liver problems symptoms

[smackshosh]

Dr.,

I'm not asking because I'm feeling anything weird/strange/out of the ordinary, I'm just curious and looking to educate myself. I've read in a lot of places that some PHs/PSs are rough on the liver. How would one know when the liver is under too much stress or negatively affected? What are some of the symptoms?

[dinoiii]

Clinical signs/symptoms can be wide and varying. It is usually dependent upon the onset (acute/chronic), yet still - the most ideal way, due to the potential for someone to be asymptomatic (no signs/symptoms at all) - is probably from lab work.

That said, if you are experiencing some kind of acute issue, it could present as fever, jandice (yellowing of your skin), icteris (yellowing of the whites of your eyes...the sclarae), hepatomegaly (large liver that can be palpated/felt), and/or right upper quadrant abdominal pain (quadrants are usually defined by an imaginary division - a "t" in the abdomen).

Still, most often - it doesn't really appear as anything, especially if it develops chronically ("over time").

That said, basic liver function testing associated with cycles would probably include the following:

(1) CBC
(2) PT / PTT
(3) Clotting factors
(4) CPK (as a weight training individual to differentiate AST/ALT source)

Note: Your CBC will likely uncover issues with proteins, bilirubin, and "liver" function tests like AST/ALT and alkaline phosphatase.



D_