My general doctor said i have elevated liver enzymes, i do drink a little but not to excess. can it be the hormones? anyone know if some are harder on the liver than others? just a little worried but may explain some pains a while back ???
MTF hormones do put some strain on the liver - which is why one of the benefits of surgery (involving orchiectomy) is that one can reduce the hormone intake a great deal afterwards. It's good to keep a regular eye on your liver functions.
i dont know if this has anything to do with the liver but hormones seem to make me get drunk significantly faster now. i dont know if my body is burning the alcohol slower or my head gets buzzed faster or both.
but honestly i am deeply concerned about the liver deal too coz i was a heavy drinker before i started this. i dont drink anymore but i assume some damage has been done there already. my tests give out im ok though. but still the worry lingers. i mean my dad died of cancer there come on.
any ideas on what we can do or take to make your liver get healthier to compensate for the strain on the liver?
Unlike other organs, the liver can usually regenerate itself when damaged. It's like a lizard's tail.
Just keep the alcohol to a minimum and drink enough water and you should be fine. Having dark yellow urine is a sign that you're not drinking enough water, and it can be a serious strain on your organs.
Hi my name is Melissa and I am an alcoholic.......
For years I used alcohol to put the stress (GID, work, wife, kids, overactive brain) to sleep at night. When I started HRT things go bad with my wife for a while and I really upped the drinking. When I went for my blood tests it showed the stating signs of liver distress. I stopped drinking that day and at three weeks and six weeks my liver enzymes were at the high end of the normal range. After three months they were in the middle to low as were all of the rest of my numbers.
At 38 I felt now is the time to get hold of "this thing" before I start doing some major damage.
-M
Are u on the oral form and what is your age ? If its oral form yes it can elevate your liver enzymes which if not taken care of could lead to sclorosis of the liver. I had the same problem after taking the oral form for 2 years and then got switched to the patch which after a month brought my liver back to normal. So please heed your doctors advice.
A short summary:
Oral estrogens adds stress to your liver.
Cyproterone acetate (Androcur) adds stress to your liver.
Alcohol adds stess to your liver.
Spironolactone adds stress to your kidneys.
Having low testoterone levels results in low alcohol dehydrogenase levels.
These are the enzymes that metabolize alcohol.
That's why you get drunk on less alcohol.
:) good info all!!! I just turned 50, although i can pass for 49. I too used to drink more and more often than now - not a good start. i have been on oral 'mones for some time, wish the results were better but i yam what i yam. I go see the doc in a couple of weeks, fearing I may have to fess up. although she did just give me a physical including a breast exam, with out saying a word. I will let all know what we come up with.
High liver enzyme levels particularly GGT are a sign of alcohol abuse and medics are very reluctant to put you on medication that may impair liver function.
So, If you want to be on the 'mones, be sober. I know it is easier said than done. But it can be a good motivation factor.
Cindy
Also any medications are hard for the liver to break down. Proteins like meat are also hard to deaminate amino acids. That makes the liver work harder. Maybe your diet is bad too. Eat more veggies and less meat and if your gonna eat animal proteins eat eggs slightly cooked because they do have all 22 amino acids needed by the body to rebuild cells. A lot of people eat meat and protiens under the guise of the ATKINS diet which does burn more energy than you get from them so you lose weight but if your already working your liver too hard with HRT its not safe to also do the atkins diet. l
My last blood test Jan 2011, showed my liver to be doing fine - THEN.
I'm 65.
Yet, not too long ago I started to actually feel my liver (or gal-bladder?) pinching! Mostly at night.
Years back I had something similar (gal-bladder) and it was sorted with homeopathic meds then.
I decided to take 'Milk Thistle' capsules and after about 3 - 4 weeks the pinching pain is practically gone.
I do not consume a lot of alcohol, 2 max 3 glasses of wine (red / white) on some days.
But I also am on 'Inegy' to lower my cholesterol.
Add 2 E tabs and 1 Spiro tab --- I just will keep this liver busy...
I hope after SRS I can stay with one tab of E and 1/2 Spiro or no Spiro at all, depending how twitchy my clit will turn out to start with :-)
And yes, I guess lots of still / plain water sounds a good idea too.
Axelle
If your liver enzyme counts are high - stop drinking alcohol now. Drinking on top of an irritated liver is like sticking a match to a can of gasoline. It will burn it and do a great deal of damage. Like Cindy said - "If you want to be on hormones be sober". Take care of your liver and it will take care of you!
Randi
May I add that the liver and pancreas are highly interrelated and the same things that stress the liver do the same to the pancreas. Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin etc.) and Acetaminophen (Tylenol) also stress both organs so use them sparingly.
Jennifer
Sorry to echo everyone else Billi, but if this were me, I'd be choosing the hormones over alcohol anyday.
Quote from: spacial on September 02, 2011, 07:36:06 AM
Sorry to echo everyone else Billi, but if this were me, I'd be choosing the hormones over alcohol anyday.
I'll admitt i can't drink like i used to, and i'm trying to loose weight. no alchol for some time ahead - which is fine by me. :-*
Quote from: melissa42013 on September 01, 2011, 10:09:04 AM
Hi my name is Melissa and I am an alcoholic.......
For years I used alcohol to put the stress (GID, work, wife, kids, overactive brain) to sleep at night. When I started HRT things go bad with my wife for a while and I really upped the drinking. When I went for my blood tests it showed the stating signs of liver distress. I stopped drinking that day and at three weeks and six weeks my liver enzymes were at the high end of the normal range. After three months they were in the middle to low as were all of the rest of my numbers.
At 38 I felt now is the time to get hold of "this thing" before I start doing some major damage.
-M
I'm proud of you for stopping. You have done a great job using just sheer will power. I know you really want a drink when things get stressful but we both know that alcohol is only a very temporary solution and often makes things more stressfull later.
"Alcohol is the cause and solution to all my problems." - Homer Simpson