Anyone know anything about liver function tests?

[highlove]

I had been feeling a bit itchy so had various blood tests taken to rule out OC. I've had them repeated three times now and bile acid is well within normal range (6) but ALT is repeatedly coming in high - 41 or 42. I'm told top of normal is 35.

The midwife just called to say its definitely not OC and the consultant will see me next Tuesday and will want to monitor things. She didn't really know any more.

I'm 36 weeks.

Does anyone have any idea what this might mean and how worried I should be? FWIW the itching has largely settled down now anyway but wasn't characteristic of OC - it was palms or soles of feet.

[highlove]

Sorry - it WASN'T palms or soles of feet!

[highlove]

Anyone?

[Sunshineseeker80]

I had similar but right at the end of pregnancy (bloods were done at 40+3 after seriously crazy rash and itching, also not on soles of hands or feet). The hospital I was seen at (QEH in woolwich) only runs bile tests twice a week, but the Drs decided my liver function tests were enough to recommend an induction (I ended up going in to labour naturally waiting for a bed)
Post natally I insisted on them checking the bile test results in case it was OC (apparently more likely to occur in subsequent pregnancies once you have had it once). Bile test results were normal but they said they are usually raised 1-2 weeks after liver functions. Anyway, that is a long winded way of saying they might want to keep monitoring you and do additional bile function tests in case It is early stage OC. They may then recommend induction at 38 or so weeks. Worth reading the NICE guidelines if that happens as inductions not necessarily necessary based on evidence. My Dr didn't seem to have read the guidelines and was BBC insistent I was putting baby at risk I I refused induction. I have strong feelings about what a moron he was ... [grins]

[Inglori0us]

Hi. I had elevated and unexplained LFT and bile acid results at the end of my first pregnancy. I was also vomiting a lot but otherwise felt fine. Had tonnes of tests, admitted onto ante natal ward, rehydrated on a drip etc.
Finally a liver, kidney & gall bladder scan showed that my dd had displaced my liver. Basically she'd kicked it so much it'd moved and stopped working properly. It's quote unusual for babies to do this apparently but my daughter was really long (59cm) when she was born at 37+5.
Not sure if this info helps you in any way but it's something they can rule out. It took 3 weeks of testing and worry for me to get this reason. As soon as she was born I was fine again.

[Missingcaffeine]

I don't think you need to be particularly worried. I am a nurse, and the consultant I work with does not worry about liver readings until they are much higher, however, this is in elderly care. I am not a midwife/obstetrician, so it may be different in pregnancy. Apparently ALP can be elevated in the 3rd trimester and is normal. Are you sure it's the ALT elevated? Medication can cause liver enzymes to rise slightly - so if you have taken any pills recently, or are on regular pills, it could be due to these?

[Quangle]

I had raised ALT too - from quite early on. Can't quite remember as DS is now 4. It got quite high towards the end and I was monitored I think twice weekly - as far as I recall this was foetal monitoring for an hour or so plus blood tests. The ALT didn't come down. I had no itching though.

In the end the drs decided to get DS out early because of the ALT which was music to my ears by then because I was so sick of being pg and felt really rough (don't know if that's because of the ALT or just generally). I had an ELCS planned anyway due to previous CS so it was just a question of shifting the date forward. He was supposed to be born at 37.5 weeks but we got bumped off the list and he was actually born at 38 weeks - fit and healthy but big (9lb 6).

As long as they are monitoring you very closely, I don't think you should worry. If they are not monitoring you very closely, push for this. For me I was happy to give birth a bit early (DD was born at 35 weeks anyway - without all the ALT drama - so it seemed normal to me). That might be on the cards for you - something to ask the drs about.

Good luck!

[highlove]

Sorry haven't had chance to log on until now. Thank you for responses. It's definitely ALT and I've not been taking any other meds. I've been told the consultant will want to monitor things from here but I don't know whether that's just regular blood or will include CTG and scanning - I'll be pushing for it all.

Think it will be a long wait to see him next week though - feeling pretty anxious about things at the moment.

[Flumpinblues]

I have OC (now called ICP) in pregnancy (currently 36 weeks with 2nd). This group has the most recent research and you can post questions too: www.icpsupport.org

[HopeS01]

I had terrible itching and a very aggressive rash (looked link shingles) but I was closely monitored and just kept applying the menthol aqueous and it gradually went away!
Developed about 32 weeks and was gone by 36ish

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