Help - potential liver problems

[Gothfairy]

So my hubby is not very well - let me explain what has been going on then you can tell me what you think (if you have time) - First off - my husband is a massive drinker........he was a massive smoker too but packed up 5 months ago....
About two years ago he was driving his van and all of a sudden he became confused, clammy, heart pounding, pins and needles etc.... he called the ambulance and they gave him glucose, 40 mins later he was better just wiped out with fatigue - they asked him to go to the Dr for further tests - Head MRI, full blood panel - everything was ok besides his liver function tests as they abnormal because of his drinking.........
About a few months later he started getting the same episodes every few times a month but he controlled it with glucose tablets and energy drink......
Last year, he went to A&E with a stitch like pain on his right upper abdomen - the Dr there said he tore something from coughing too much etc....
To this day he has had this dull pain and it causes tingling in his finger tips - its got to the stage now where he is having episodes everyday and consuming glucose everyday in large qty's.... he has gone to the Dr last week - they did a full panel of bloods on Monday and this morning he has been booked an appointment to see the Dr that ordered the bloods......
I am scared and so worried!

So the blood work has been returned
Low RBC - High MCV - extremely high Ferritin levels
LFT's abnormal (always have been)
Call scheduled with the Dr this evening...
I have a feeling my husband has liver disease and I am so anxious as the outcome of this all!
If I think about this - I think its his liver packing up due to alcohol causing the liver not to process sugars properly - what do you think? Some other people think its pre-diabetes.....
Please let me know if anyone reading this has any advice other than he has to stop drinking

[Careful1]

Drinking on its own can lower ones RBC and the symptoms of a low RBC are fatigue, dizziness, shortness of breath and heart palpitations. There are several reasons for a low RBC one of which being anemia but seeing how your husbands Ferritin level is high I wouldn’t think he has anemia.
He had an abdominal MRI and so I think if he had fibrosis or cirrhosis it would have been seen? You can ask for a Fibroscan which measures the stiffness of the liver but if his liver is inflamed from drinking he may get a high KPA score and not actually have cirrhosis.
I don’t know what his actual Ferritin level is but you said it’s extremely high and so he probably should be tested for the genetic condition hemochromatosis which is iron overload. Left untreated it can poison the organs which can lead to things like cancer, irregular heartbeat and cirrhosis. The treatment for it is straightforward and easy, he would just have have a certain amount of blood removed from time to time (basically the same process as donating blood) to bring his iron levels into normal range and he would need to stay away from foods high in iron.

MCV blood test measure the size of your red blood cells. If abnormal it could indicate a problem but it also can just be that they happen to be larger then normal. Maybe a follow up test to see if there is a pattern would be useful but I’m sure your husbands doctor will discuss with you all weather or not he is concerned with the results of this particular lab and if he/she is what needs to happen next.

No one likes to hear it but seeing how your husbands liver enzymes are high and something is obviously going on he probably should consider at the very least cutting down on his drinking. The liver is an absolutely amazing organ and it can heal itself from a certain point if whatever was causing the damage is removed.

It’s anyone’s guess on what’s going on but make sure you write down every question you want answered before your phone appointment with the doctor so that you have a clear understanding of what’s going on and what the next steps are.

I just want to add that consistently high liver enzymes shouldn’t be shrugged off with the thought that they are only elevated because of drinking. There are many reasons for abnormal liver enzymes, some are just temporary and no cause for concern but others can indicate a problem. Consistent elevated liver enzymes can and often does mean the liver is for whatever reason inflamed and ignoring that fact for a long period of time is what leads to fibrosis and ultimately cirrhosis in some people.

[Gothfairy]

Thank you so much for your reply. He is seeing the dr tomorrow for more tests. His Ferritin is 1051, the range is 22-275!!!