Amylase

Alpha-Amylase Test

What Affects the Test

Reasons you may not be able to have the test or why the results may not be helpful include:

• Medicines, including narcotics such as codeine and morphine, birth control pills, diuretics, indomethacin (Indocin), and blood-thinning medicines, such as warfarin (Coumadin) and aspirin.
• Hepatitis, cirrhosis, or extensive damage to the pancreas.
• Chronic pancreatitis, which may be present even though amylase levels are low.
• Drinking a large amount of alcohol before the test.
• Saliva, which contains large amounts of amylase. Coughing, sneezing, or even talking over an uncovered urine or blood specimen can contaminate the specimen and artificially increase amylase values.
• Chronic kidney disease, which may cause high levels when the kidneys are no longer able to remove amylase from the blood.

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Author:	Bets Davis, MFA	Last Updated: April 29, 2009
Medical Review:	Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine Jerome B. Simon, MD, FRCPC, FACP - Gastroenterology
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