Recently Answered Questions
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What test should I undergo to rule out liver cirrhosis?
Query: Hello doctor, I am very concerned about my liver. I have a history of alcohol use of approximately two to four beers per night, approximately five nights per week for nearly 20 years. I am under total abstinence for the past one year. My symptoms are aching pain in the back on the right side under... Read Full »
Answer: Hi,Welcome to icliniq.com.Given the amount of alcohol that you are taking and the duration you have taken, it is likely that you can develop cirrhosis. But the development of cirrhosis is a gradual process, and it takes a long time before it is evident on the tests.Fibroscan is a useful modality to ... Read Full »
Query: Hi doctor, I am a 25-year-old and former heavy drinker who has reduced drinking in the past few months. I am also a diabetic type I patient who has good control over it with a healthy weight and normal blood pressure. I take insulin for diabetes type 1, Bricanyl inhaler which is used occasionally, a... Read Full »
Answer: Hi,Welcome to icliniq.com.I can understand your concern. As your recent report of ultrasound suggests mild echo texture and mild means less coarse, so we need to believe in recent reports only. I just want to ask a few concerning questions Are there any recent blood test reports of liver function te... Read Full »
Query: Hi doctor, My friend has tested positive for the hepatitis B virus. He has a cirrhotic liver, and hepatocellular carcinoma has spread to cause a malignant portal vein thrombosis. His doctors are saying that there is nothing to be done and that other than HBV medications, there are no treatment optio... Read Full »
Answer: Hello, Welcome to icliniq.com. I have seen the attached reports (the attachment was removed to protect the patient's identity), but it does not show the complete set. To decide what therapies could be offered, I specifically need to see the following: Serum bilirubin level. Serum albumin lev... Read Full »
Query: Hi doctor, My father is suffering from non-alcoholic liver cirrhosis. So a doctor prescribed taking tablet Midodrine (Midodrine Hydrochloride) 2.5 mg for controlling ascites fluid accumulation. Initially, it was prescribed to take four tablets a day, and my dad suffered from high blood pressure. Lat... Read Full »
Answer: Hello,Welcome to icliniq.com. I can understand your concern.The tablet Midodrine (Midodrine Hydrochloride) is safe and can be used in patients with high blood pressure. In fact, this medication is a diuretic, which increases urine output, and thus decreases blood pressure.I suggest you (consult with... Read Full »
Query: Hello doctor, My 57-year-old mother was diagnosed with a hepatitis B infection two years, and she is under regular medications. We performed a liver function test last year, which revealed that her liver was in good shape. However, she was recently diagnosed with liver cirrhosis, caused by the ... Read Full »
Answer: Hello, Welcome you to icliniq.com. Unfortunately, the report is not satisfactory. The CT (computed tomography) scan and the raised alpha protein suggest that she has a tumor in the liver (attachments removed to protect the patient’s identity). Although the abdominal MRI (magnetic resonance imag... Read Full »
Does black stools suggest liver failure in alcoholic cirrhosis?
Query: Hello doctor, I am 59 years old. I was diagnosed with hepatitis C alcoholic cirrhosis, acute pancreatitis and that was almost two years. I am currently taking Levothyroxine 50 mg once daily, Labetalol Hydrochloride 100 mg once daily, Lisinopril 20 mg once daily. I was in the hospital at first to st... Read Full »
Answer: Hello, Welcome to icliniq.com. Black stools are indicative of acute gastrointestinal hemorrhage. Melena or black stools can also turn into a medical emergency if a lot of blood is lost and hence my sincere advice to you would be to go see a doctor as soon as possible. This does not signify liver f... Read Full »
Are my symptoms and elevated liver enzymes due to liver cirrhosis?
Query: Hi doctor, I am a 26-year-old male with a weight of 184 kilograms and a height of five feet seven inches. I am experiencing some weird symptoms for the past three months. I am a recovering binge eating addict. I use to eat fast food two to three times a day usually with meal size after work. Late... Read Full »
Answer: Hi, Welcome to icliniq.com. Your weight is slightly higher. Your body mass index is 27.2. Ideally, it should be less than 25. BMI is proportionate of your weight according to your height. So, you have a possibility of having fatty liver disease due to deranged liver function tests. Your FIB-4 (fib... Read Full »
Can I get a second opinion on my diagnosis of alcoholic liver cirrhosis?
Query: Hello doctor, A month ago, I was diagnosed with alcoholic liver cirrhosis based on the fibroscan result, which was 15 kPa, liver function test, and elevated ALT, AST, and Gamma GT, which were 145 U/L, 79 U/L, and 90 U/L, respectively. These tests were conducted three times. At the time of the test, ... Read Full »
Answer: Hello, Welcome to icliniq.com. I saw the reports you have uploaded, and well, this is cirrhosis. A kPa value of more than 12 is considered fibrosis or cirrhosis, and your kPa value is 15. So the current state of your liver function is assessed by some blood tests plus an ultrasound of the abdomen,... Read Full »
My AST is 13, and my ALT is 6. Do I need further testing?
Query: Hello doctor, I recently had a blood draw at home by a visiting nurse for a life insurance application. AST (aspartate aminotransferase)/ALT (alanine aminotransferase) ratio came back high at 2.2. However, all other levels of my blood report are normal. AST is 13, and ALT is 6, so neither level is e... Read Full »
Answer: Hello, Welcome to icliniq.com. I understand your concern and will help you regarding it. ALT/AST ratio can provide information about cirrhosis/liver damage but in proper context. These results are often interpreted in association with ultrasonography and other liver function tests. In your ... Read Full »
Are alcohol and tablet Tylenol the reason for my elevated liver enzymes?
Query: Hello doctor, I am a 37-year-old female. I had a VSG surgery with gall bladder removal six months ago. My ALT, AST, and ALP were fine and within the normal range during the time of surgery. But my recent blood reports show abnormal values of AST, ALT, and ALP. I have been drinking alcohol every w... Read Full »
Answer: Hello, Welcome to icliniq.com. I have gone through all your investigation reports (attachments removed to protect the patient’s identity). Elevated SGOT (serum glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase) and SGPT (serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase) is not a criteria for liver cirrhosis. Chances... Read Full »