Hello, I am 15 years old and weigh about 130 lbs. I was recently prescribed by my dermatologist to get the acne drug "accutane". However, when I went to have my blood tested they would not give me the drug because my liver enzyme levels were elevated. Not sure what these mean, but he has circled these two things...

Ast (SGOT)=75 normal range=15-37

ALT (SGPT)=88 normal range=30-65

As you can see mine are not even close to these numbers. I am so frustrated because I have been excercising regularly and lift weights. I think that it may be due to the protein I get in a day. I usually have a protein shake (N-Large) and "Whey" I also eat about two protein bars a day. I have also read that your metabolism can mess up your liver enzymes and being very skinny I have a very high metabolism and have tried to really change my diet to a high protein and carbs one the past two or three weeks prior to the blood test.

Are my liver enzyme levels REALLY high? How do I lower them by 3-4 weeks when I go to take another blood test to see if they are normal? Jeez, I am so frustrated, I didnt even know what liver enzymes were until today!!

Thanks,
Nick

Thomas1970

Hi Nick,
The probable reason your doctor did not prescibe you Accutane at this time, is that elevated levels of these enzymes are sometimes associated with liver disease, though it is often a bit more complicated. Accutane can though run some risk of being difficult on, or possibly damaging to, the liver.
To the best of my knowledge, your levels would be considered more mildly elevated.
As for the AST (SGOT), this is found in many tissues in the body, including muscle tissue. Vigorous exercise, and particularly weight lifting, can cause elevated levels of this enzyme in the blood.
ALT (SGPT) is much more specific to the liver. This usually indicates some stress upon the liver. High amounts of protein can be demanding on the liver. As well, protein metabolization creates urea as a by-product, which must then be removed via urine by the kidneys.
It's hard for me to say without knowing the specific amounts you consume, but given your current weight, it sounds like you are getting an awful lot of protein in your diet. You would probably do well to cut back considerably. A healthy diet generally contains fairly adequate amounts of protein.
I think you are right, that this could be a possible cause. It would probably be good to limit any heavier workouts to every other day at the absolute most. And as far as protein -- if necessary, one whey shake or protein bar after exercising should give you reasonable results. That is how much I consume at 180 lbs., and I find I gain muscle relatively easily with moderate weight training. Take into consideration that you are likely still growing too, and all of this could be putting something of an added burden on your body.
If this is indeed the cause, I'm not sure how long it will take for your levels to return to within a more normal parameter. But, if you cut back on your added protein intake anyway, hopefully it won't be too long.
If your doctor is concerned about other causes, I'm sure he will send you out for further tests. Though given that he hasn't already, you probably don't have much to be concerned about.
Stay healthy. Take care.

Nick773

Thanks alot for the reply!
Yeah, I am going to limit the weightlifting to every other day and have stopped with the protein shakes. So im hoping that and just watching my overall intake of protein will help lower it.

Thomas1970

Hi Nick,
You're welcome. I think that will be enough to get things back in order. Probably okay to eat what you wish, as long as you don't supplement extra protein too much.