Disclaimer: I am sharing information about a supplement plan reviewed and suggested by my naturopath. Please see your/a health care professional(s) before taking anything new or changing your supplementation plan.
Almost 2 years ago, I shared my birth story. And ever since bringing the twins into the world my body has struggled and is struggling to heal. I’ve had high liver enzymes every since giving birth.
Discovering I Had Poor Liver Health
Around December of 2020, we finally found a family doctor in Port Alberni to take care of our whole family. We went in to meet the doctor and I asked for routine bloodwork to be done.
And that’s when we discovered that several Liver Enzymes were quite high. My ALT was 83 U/L in a range where 10 – 55 U/L is deemed normal. A few months later in February of 2021, we decided to test all of them. My ALT fluctuated from 54 U/L to 62 U/L to 75 U/L throughout the month. ALP ranged between 114 U/L, 110 U/L and then 109 U/L in a range where 35 – 100 U/L is deemed normal. And GGT fluctuated between 98 U/L to 91 U/L to 111 U/L in a range where 0 – 50 U/L is deemed normal. The doctor immediately referred me to a liver specialist on Vancouver Island and I was hoping to see them as soon as possible. Unfortunately a month later, we decided to move back to Ontario and I wasn’t able to get the help I needed.
After moving back to Ottawa, I went back to the medical clinic where we were before and started working with a new doctor (who is covering my doctor’s mat leave). We measured my liver enzymes in May and they were still high. I asked my Ottawa doctor to refer me to a liver specialist and they referred me to a Hepatologist. At the time of writing this blog, I finally have an appointment mid May. A year after the referral was sent in.
Tracking My Liver Enzymes Over A Year
I was curious to know where my liver enzymes were so retested my enzymes in May of 2021. They asked me to go off of 2 supplements (NAC and ALCAR) and then re-tested in July. The markers all shot back up in July so I went back onto the supplements.
Date | Enzyme | Level |
May | AST | 24 (< 31) |
July | AST | 30 (< 31) |
Sept | AST | 32 (< 31) |
May | ALP | 125 (35 – 122) |
July | ALP | 134 (35 – 122) |
Sept | ALP | 121 (35 – 122) |
May | ALT | 32 (< 36) |
July | ALT | 44 (< 36) |
Sept | ALT | 50 (< 36) |
May | GGT | 46 (< 36) |
July | GGT | 59 (< 36) |
Sept | GGT | Not Measured |
Since going off of 2 supplements didn’t work I booked an appointment with a local Naturopath and went to see them at the end of August.
Improving My Liver Health
My naturopath suggested I take 2 supplements. Advanced Tudca (by CellCore Biosciences) and 4 homeopathic tinctures for biotherapeutic drainage supporting the liver & kidneys. It was a 60 day protocol which lasted September to November. I did another round of both supplement protocols and we retested my liver enzymes in January of 2022. All but one had been reduced back to [almost] normal levels.
AST: 32 (< 31) – almost there
ALP: 121 (35 – 122) – normal range
ALT: 50 (< 36) – high
GGT: 38 (< 36) – almost there
I continued another course of Tudca for 60 days and I asked for another lab requision from my family doctor. The April 2022 are in and drum roll, please….
AST: 26 (< 31) – normal range
ALP: 82 (35 – 122) – normal range
ALT: 36 (< 36) – just on the edge of normal
GGT: 37 (< 36) – almost there!!
While I know what has worked to help me reduce my liver enzymes, I of course want to understand what caused this in the first place. From an MS perspective, take a look at the second link in the resources section below. I found some shocking new news on TUDCA supplementation for MS patients!
So What Caused My Liver Enzymes To Skyrocket?
Here is where I will always find fault with the conventional medical system. While they did try to find causation… They tested for everything from hemochromatosis to liver cancer to hepatitis to autoimmune hepatitis to primary biliary cirrhosis to primary sclerosing cholangitis to wilson’s disease all they could land on was Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) as I hadn’t had alcohol since 2018.
I continue to ask questions and continue to look for answers. Was it the blood transfusions I received after giving birth? Was it the iron infusions to increase my hemoglobin? Is it the Vitamin D supplementation I’ve been on since my MS diagnosis? I continue to search for answers and I’ll be happy to share them as I connect the dots.
Resources
Tauroursodeoxycholic Acid (TUDCA) – What is it? How to take?
Tauroursodeoxycholic Acid (TUDCA): A Promising Neuroprotective Agent Derived from Bile Salts
Supplementation with TUDCA in an animal model of MS improved signs of neuropathology and reduced disease severity.