locust primitive has scary blood test results

[franksolich]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/11428255

Oh my.

The locust primitive from Canada, who's 31 years old and still living with her parents while she attends college:

Locut0s (1,554 posts)    Tue Apr 23, 2013, 05:49 PM

Need help interpreting scary blood test results.

I've made an appointment with my Dr to go over my recent blood test results but I'm able to pull them up online myself and I know they don't look good. I was expecting very high cholesterol levels and possibly other problems. What worries me are the liver results. Sorry if these are in metric vs imperial I'm in Canada, hopefully someone will be able to make heads or tails out of these.
 
The liver results are probably because I've been struggling with a drinking issue.
 
URINE:
Appearance: CLOUDY

Protein 0.15
normal <0.15 g/L

LIVER:
Gamma GT 139
normal 10-58 U/L

ALT 98
normal <60 U/L

AST 49
normal <35 U/L

CHOLESTEROL:

Cholesterol 8.20
normal 2.00-5.19 mmol/L

LDL: invalid when Triglyceride is greater than 4.52 mmol/L.

HDL Cholesterol 0.99
normal >0.90 mmol/L

Chol/HDL (Risk Ratio) 8.28
normal <4.9

Triglycerides 4.74
normal 0.45-2.29 mmol/L

The best advice:

BlueJazz (17,637 posts)    Tue Apr 23, 2013, 05:54 PM

1. You would most likely get good answers on the web. The top dogs at DU rather frown on posters..

...giving or interpreting medical stuff or advice.

But that doesn't stop Ugly from butting in:

Warpy (68,502 posts)   Tue Apr 23, 2013, 06:07 PM

4. You're going to want to work on your cholesterol/triglyceride load at some point but that is going to take working with your doctor.

Exercise can help lower that HDL/LDL ratio. I know, just what you didn't want to hear.
 
Diet is responsible for only 10% of one's cholesterol load. You need to go back to the doc to see if s/he thinks this is bad enough for you to go on medication. Some will, some won't.
 
Your doc will go over all the stuff with you. If you haven't had a panicked phone call from the office telling you to report to the closest ER, it means you'll keep until then.

Locut0s (1,554 posts)    Tue Apr 23, 2013, 06:10 PM

5. Thank you. Yes I'm confident I can work on my cholesterol levels...

exercise and diet. I have done that before. It's more the Liver stuff that worries me given how far out of range those numbers seem. The drinking is related to bad depression problems which I'm trying to treat as well. I just would like to hear from someone who might know what these levels/numbers might mean liver wise.

Warpy (68,502 posts)    Tue Apr 23, 2013, 06:15 PM

7. Self medicating with alcolhol is a temporary fix, at best

It works, but only short term. Then you end up being a depressed alcoholic. Drinking massively increases triglycerides.
 
Discuss your depression with the doc, too.

I wonder if the locust primitive is, uh, generously sized.  She's single, and hasn't ever had a date yet.

[JohnnyReb]

Eat mo' bacon.

[hillneck]

Who besides a DUmmie would put their medical information on a public forum and ask help from worthless drug addled people.   

[JohnnyReb]

Who besides a DUmmie would put their medical information on a public forum and ask help from worthless drug addled people.   

DUmmies that get free medical care.

[FlaGator]

The elevated liver enzymes could be a sign of abusive drinking.

[franksolich]

The elevated liver enzymes could be a sign of abusive drinking.

She is a big boozer; that's why I wondered if she has surplus weight, too.

[franksolich]

Who besides a DUmmie would put their medical information on a public forum.....

Yeah.

If I were my fellow alum Skins, I would've deep-sixed this right away.

But apparently franksolich is more sensitive than Skins is.

Despite my qualms, I brought it over here because it's all over the internet now anyway.

[jtyangel]

The elevated liver enzymes could be a sign of abusive drinking.

Judging by her cholesterol it could mean fat cells in the liver too which is toxic. I ha a bad alt reading in my heavier days when I was having babies and that was the most likely cause.

If she wants to self medicate she should try using exercise to do it. It improves mood and will affect those numbers pretty drastically over time. Coupled with ending the drinking too which is a no brainer.

[franksolich]

Coupled with ending the drinking too which is a no brainer.

Well, what's troubling about this case is she's self-admittedly on handfuls of mood-altering pharmaceuticals already.

I thought mixing drugs and booze was bad, but I could've thought wrongly.  I dunno.

[Toastedturningtidelegs]

Judging by her cholesterol it could mean fat cells in the liver too which is toxic. I ha a bad alt reading in my heavier days when I was having babies and that was the most likely cause.

If she wants to self medicate she should try using exercise to do it. It improves mood and will affect those numbers pretty drastically over time. Coupled with ending the drinking too which is a no brainer.

Hepatitis and autoimmune problems could cause it as well. Probably drinking though. It is a dummie.

[jtyangel]

Hepatitis and autoimmune problems could cause it as well. Probably drinking though. It is a dummie.

Sure but sounds like she's heavy and a drinker so a pretty devastating combo and sounds like mom and dad enable so I'm doubtful much will change.

[DumbAss Tanker]

I thought mixing drugs and booze was bad, but I could've thought wrongly.  I dunno.

No, there really aren't any prescription meds that a doc will encourage you to take with alcohol, the combination has impacts that range from mildly negative to fatal.

[franksolich]

No, there really aren't any prescription meds that a doc will encourage you to take with alcohol, the combination has impacts that range from mildly negative to fatal.

I was being sarcastic, but I figure you knew that.  But thanks for strengthening my point!

[Tucker]

Judging by her cholesterol it could mean fat cells in the liver too which is toxic. I ha a bad alt reading in my heavier days when I was having babies and that was the most likely cause.

If she wants to self medicate she should try using exercise to do it. It improves mood and will affect those numbers pretty drastically over time. Coupled with ending the drinking too which is a no brainer.

She does exercise. She lifts weights 12 oz at a time. 

It's well on the road to liver failure. It's probably looking at diabetes in the near future as well. A lot of heavy drinkers become diabetic. Alcohol tricks the Pancreas into believing that glucose levels are normal. It shuts down. As the alcohol leaves the body, the sugar drops to below normal. The Pancreas then has to work overtime to get level back to normal.

Once a person starts to get issues, there are only two options, quit or death.

[BlueStateSaint]

No, there really aren't any prescription meds that a doc will encourage you to take with alcohol, the combination has impacts that range from mildly negative to fatal.

And the downside for us is . . .

[GOBUCKS]

She's in Canada, so the DUmp is her best hope.

Canada is far ahead of us in the evolution of socialized medicine.

Next doctor's appointment availability is in the summer of '14, but by god it will be free.

[jukin]

More proof that my picture of what a DUchebag is in real life is 99.8% correct. Like Rush, it gets hard to move the needle up at this level.

Thank you Locust for setting another data point.

[Celtic Rose]

The protein in her urine is suggestive of kidney damage as well.  Basically, what those numbers suggest is that her liver is not healthy, and drinking certainly isn't going to do it any favors.  

[GOBUCKS]

This is another thread that begs the question:

When is Skimmer going to get DUmmy Elad off his deadbeat ass to set up that Dead DUmmy forum?

They're dying like roadkill armadilloes, yet we still have no place to express our grief.

[Dori]

The protein in her urine is suggestive of kidney damage as well.  Basically, what those numbers suggest is that her liver is not healthy, and drinking certainly isn't going to do it any favors.  

Don't anti-depressives also affect the liver?  I hear those commercials on tv and radio and they read off a ton of side affects.

[Celtic Rose]

Don't anti-depressives also affect the liver?  I hear those commercials on tv and radio and they read off a ton of side affects.

Some of them certainly can, especially if you are using anything else that can damage the liver, like alcohol or tylenol. 

[dixierose]

Some of them certainly can, especially if you are using anything else that can damage the liver, like alcohol or tylenol. 

Most pain pills contain Tylenol.....not sure if she takes those or not...

[Tucker]

Most pain pills contain Tylenol.....not sure if she takes those or not...

As it's a DUmmy, she would take it if it were Tylenol 3. The one with a Codeine base.

[BlueStateSaint]

As it's a DUmmy, she would take it if it were Tylenol 3. The one with a Codeine base.

Same with hydrocodone or oxycodone.

[franksolich]

Well, somebody finally got on the ball.

After it's been scattered all over the internet, of course.

MineralMan (53,028 posts)    Wed Apr 24, 2013, 09:29 AM

10. I'm locking this.

Since you say you'll be talking to your doctor about these results, you already know what the answer should be. Your doctor will interpret them for you and advise you properly.
 
No doctor would advise you on this forum, even if one was here. So, any advice you get from DUers will be amateur advice, which will do you no good at all. See your doctor. Listen to what your doctor says. Ask questions of your doctor.
 
DU is not a medical advice forum. See the two pinned posts at the top of the thread list for the Health Group. This type of post is not what the health group is about.
 
I hope your doctor has some good advice for you and that you follow it.