Could I please get some information on the liver function? Does Tylenol hurt the liver? Got some really high readings and don't know how to handle. Any advice? Foods I should eat, avoid, medicine, health cures?
REPLY By Dr. Bruce Sckolnick:
Elevated liver function bloodtests need evaluation by a physician. There are hundreds of possible causes for these elevations including the toxic affects of drugs (including all forms of alcohol), infections (such as the many types of hepatitis), metabolic conditions, etc. If you have "really high readings" discuss this with your internist or family physician and see if a referral to a gastroenterologist/liver disease specialist is indicated.
Part of that talk with your doctor will include the areas of diet, food, medications, etc. As a rule all unnecessary medications should be stopped at once, all alcohol must be stopped, and all non-prescription products must be stopped including "health cures", vitamins, etc. Even if these products are not contributing to the cause of the problem a sick liver should not have to do unnecessary work to help the body get rid of these substances.
Tylenol in an healthy individual when taken in the suggested dose is probably not a cause of trouble but it can cause very serious damage if taken in excessive amounts. In people with liver disease (including unexplained "high readings") Tylenol should not be used since even small amounts could hurt a sick liver.
Except in cases of advanced or unusual liver diseases diet by itself does not usually play a role to influence liver disease except, of course, you should avoid all alcohol as mentioned above.
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