My Liver enzymes are too high 122. I got off the med and have to go for a nother bloodtest in 2 weeks and then to see the Rheumy the week after that. If they are still high, he'll wants me to start Enbrel or Remicade.I am scared to go to Biologics already, but if he says I need to then I'll do it.I don't know what else is going to come my way. I am just thankful that I can still walk and swim. I try to go to the pool at least 3x a week and it makes me feel good and free in the water. I can feel it gives me strength.
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Was this from the methotrexate? Don\'t worry, biologics are less hard on the body if you get the right one. I am on Kineret, which clears through the kidneys, and my kidneys used to be in stage one kidney failure, and now it is normal. The catch is, it has to be used concurrently with methx. So no help for the wicked.
My ALT has been 300 and 200 this year. I got it down to 64 after the 300 by going off the mthx, but I was so tired and having flares I went back on. Then it went up again, and I went off, but couldn\'t take the pain, because I can\'t take anti-inflammatories because my bunion has not fused after 4 months and it would fail if I did. So I went back on, but this time I was VERY CAREFUL.
I went through the Pharmaceutical Compendium that docs and pharmacists use in Canada, for every drug that is contraindicated for hepatic impairment. That was pretty well everything I was on, except the Kineret and Synthroid. So I went off everything, plus I went back to commerical folic acid, which apparently I used to be hypersensitive to, but not anymore. I have to keep going back to the anti-hypertensive, because blood pressure goes up, but I don\'t take it every day and try and relax more. LOL.
I also cut most of the oil supplements out of my diet - Vitamin A, D and Omega Oils. I am taking milk thistle 3 times a day, and it is expensive. My test last week came back at 76, which is an decrease of 125. Not normal, but better. What really scared me, is the progression of liver disease. In 2001 it was \"non-specific abnomalities\", in 2005 it was fatty liver and lose weight, so I lost 60 lbs. Last liver scan it was fatty liver plus fibrosis. The compendium says that the final stage is cirrohis and then death. The scarring was visible on the ultrasound, I didn\'t even need a biopsy. I know it is all the drugs, but obviously the methx is the worst one. But I can\'t stand the pain, and not being able to type, play flute, walk, cook., exercise.
I sympathesize with your issues. The compendium also says the high liver enzyme elevations don\'t mean much unless accompanied by liver damage. I think your rheumie is right. Mine doesn\'t seem to care, he thinks high is my normal, and my family doc sends me to the liver specialist.
So this is a battle - no doubt about it. Keep up the exercise if you can. Without my drugs I can\'t exercise, and everything dislocates and the pain is terrific. I need strong muscles to hold all the joints and tendons in place that were damaged in car accidents, and from RA and OA.
It sucks getting old, and RA sucks. So I would try some milk thistle if I were you, and try and minimize all oil and any other meds you take. I hope you find an answer, and if you do, let me know.