Rheumatoid Arthritis Support Group
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic, inflammatory, multisystem, autoimmune disorder. It is a disabling and painful condition which can lead to substantial loss of mobility due to pain and joint destruction. The disease is also systemic in that it often also affects many extra-articular tissues throughout the body including the skin, blood vessels, heart, lungs, and...
I've NOT had much fun getting to this point...but finally, one last hurdle to jump through.
I had high liver enzymes twice - a few years apart and Enbrel was the culprit. During first episode in Dec 2011, I had a liver biopsy so that I knew all was ok. Fatty liver was noted but otherwise ok.
In Dec 2014 I restarted Enbrel (no one knew it was the culprit) and enzymes shocked us all by being back in the few hundreds. Enzymes are now happy at 19 AST and 22 ALT. All other numbers great.
I had a bout of diverticulitis in October - mild, but required follow up is colonoscopy and since I've been on meloxicam for years, an upper endo was ordered too. All good - diverticulosis noted and biopsy of stomach just to be sure all is fine.
Went to liver doc follow up and before I try any new drug, he wants a liver biopsy to know the direction to go in. Honestly, I'm pleased. He's so careful and I appreciate it.
Did you know that Methotrexate can cause fibrosis in liver? Even with normal numbers? For folks having had abnormal liver counts, obesity, or diabetes, it's recommended to get a liver biopsy before starting. And it's recommended to keep getting them every 1-2years even if enzymes are normal.
I had no idea that normal ALT/AST/ALP etc isn't the true measure of how the liver actually is.
I hope this helps someone else who might be diabetic or overweight or have had elevated enzymes at some point. It's worth getting a biopsy - especially if you've met your deductible later in the year.
I had high liver enzymes twice - a few years apart and Enbrel was the culprit. During first episode in Dec 2011, I had a liver biopsy so that I knew all was ok. Fatty liver was noted but otherwise ok.
In Dec 2014 I restarted Enbrel (no one knew it was the culprit) and enzymes shocked us all by being back in the few hundreds. Enzymes are now happy at 19 AST and 22 ALT. All other numbers great.
I had a bout of diverticulitis in October - mild, but required follow up is colonoscopy and since I've been on meloxicam for years, an upper endo was ordered too. All good - diverticulosis noted and biopsy of stomach just to be sure all is fine.
Went to liver doc follow up and before I try any new drug, he wants a liver biopsy to know the direction to go in. Honestly, I'm pleased. He's so careful and I appreciate it.
Did you know that Methotrexate can cause fibrosis in liver? Even with normal numbers? For folks having had abnormal liver counts, obesity, or diabetes, it's recommended to get a liver biopsy before starting. And it's recommended to keep getting them every 1-2years even if enzymes are normal.
I had no idea that normal ALT/AST/ALP etc isn't the true measure of how the liver actually is.
I hope this helps someone else who might be diabetic or overweight or have had elevated enzymes at some point. It's worth getting a biopsy - especially if you've met your deductible later in the year.
The liver specialist went so far as to say it was not mthx affecting my liver enzymes, because I did not have any sign of mthx type damage. Except for every time I went back on it, after a long break, the enzymes were up in the 300's or more. So I don't take it any more.
I am glad you liver specialist is being thorough, and I hope that it will show no damage. Sometimes, they really don't understand why people react to these drugs. I hope you can keep you enzymes down, and still find some meds that work.