i am glad things appear to be normal now,but what i am wondering here is did you actually obtain ALL off your ongoing lab sheets yourself so YOU can simply read thru them and also 'compare" the labs from one time to another? while your labs still 'could' be considered to be 'normal', if your liver labs esp are even over the 'midrange normal' something would be going on within your liver but the function losses just are not yet high enough to hit that 'out off range threshold yet? that IS really why you always need to obtain all of your testing results and the lab sheets too, just to see where those actual numbers lie? and when you have had more than one set of labs done, comparing them REALLY is the best way to see if any function loss is progressing or staying the same or actually went down too? but just obtain the lab sheets so you simply 'know' where YOUR numbers are. they will almost always have the appropriate lab values/ratios there on that sheet too so you can see right away where that norm for THAT function is in comparrison to what your actual tested numbers really are?
one other very important thing you really 'should' do as well is at the very least, just to rule in or out the portal vein as the source, obtain one full abdominal ultrasound? this will allow a really good 'look' inside and at that liver and more importantly just considering what 'usually' is behind the higher than norm ammonia to even be there at all? that portal vein needs to be checked using that doppler tool since this WILL show realtime bloodflow thru that P vein just to see if it is possibly being obtructed by "something(scarring can occur from various diseases or conditions having to just "do' with that liver) or if that bloodflow thru that vein is actually going in the "right' direction too?
this just IS where that ammonia filtering out of the blood actually takes place? protine, when eaten by us is actually what turns during the metabolization/digestion phase, into ammonia. so i would definitely try limiting the protien intake too? the very BEST way to really "see" and know if any real organ is simply okay and fully functioning normally in every way is with the bloodwork being done AND that good ultrasound to actually 'see" the organ too so you know that it is not being impacted with some type of obstruction or being damaged by something like a disease process? it takes BOTH tests just to really actually even "know' since any damage done to functions simply has to get bad enough FIRST before ANY of our numbers will either start changeing or become out of range.
most docs for some stupid reason will not always tell any given patient just excactly 'where" those numbers really lie as long as they are still 'within the norm range and not yet out? even then you do not alweays even get told that either? this is the main reason i walways obtain all my own labs and my US reports too, so I know where my numbers just are myself? up til my last set of labs were just done this year that monitors both a kidney and liver disease, everything was ALWAYS within the midrange of norms, every single kidney and liver lab. despite having massive cystic damage going on since i was born,the damage overall was not yet impacting the organ functions enough before this to simply really impact my organ functions. well, now they are and my numbers changed in a few didfferent lab functions and others are NOW on the going upwards side of what used to be totally 'normal before,so i do know now,that my functions are starting to become impaired in those affected organs. but my damage looks horrid upon my US and yet all these years,the only indication of anything being wrong here since all labs were perfect WAS just that ultrasound, thats it.
you just do NOT truelky have that true whole picture until you look at your own labs(comparing lab sheets and also looking for any numbers that are slowly creeping UP too) and have that US done too just to 'see" the organs, trust me there. once they simply place the doppler part of the US on and over that P vein, they would be also to really tell if there simply is or is not some type of real obstruction within it or some type of blood clot or scarring from certain things that can simply injure/damage the liver too.
just having to really learn about labs and how and what really makes any numbers change and also what amazing things you can actually see with the US being done, this really IS the very best and quicker way of really getting the best possible overview of any organs really.
just wondering what exactly prompted your doc to actually even check your ammonia since it IS NOT part of any 'regular/normal panel? even along with liver labs usually? its gotta be an extra ordered test and it also has to be placed directly onto ice like as soon as that tube of blood is actually drawn as well, or the real ammonia in the blood will not show accurately either? it dissipates and seperates from the blood if that tube is not drawn and iced asap after being drawn out of your arm(if the tube was not placed into like a cup of ice immediately or at all, the ammonia level actually could be even higher than it actually showed too?) just something you need to know about ammonia testing. i had to take my son like every single wed to our primary clinic just to have that one ammonia level rechecked weekly since he was in liver failure and that portal vein was completely closed off from heavy scarring from an mutated liver disease he was simply born with. he did not actually present with the disease til he was 12 years old?
just get the sheets, ALL of the lab sheets from anywhere you had them done(just call each docs office), and see about getting that US done. simply tell your doc YOU want to actually see that portal vein bloodflow so YOU know that it is simply not blocked in some way? your doc should have already just done this particular test when the ammonia was found to be out of the norm range, seriously. kind of a no brainer there for him since he does KNOW where and how that ammonia gets to be higher than the norm too? hopefully things look 'good' within the liver and P vein, but you and he just really NEED to see that liver and the radiology report done after just to even know that part. it DOES matter getting both types of testing done to know everyhing about any real abdominal organ. you just should NOT have to go thru life in a 'fog' esp when you don't know what IS really behind it yet without the other test being done? please keep me posted on what you find out with the labs and where they are actually at and hopefully the US results too? this just truely IS in YOUR best interest to do right now.
gpain?? i would definitely see your primary for some labwork done on your liver and an ammonia test as well, esp if the ammonia can be "smelled eminating from your body? do YOU yourself "only' smell this or have others also commented on smelling it too? there IS a difference. some people can "think' they actually smell alot of different smells for various reasons at times. but with your ongoing symptoms, i most certainly would have the liver labs done and the ammonia too? just to see where you are at with your numbers? anytime anyone simply 'suspects' something may be wrong with them, it is almost always best to catch things as early as possible for the best shot at intervention and treatment, depending upon just what is creating the "problems'? or just finding out IF there actually even IS a problem too. FB
