Question: On October 30, I had an anterior cervical discectomy with fusion with bone graft (c5-c6). I'd suffered with the herniated disk for 6 months and took very little narcotic pills (on average, maybe 2-3 percocets per week). My pre-op blood tests were perfectly normal (including liver function tests). Surgery was successful, and I was released from hospital the next day. I had difficulty swallowing, so I wasn't eating. In the hospital, they started me on 15mg of oxycodone (no tylenol in it) every 3 hours, which I pretty much used for about 4-5 days. I became very constipated, in spite of taking stool softeners & miralax & drinking fluids, and hadn't had a bowel movement since the day before surgery. About 5 days post op, I started feeling very awful, my stomach started swelling (I looked 6 months pregnant, and I'm a thin person), my skin had a funny color, I was very confused, and I had zero appetite. My stomach never even growled, and I didn't pass any gas. 6 days post op, I went back to my dr, who sent me to the hospital. They took xrays, which showed I was very backed up, and they suspected a paralytic ilieus. Also, my liver enzymes were close to 500. I was admitted for 3 nights, and after lots of enemas & medications, I did start going to the bathroom and my appetite slowly returned, and my enzymes started to decline. I completely stopped all pain meds (no narcotics, never take tylenol anyway, and cannot take any NSAIDS for 6 weeks due to the bone graft. They discharged me with liver enzymes at about 180. I am not a drinker (maybe 3-4 drinks per YEAR), non-smoker, never had blood transfusions, and never did IV drugs). No one could give me a consistent opinion on why my liver did this. I was released from the hospital yesterday, and I'm nauseated and still have zero appetite. I could literally go all day without even thinking of food or wanting to eat. I'm normally a very healthy person, and eat healthy and exercise (I'm a nutritionist and personal trainer). Could general anesthesia cause this, or was it the severe constipation causing toxins to build up in my system, which my liver couldn't handle? They did a liver ultrasound and it was normal. I had my gallbladder out when I was 19. I'm a 41 yr old female, by the way.

Are Hepatitis B & C test done by blood tests? If so, that was probably done. But, they thought that was unlikely, since the liver function tests done 2 weeks prior to surgery were perfectly normal. Is a liver enzyme level of 180 dangerous, and could that cause nausea and lack of appetite?