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What Causes Elevated SGPT Levels After Having Anti TB Drugs?
Question: My son is 6 yrs old. He was under medication for Tuberculosis (with pericardial effusion) for close to 6 months. 2 weeks ago (18th Feb), he had fever and complained of pain in torso (chest-stomach-back). We got all heart-related tests done and found reports to be normal. Regular LFTs were being done since he was on TB medication and a January 23rd report showed normal results of LFT. However, when we did the same again on 24th Feb, it showed elevated SGOT and SGPT (both between 200-250). By this time, fever had subsided, but he wasn't able to retain almost any food and was vomiting/throwing up almost everything he ate. Post this, the paediatrician discontinued the TB medication (since anyway only 10 days were left for 6 month-course). Symptomatically my son was much better last week. No instance of fever or throwing up/vomiting. Hence one week later, when we did the tests for LFT and to check for Hepatitis, we expected the SGPT scores to be lower. However, SGPT is now 750+! Which is concerning us. All Hepatitis tests (A, B and C) have turned out negative. While SGOT has dropped to 100 odd, we wonder why SGPT has increased further. Please suggest what could be the diagnosis and treatment?
Brief Answer:
It is a side effect of the anti-tubercular medication.
Detailed Answer:
Thanks for asking on HealthcareMagic.
I have gone carefully through the details and understand your concerns. The anti-tubercular drugs could have messed with the liver function. I do not think that it is due to any other cause. All that is to be done now is to give rest to the liver. No medicines are required. Any medicine has to be metabolized by the liver and hence would add to the taxation on the liver. Hence, just leave it alone and the SGOT/SGPT would gradually return back to normal.
Regards
It is a side effect of the anti-tubercular medication.
Detailed Answer:
Thanks for asking on HealthcareMagic.
I have gone carefully through the details and understand your concerns. The anti-tubercular drugs could have messed with the liver function. I do not think that it is due to any other cause. All that is to be done now is to give rest to the liver. No medicines are required. Any medicine has to be metabolized by the liver and hence would add to the taxation on the liver. Hence, just leave it alone and the SGOT/SGPT would gradually return back to normal.
Regards
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Doctor, just wanted to understand why 1 week after stopping the anti TB medication the SGPT XXXXXXX from 250 to 750? Also during this week, there were no instances of vomiting or fever.
Also we regularly did LFTs (every 2nd month) during the course of the anti-TB medication and last report on XXXXXXX 23rd showed normal levels of SGPT. Why then would the anti TB affect only with 10 days left for the 6-month course?
Our paediatrician has also suggested it is from anti-TB medication. Hope there are no other possibilities? If so, what other tests should we conduct? And typically, assuming it is from anti-TB medication, how long will it take for SGPT to come back to normal range? Any diet/liver-friendly medicine that will help bring back to normal faster?
Also we regularly did LFTs (every 2nd month) during the course of the anti-TB medication and last report on XXXXXXX 23rd showed normal levels of SGPT. Why then would the anti TB affect only with 10 days left for the 6-month course?
Our paediatrician has also suggested it is from anti-TB medication. Hope there are no other possibilities? If so, what other tests should we conduct? And typically, assuming it is from anti-TB medication, how long will it take for SGPT to come back to normal range? Any diet/liver-friendly medicine that will help bring back to normal faster?
Brief Answer:
I think that it is due to the antiTB medicines
Detailed Answer:
Thanks for writing back. Although the SGPT levels were measured a week after stopping the antitubercular drugs, the levels should have risen while he was still on the medicines. Such a thing could have occurred after the XXXXXXX 23 reports and hence the difference. The withdrawal of the medicine is unlikely to have produced this effect. I do not think that any other possibility is likely. I do not feel the requirement of further testing. It is hard to comment definitively but the SGPT levels should come back to normal in a month or two. It would not be a wise idea to give any medicines to facilitate the same as any medicine simply adds to the taxation on the liver and would thus make the situation worse.
Regards
I think that it is due to the antiTB medicines
Detailed Answer:
Thanks for writing back. Although the SGPT levels were measured a week after stopping the antitubercular drugs, the levels should have risen while he was still on the medicines. Such a thing could have occurred after the XXXXXXX 23 reports and hence the difference. The withdrawal of the medicine is unlikely to have produced this effect. I do not think that any other possibility is likely. I do not feel the requirement of further testing. It is hard to comment definitively but the SGPT levels should come back to normal in a month or two. It would not be a wise idea to give any medicines to facilitate the same as any medicine simply adds to the taxation on the liver and would thus make the situation worse.
Regards
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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