check. I had high liver enzymes last year and it turned out to be just a fatty liver. Lost a lot of weight and the tests are good now. But instead of a liver biopsy to determine damage my doctor sent my blood to the one lab in California that is perfoming this new test. It's just as effective and you don't get a hole punched into your liver. The insurance companies really like it also because that test is about $300 compared to a few thousand for the liver biopsy.