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Hep C Discussion Forum -> Post Treatment -> What does a low AST level mean?
Post Info TOPIC: What does a low AST level mean?
fourlocos


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RE: What does a low AST level mean?
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Hi all

Wanted to update yet again on my progress post treatment.  I had more blood work rerun yet again...twice in three weeks now.  Repeats of most of them.  I am working with a hematologist now for my low B12 issues.  Can't seem to get right since treatment on this problem.  I will start having injections soon once all the testing for Pernicious Anemia and stuff is done.  Terrified of that more than the Harvoni!!   My AST and ALT have dropped more in three weeks.  I am now low on both...under the normal range.  Which they chuckled about so I guess it means my liver is nice and relaxed at this point.  Pains in the liver area which I had for almost a year or more post treatment are a distant memory.   Saw an eye specialist yesterday for a work up that was long overdue.  Never had one before.  He said I was in the upper 90% as far as my vision goes.  I told him I don't see well but he said I am 20/20 on distance and that it isn't my eyes to see an neurologist next LOL.  They just all pass me on.......   Just keep wearing readers for now and I don't need glasses for driving.  Okay then.  If I could get this B12 anemia fixed I might feel better.  I can't tolerate the sublinguals and hence my horrid fear of the injections.  Bad seriously bad headaches and anxiety from it.  No sleep etc.  The specialist was cold and uncaring and was like suck it up buttercup about it.  I need warm and fuzzy for my doctor.  Slow and baby steps work best for me.  She wasn't my sort of doctor at all.  Might have to find another one to take this on with me. 



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GT 1b first time treating with Harvoni 8 weeks.  4 weeks UND 8 week UND.  8 weeks after treatment UND.

 12 weeks SVR.  Reached 24 weeks SVR!
Jaded


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Lower AST/ALT is a good thing...it indicates a healthy liver.

www.reference.com/health/low-alt-ast-signify-5b73b28ff78e1013

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64 year old EOT 10-28-15,SVR24 April 21 2016  ALT-12/AST-23 June '19 - fibroscan 6.9 F-0 July '19
fourlocos


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Yes thanks Tig and Jimmy.  I belong to a group on B12 issues so I do know of the condition Jimmy.  Thank you so much.  I guess they should test me more.  I ignored my doctors request to start injections last feb.  I tried the under the tongue ones...many of them and smaller dosing and they don't agree with me.  Horrid headaches, anxiety and no sleep.  Now I guess I will have to live with those issues to combat this one.  My life has been one odd thing after another since I ended treatment.  And I don't feel good ROFL

Damn I just want some peace again.  Some calm, relaxing security that everything will be okay.  And I feel like I haven't known that for a long time now.  I am glad I requested she do total blood work last week because I got some strange rash with a sore throat that won't go away for a couple weeks now.  It's not strep.  She thinks it's all allergy related.  I never had allergies or rashes!  Another new odd thing. 



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GT 1b first time treating with Harvoni 8 weeks.  4 weeks UND 8 week UND.  8 weeks after treatment UND.

 12 weeks SVR.  Reached 24 weeks SVR!
Tig


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Hi 4L,

Good to hear from you! Try not to worry, there's an answer out there and I know how thorough you are in finding things out, this is no different. You have already received some good ideas and I'll add mine.

I would request a full B vitamin panel and see what those results are. While uncommon, vitamin B6, if low, can reduce the AST and ALT significantly. A high folic acid level can be caused by low B12. Vitamins can be helpful in combating anemia, but the levels need to be determined individually. Adding too much of one, while another is low, can throw them all off. 

I take a daily multi vitamin and I still had a low B12. I take an extra sublingual and haven't checked it again, so it will be interesting to find out next time they test it. My Dad's doctor is a believer in the injectables versus oral administration. It helped him with his energy. You might talk with your doc and see if trying the injectable is a better option for you. B vitamins are water soluble, so your body doesn't store it as long as the fat solubles. 

I can't provide a definite reason for any of the issues we have post treatment. I know I've got some problems as a result of my ugly (but effective) interferon triples, but also realize age is catching up to me and things aren't working as well as my 25 year old inner self wants them to. Damn it.... I'm grateful to be virus free, but now I'm discovering that life continues to throw some curve balls I wasn't expecting. I keep dealing with these things the only way I can, one day at a time and am grateful for every day. Keep us posted!



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Tig

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JimmyK


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Of course we are not Doctors but in some instances we can point a person to ask certain questions of their Doctors.

Hep C treatment of course is a matter that affects the immune system. There is a condition where the immune system attacks cells in the stomach which leads to a deficiency in B12.

This is a condition called Pernicious anemia. You may want to speak to your Doctor about that and ask if he or she can test for the condition and if it is possible to be related to a recent change in immune system function due to DAA's.

At this point for me it is not even a hypothesis but simply a question related to known causes of low levels of B12. It is easily treated but the fact is if your B12 is low you may need to find a way to supplant it. Also if related to how the immune system basically attacks cells in the stomach that may be a temporary condition that once DAA's are removed may subside. That may also take time hence the questions and comments for the Doctor. 

Again a word of caution. I fix Airplane Engines not people. I have no medical qualifications whatsoever. But I do like to read. This is in fact a matter for a trained Physician to advise and deal with, but I do know B12 deficiencies are easy to deal with.

 

All my best!

 

JimmyK

 



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Harvoni TX 2 12 weeks. UND weeks 4, 12 and now EOT + 4 Weeks. SVR-12 09/29/16. All Glory, Honor and Thanks be to God.

"I go to war with the brothers I trust."
fourlocos


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I am overjoyed that six months of 8000 per day of Vit D has brought me back from 17.5 to 64.8.  That has worked very well.  This new issue I have is my B12 has dropped even lower than when treatment ended.  It was already seriously low then.  I haven't tried injections because the sublinquals caused me horrible anxiety and headaches.  I am speeding on the smallest amount.  I will see my primary about all this next week.  I just ignored it after I had no luck with different types.  But now my level dropped more and my folic level is double what is normal.  That has me wondering what to do.  How the heck did all this happen??  I have read of others who treated and are left with low B12 as well.  I wonder what caused that to happen.  How did I lose my ability to absorb it from food when I eat eggs and meat all the time?  I need help badly sorting it all out. 



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GT 1b first time treating with Harvoni 8 weeks.  4 weeks UND 8 week UND.  8 weeks after treatment UND.

 12 weeks SVR.  Reached 24 weeks SVR!
Sydhanrahan


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Hi fourlocos,

i have zilch medical knowledge but surely low  AST levels are a good thing? Maybe just your liver breathing a great big sigh of relief as its a sign of inflammation isnt it? Can you take a vitamin B supplement or does that just not hit the sides either? My vitamin D levels are really low, I have been taking supplement for months and they are slowly showing signs of improvement. 

Good luck with it all. 

Syd



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Contracted Hep C 1969. Genome Type 2, treatment naive. Began 12 week RIBA/sof/Dac on 12/11/15. Cirrhosis. VL before treatment 4m. Treatment extended another 12 weeks without Riba. No virus detected at 9 weeks.
JimmyK


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Greetings,

To my knowledge, there are no known problems related to low AST. High levels of course can be indicative of Liver or other issues, but not lower levels.

Try not to worry, sounds to me like you are doing quite well actually.

I sometimes wonder how I should feel and what reasonable expectations I should have related to clearing the virus. I always come back to "I don't know what I am supposed to feel like at the age of 63. I just got here."  ;)

 

JimmyK



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Harvoni TX 2 12 weeks. UND weeks 4, 12 and now EOT + 4 Weeks. SVR-12 09/29/16. All Glory, Honor and Thanks be to God.

"I go to war with the brothers I trust."
fourlocos


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Is that any cause for concern?  My ALT dropped even more since last year and it is great.  I just wasn't sure what a lower than range AST might mean?  Not much to read online about it low only high.   My sudden inability to absorb B12 right after treatment is now worse.  And now my folate level is double what it should be and that is another mess I am trying to sort out.  All these issues since I treated.  So strange......  Why can't life return to normal!!!



-- Edited by fourlocos on Friday 23rd of September 2016 06:19:15 PM



-- Edited by fourlocos on Friday 23rd of September 2016 06:19:55 PM

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GT 1b first time treating with Harvoni 8 weeks.  4 weeks UND 8 week UND.  8 weeks after treatment UND.

 12 weeks SVR.  Reached 24 weeks SVR!
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