Liver blood tests - is my doctor right?

[HmmmDidntKnowThat]

A couple of years ago I was going through a really dark time and started drinking very, very heavily. I am doing better now emotionally, although still enjoy my wine at the weekend but not as much and I do have the odd weekend off.

However I was worried about the damage I might have done to myself so phoned my GP and asked for a liver scan. She arranged blood tests first, which thankfully came back normal. She phoned me and said the results are perfect and indicated absolutely no damage to my liver and there's nothing to worry about. No need for further investigation. I'm extremely grateful for this outcome.

However I told her I thought blood tests always come back as normal even if there's damage and they only indicate issues if there's around 95% damage? So I really would like a scan to confirm because that's the only true way of knowing if your liver is healthy? Doctor said I am wrong, that information is not true and the blood test alone presents accurate findings.

I know she's a doctor but is that right?

I don't know whether she's right or not, but they're not going to give you a liver scan just because you want one.

If you're still worried then pay to go private.

Pretty sure liver health is monitored via bloods

Keep an eye on this site for dates near you they do free a free fibroscan on your liver.

Or you can pay privately around £500 for a fibroscan of your liver there are loads of places if you Google it.

https://britishlivertrust.org.uk/information-and-support/love-your-liver/roadshow/#dates

If you're this concerned could you go private and pay for one?

If you have no symptoms and your blood is fine, I doubt you'll get a scan - there will be lots of people who need one in the queue.

Good luck

Of course liver function test shows liver function issues before 95% damage.
Why do you think they do them? I had mine few times and they do show differently even shortly after flu like illness.

Where did you get that 95% from

Yes I did say to the doctor I'll pay to have a private scan (it's self inflicted anyway so I deserve it) but she said I'd be wasting my money. If she's right then great I was just really surprised at this?

Why does what you 'thought' have more weight in your mind than what a trained doctor has told you?

It is absolute fact that liver health is monitored via blood tests. They show even the slightest level of damage.

If there was damage, you would be referred for a scan to determine the level of damage.

There is no damage in your liver according to your blood test. So you won't be referred.

If you want to spend money on a scan, I'm sure there are plenty of clinics who will happily take your money to prove what you already know.

Liver was badly damage when I had glandular fever. Trust me you get symptoms very quickly when it's not working. I'm nearly a year AFTER infection and my ALT is still raised and I still get some random pains. If your bloods are fine and you have 0 symptoms you should be okay just keep an eye on yourself x

@Liverbegone sympathies. Glandular fever here too. Week in hospital, liver friendly diet etc for 6 months. Decades ago, still bloody remember. Luckily mine went back to normal surprisingly quickly

What will you do differently depending on the liver scan results? If you have reduced your alcohol to recommended levels and are being more healthy in general and keeping your BMI down to avoid fatty liver then what is the point to detect minor liver damage not showing on blood tests?

Whoever told you 95% is talking cobblers.

The liver can regenerate unless it's severely damaged, the liver function results say yours is healthy. The doctor knows this. If your liver function tests are abnormal the treatment is to cut down your alcohol intake. If you're really worried don't drink at all. A scan would be a waste of money for the NHS or you if you go private, but that's your choice

You don’t need a liver scan after a short period of heavy drinking. I’m a (sober) alcoholic and I drank heavily for years. Over 100 units a week for quite a long time. My ALT, AST, GGT were elevated (about 3x) normal when I stopped. In order to develop permanent damage, generally your results would need to be over 10x normal. So normal is around 30, they would come back as 3000. If your bloods are fine, you are fine, this is just your anxiety talking. Let the NHS use its resources for people who actually need them.

If you are really concerned, best thing you can do is cut out all drinking. You don’t seem that concerned about your liver if you are still drinking on the weekends.

So you wouldn't believe your GP but you are prepared to believe random strangers on the internet?

No, she’s right. I drank heavily for six years and my liver tests fluctuate but show the damage, which at the moment is scarring. You should try to stay off alcohol but if there is no disturbance in liver function that’s probably the case. Symptoms like liver hardening, jaundice etc take a lot more time and damage to show.

I recently had bloods done and they showed 1. NAFLD and 2. Biliary cholangitis (as an auto immune disease where bile ducts get attacked by own immune system) as a result of 1. they sent me for a scan to see where things were at, no liver damage but some fat around the liver that long term would cause issues, 2. came back after this scan but the scan showed no sign of damage happening either. Sounds like you have had a lucky escape for now, the liver is actually good at healing itself especially from outside damage rather than your own body trying to do you in. My Dad also had serious NAFLD and it showed and he was treated well before it got to 95% damage levels. We both carry a gene as well that means the proteins that form a protective layer in the live and lungs are not present (easiest way to describe it) so yeah, didn't even have a few years of oblivion to pay for, been pretty much teetotal most of my life, maybe that is why despite everything am pretty much OK .