Hello and welcome to Healthcare Magic. Thanks for your query.

A hepatic function test panel is done to determine the functioning of the liver. It includes the following 7 test indices:

Total bilirubin
Direct bilirubin
Total protein
Albumin
AST
ALT
Alkaline phosphatase
(The last three are liver enzymes)

Now, a hepatic function test DOES NOT detect meth use or any other specific drug use. It just shows how healthy and how well-functioning your liver is. Your symptoms of diarrhoea, vomiting, chills, sweats, etc. can sometimes be due to "hepatitis" (i.e. inflammation / infection of the liver). This is the likely reason why your doctor must have included the hepatic function test panel in your investigations.

Wish you all the best.

Regards,
Dr. Jonas Sundarakumar
Consultant Psychiatrist

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Hello again,

Liver functions can get compromised due to various reasons - like infections, systemic diseases, toxins, as well as due to alcohol, drugs and even overdose or excessive use of prescription medication. Now, a hepatic function test can only detect the nature and severity of the derrangement in the liver's function, but cannot pin point what the specific cause it.

The reason why you would have read about alcohol abuse being detected in a hepatic function test is because alcohol abuse is a very common cause for hepatitis - specifically known as a "fatty liver". So, a person who abuses alcohol is likely to have a derranged liver function. Even in this case, a hepatic function test would only show elevated bilirubin and abnormal levels of liver enzymes, and an ultrasound scan is required to establish the "fatty liver".

However, it is not possible for a hepatic function test to detect meth use. There are specific drug tests - urine, blood and sometimes, even hair tests which can detect meth use, but definitely not a hepatic function test.

Wish you all the best.

Regards,
Dr. Jonas Sundarakumar
Consultant Psychiatrist

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