Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Merlyn]

Okay everyone, here's a story about one of the worst weeks of my life that might help you out in the future. Two Fridays ago I went to have my health check done so I could extend my visa later this February. I'm a heavy exerciser and wanted to get in the best shape possible before this check to compare results from 6 months ago when I had another one done just for my school. I was going to the gym for 14 days straight, even though I have been pretty much doing that for the past year as well. I was cycling for about 50 mins a day, going about 20 km and my diet consisted of a couple of protein shakes and other foods throughout the day. I was also doing occasional weightlifting. On the day of my check, I ate nothing for 8 hours prior.

On the following Monday morning I received a phone call from the doctor, in relatively broken English, saying there was something wrong with my liver and I needed to come back to the hospital. When I returned, they scheduled another appointment for later that week, this past Friday and the female doctor explained to me again in broken English that my liver AST/ALT and other numbers were elevated and this could be a sign of fatty liver and even Hepatitis C, of which she asked if I had shared needles for drugs, etc, which is a common way of contracting the disease. I never have done this. Acquiring the disease through sexual contact could not be ruled out either even though Hep C is not normally transmitted that way. In other words, you should always have safe sex, just in case. Just to point out, normal level ALT enzymes which are a good sign of liver health will probably fall between 5 to roughly 45 u/l (units per liter of serum), mine were at 50 this day.

Anyway, I spent the entire week reading up on fatty liver, hep c, and every other ways enzymes could be elevated. I could hardly sleep for three days as I pondered my future. I do drink on the weekends and I can drink well. Do I have a fatty liver? Did I have Hep C and would I then have to leave the country? If this next check said I had Hep C, would immigration be coming for me to hold me in quarantine? Would I have to sell my car, all of my stuff, get my pension? These are the questions which troubled me. I could hardly eat all week either but I what I did eat consisted of liver friendly foods like apples, apple juice, etc. I think I probably lost a kilo in a week with little to know exercise. I just wasn't in the mood for exercise.

This past Friday the liver specialist doctor examined me and following a second blood check all results were normal, my ALT was fine 35 u/l and everything else was in range of where they should be. I got my clean bill of health. But I learned a lot this week as well and will take better care of my liver. It would be hard not too after having read everything I've read. The question still bothered me, however, why I had gotten a higher level of enzymes a Friday ago.

Well it turns out, my first doctor gave me an unnecessary scare. Basically I've learned since, that when we talk about elevated enzymes for Hep C, they mean 4 to 5 times the level of normal which would be about 200 u/l. Obviously 50 is not elevated at all in comparison. I wish my first doctor who was not a specialist would have been so kind to have explained this to me a week ago. Basically, what she said would be the equivalent of me coming in and saying, "Doctor I have a headache" and her reply "I think you have brain cancer so come back in a week and we'll run the tests"

Okay to wrap up. Be careful exercisers that ALT can be elevated with constant workouts because of dehydration and protein can also elevate enzyme levels and if you have a morning test, they will be higher than they would be in the afternoon. Best to not exercise too much before a health check and hold back on the protein, but if you get a result like mine hopefully you'll be better prepared. Stay healthy everyone. For more here's a good link.

http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=724604

[dean_burrito]

I'm not so sure this had anything to do with exercising. A friend of mine who has no history of liver problems was told the same thing. Unlike you he didn't get a second opinion and went on some experimental drugs the doctor suggested. He was fine on his second check as well. I not saying it's a scam or but I think they are being alarmist or something of the sort.
Anyways if anyone is worried about liver health find an herbal supplement called milk thistle. Not a bad idea for all those drinkers out there in k-land.

[The evil penguin]

ummm... I'm no doctor but.... instead of all this self-absorbed body conditioning stuff- protein shakes and the like, wouldn't it be healthier to just eat normal food. Nice bit of roast chicken and vegies, steak and salad... you know, real food.

Pumping up for the mirror doesn't neccessarily equate to healthiness

[D.D.]

Heavy drinking on weekends over many years can screw you liver and also protein shakes can as well. Also people who tend to the aggressive side have bad livers.
Chill out being addicted to exercise is just like other addictions in that they are bad for you health.

[cdninkorea]

[Jammer113]

High protein diets CAN cause problems with your kidneys if you're dehydrated or have other health problems. Severe exercize can cause kidney problems as well. An unbalanced diet while severely exercising can cause a whole host of problems.

With the OP, it sounds like one of four things.

1: The doctor was racist against white people, thinking they all do drugs.
2: The doctor wasn't able to properly communicate their medical opinion.
3: The doctor most frequently sees (white?) people who come in with elevated liver enzymes of that nature with no other symptoms having Hep C.
4: The doctor was a freakin idiot.


I'd say 3 is most likely, which is scary... with 2 and 4 running close seconds. Actually, the doctor was a freakin idiot listing only one possible disease for the symptoms when there are many... and then only listing the deadly incurable one. Maybe she was trying to scare you into more tests.

Incidentally, there's no particular "correct" blood value for Hep C. It could be normal, it could go up, down, all around. It will change as your body fights and tries to cope with the disease. Eventually, when it kills you, all your values are going to go through the roof. I will say that almost all of the people that I have seen with Hep C had a history of drug use.

Having said that, exercising your butt off the week before the test, and especially dehydrating yourself is a sure-fire way to screw your test up. Most of the blood tests measure concentrations of chemicals in your blood. If you are dehydrated, all of those concentrations naturally increase, as the amount of chemicals stay the same, but the amount of fluid is decreased. You'll also stress all of your organs. I'm suprised your kidney values weren't totally messed up way worse than your liver.

The best way to get good test scores is to fully hydrate yourself, get good sleep, light to moderate exercise, and eat balanced meals for 3 to 4 days prior to the test. The only thing your diet/exercise program would give you would be an artificially lower weight.. but if you're already fit, why worry about your weight? Body and fat measurements are far more accurate for determining health (and beauty).

[bassexpander]

I was reading that exercising breaks down the muscles, leaving a lot of damaged tissue in the blood (a natural thing). When they do a blood test, it can really screw up the results for at least a few things -- so yeah... you should give yourself several days rest before a physical/blood test.

[SHANE02]

another quack.

korean doctors think every no korean has a fatty liver because they use a different scale than doctors in the west.

[MattAwesome]

for maximum results you should take a day off from every day you exercise. you need to give your muscles time to regenerate. you are technically tearing muscles so they regenerate stronger and bigger. this is also very different from a sports injury muscle tear you might hear about.

i also agree with being addicted to exercise. you are overdoing it and your body isnt happy. if you do legs one day, do upper body the next to give your legs a rest and take a day off and do nothing at all. you can find this is in any health magazine or website. take care of yourself and consider yourself lucky you cant trust anything korean doctors tell you.

[Kwangjuchicken]

[fadedgirl]

Why wouldn't you just go to a doctor that actually spoke English? There are international clinics...

and seriously?! in a country where fan death is considered news-worthy, why wouldn't you just take it with a grain of salt?

[Forward Observer]

My MIL has suffered from headaches for most of her adult life. Recently my wife started having sporadic headaches - she rolled over in our california kind sized bed last Saturday and said, "What if I have a brain tumor? Will you still love me!?"

I LOL'd, then I planted a big wet kiss on her head and massaged her neck.

Crazy Koreans

[Temporary]

Korean doctors are idiots.

I had one tell me that I am average. When I checked online and consulted doctors I was in the Elite Athlete condition.

My liver enzymes are ok and I work out close to 4 hours a day. Plus I eat protein out the wazoo. That's including shakes.

[Fishead soup]

I've done tons of these so called health exams. One year they told me I had an elevated diaphram. I was told I needed more X rays including some quite expensive ones. I took the form to the education office the superviser glanced at it and put it in a file. That was the end of that.
Five years later I'm still alive.

I've also had the bad liver number. I did absolutly nothing about it. That was six years ago. Not only am I still alive but my most recent health checks have been spotless.