High AST and ALT levels and 16 months post-op

I recently had blood work perfomed at my rheumatologist's and he performed a Hepatic Function Panel; now my gastic bypass doctor performed these test just a few months ago and they were within normal ranges--today I found out my AST was 256 (norms 0-40) and my ALT was 197 (norms 0-40). My doctor now wants me to have a ultrasound performed on my liver to see what is going on; he suspects it could be Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease which I guess can be caused by the gastric bypass surgery and rapid weight loss; apparently the fat goes to the liver and it doesn't know how to process it. I also have lupus and there is autoimmune liver disease that can be caused by the disease, but I wonder if either could make the levels change so quickly. They are also testing me for hepatitis's too since I just got another tattoo, but I am sure that is not what it is as the place I went to is the most reputable place in the area and do magnificent work and are highly professional. Has anyone heard of people or you yourselves had gastric bypass surgery and had these problems and what was the end results? I am very worried as these have gone up so dramatically, so quickly; since my surgery I have very good blood work results and now to have a problem is troublesome.

My friend, Charlie C, was having liver problems. Well--not really liver problems--but some of her tests were indicating a liver problem. Don't know if it was these particular tests. She switched from a pre-natal vitamin to another multi-vitamin and her liver tests came back fine after that. Good luck to you--hope everything turns out well.

First of all, you may need a biopsy and not a CT scan or any other imaging test in order to make a diagnosis. The liver is not an organ that images well. A referral to a specialist (gastroenterologist) is a good idea.. Almost everyone who is or has been obese has a fatty liver. That is a given. Alcohol and smoking (or exposure to) can cause the same damage to a liver in combination with a fatty liver as being a chronic alcoholic. That is one reason alcohol should be avoided after weight loss surgery. Fatty liver alone can result in cirrhosis of the liver. Autoimmune hepatitis can be diagnosed through bloodwork (different than what you have been tested for) Again, a specialist will know what to order. A biopsy is no big deal, really, I had five of them after WLS because I suffered liver failure. It also cuts the diagnostic process from months to weeks. A biopsy is the gold standard for diagnosing the condition of your liver. Imaging doesn't come close. Your enzyme results are high but not dangerously so. People can have results in the 1000's before there is a reason to be concerned about serious liver disease. Nevertheleless, this needs to be investigated thoroughly. Secondly, tattooing is a risk for hepatitis and even the cleanest place on the planet can be infectious because: (a) the machinery cannot be sterilized in an autoclave. (b) tattoo machines are vacuum machines and may suck fluid back into them which cannot be 100% sanitized. (c) Cidex and the other cleaners used in the environment of tattooing has not been scientifically proven to kill the hepaitis C virus. It was tested and FDA (formerly EPA) approved before we knew about hepatitis C. (d) the hepatitis C virus can live in the environment for a long time. (e) tattooers learn on the job and are not medical professionals unless they have an RN or an MD. Where regulations exist, they are rarely enforced. Hope this helps some. Take care. tee

Michele, I too just got the results back and my AST and ALT were high. I am kinda scared. Although mine aren't as high as yours my ALT is 94 and AST 43. I got a tattoo last summer, I hope this isn't the problem. I have a call into my surgeon to see if I should be concerned or not. Will let you know what he says. Rhonda 312/166/155?

You think your liver test were high. My one liver test was 644 and the other was 260 I dont know which one was higher. They were sure I had hepatitis they did the blood work and it came out negative so now they think its from me taking tylenol pm every night.. In a week of not taking it it went down to 43 and 197 so that is a pretty good chance it was from the tylenol.. I will be restested in a few weeks to see how much more it went down.. Dr put me on Lunesta for sleep and told me to stay away from tylenol for some reason my body can not take it .. Oh and I also tested positive for mono which can shoot your liver enzymes through the roof so that is why dr is restesting to see if it was the mono or the tylenol

All my test were done again and also a hepatitis tests. ALT is back at 41 and AST is at 25?? Normal, go figure. As I guessed my hepatitis test were also negative. No one could tell me why one week it was so high and another normal.