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Posted 12/13/2011 8:35 PM (GMT 0)
My labs for the 12/01/11 visit were mailed to me today. My AST is 256 up from 46 on 06/02/11 and the ALT is 388 up from 64 on 06/02/11. My doc said everything else looked good Total Biliburin 0.6, creatine 1.43 and INR was 1.1. Sodium was a little low 130. He said the LFT's were up a bit. This seems to be higher than in the past. I know my stomach has felt nauseous lately and I am very tired all the time, which I let him know. I have to get bloodwork done in a few weeks. I do not know why they jumped up like that? Is it the disease progressing or the meds I have been taking for over 2 years? Has anyone had this problem before?  
Posted 12/13/2011 9:23 PM (GMT 0)
Mike, the AST and ALT ARE liver enzymes. For them to be that high, I would say they are up far more than "a bit."

Please remind me: Do you have hep C? It could be a progression of the disease, although mine were never anywhere near that high (all less than 100) even just before transplant. However, I'm unusual in that sense. Your results could also be a fluke or error. Since you said you'll be having blood work again in a few weeks, that should result in some answers. If they are still high, you may need a biopsy to determine exactly what is going on.

Hugs,
Connie
Posted 12/13/2011 9:32 PM (GMT 0)
MELD SCORE 11
MELD NA SCORE 18

Per Mayo calculator. This isn't great, but you are holding your own.

Your AST and ALT's are pretty high. Connie asked about your HCV status. Have you been diagnosed with auto immune hepatitis? Mike was very very ill, but never had LFT's this high.

Good luck, let us hear from you and how you are doing.

Mama Lama aka Carol from Florida
Posted 12/14/2011 3:15 PM (GMT 0)
Yes, I do have hep C, Genotype 1A. Hope it is a fluke because the biopsy I would rather skip. This morning I Googled reasons why LFT'S would be elevated and one was that the disease is getting worse. Another was meds, but there have not been any changes to my med intake. Another is alcohol and drugs which I have been clean off narcotics for 8 years  & sober for over 2 years. I had a slip in Vegas in 01/2009. I do have something going on in my mouth. My bottom lip is red raw and under my tongue, too. My tongue feels like sandpaper and in some spots it is painful. It is like the feeling when you burn your mouth with hot pizza or soup, but did not burn my mouth. Also when I bend over to put shoes and socks on my diaphragm muscle sticks and I have to raise my arms over my head to get it from cramping. This is on my liver side right under the rib cage. I just had a ultrasound done in November and now my doc said wait 3 or 4 weeks for bloodwork which my doc included a GCC and a full hepatic panel done. Correction, I did start to take a new med 20 mg's of Omeprazole the last week or 2 for nausea, but that was after the bloodwork done on 12/01/11. I do not take it everyday just when my stomach is upset which has been going on for a couple of months.
Posted 12/14/2011 4:01 PM (GMT 0)
Some anti inflam can mess up liver. They seem harmless but cam mess you up.

Post Edited By Moderator (hep93) : 12/14/2011 11:46:48 AM (GMT-7)

Posted 12/14/2011 6:07 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Mike,
My pcp told me that for omeprazole to be effective, it needs to be taken every day.
Posted 12/14/2011 6:47 PM (GMT 0)
I edited your post for clarity ML. Were you using phone? smilewinkgrin

Hugs,
Connie
Posted 12/14/2011 11:49 PM (GMT 0)
@connie, yes phone in bumpy car!  sorry, carol
Posted 12/21/2011 1:13 AM (GMT 0)
Al' s liver levels jumped that high all the sudden but his bili .inr and creatine were a lot higher than yours ....his were in 400 range in august and got transplant in late September..but everyone is different..hope you start feeling better
Posted 12/21/2011 2:38 AM (GMT 0)
"Hope it is a fluke because the biopsy I would rather skip."

Ha! Wouldn't we all?!? After transplant, they do a biopsy at least once a year. However, I went through being ill, having cancer a 2nd time and got through transplant evaluation and actual transplant without a biopsy. It's only if they can't determine the reason for the change in your labs, combined with your symptoms, that they will do one. Are they doing a viral load? If it's the hep C progressing, this would probably have risen. It did with me.

Hugs,
Connie
Posted 12/21/2011 4:10 AM (GMT 0)
At MGH, they try not to do biopsies after a transplant, unless necessary. They like to avoid punching holes into a transplant if possible. I had one 2 years after my transplant, because I was losing weight and some tests were "off." It turned out the biopsy showed nothing, as the problems were due to Lyme disease. Having biopsies for me has been painless, though they hurt many people. My docs at MGH give me something so I'm out of it so there's no memory of it. Kind of like having a colonoscopy without having to sit on the toilet all night.
Posted 12/21/2011 4:17 PM (GMT 0)
At Jackson in Miami, they don't do biopsies routinely, only if there are problems.  They rely on MRI mostly.

Mike had one biopsy in 2003 and he had it awake and aware, and had no pain during or after.  But he doesn't complain much about pain unless it is really really bad, like with his pancreatitis.

Posted 12/21/2011 10:31 PM (GMT 0)
As we've seen with the evaluation process, every center is different.

Hugs,
Connie
Posted 12/22/2011 1:28 AM (GMT 0)
You betcha'
Posted 12/22/2011 1:32 AM (GMT 0)
My viral load was  887,000 on 12/01/2011. A year ago it was 88,000. Total Bilirubin was 0.6 last month and 0.5 in June 2011. Creatine 1.43 and 1.1 in June. This is the highest it has been since 04/2010 it was 1.31. the INR was 1.1 last month same in June. I have been getting  cramps, mostly in my feet and toes for the last week only when laying down in bed and once in a while in my hands and fingers. One night this week it did not bother me as much as the other nights. I read this on-line about cramping:

4. Leg Cramps
Leg cramps are very common in patients with cirrhosis. They are frequently due to decreased amounts of minerals in the body, such as calcium, magnesium and zinc. If you have leg cramps, we would prefer that you take these kinds of mineral supplements and avoid taking medications like quinine. Quinine can cause a further drop in your platelet count and place you at higher risk of bleeding.

website:http://hepatitiscnewdrugs.blogspot.com/2011/06/general-recommendations-for-patients.html

My hepatologist prescribed me Quinine or Quinnalon 324 mg.s, 1 capsule per day for the last 2 years. I have an upper GI Endoscopy  scheduled for 01/26/2012. We will see if there is any internal bleeding.

I just cannot figure out the  reason for these cramps. They are a chronic pain in my kiesta. I always get up and eat bananas or nuke a potato in the microwave thinking it is my Potassium. Again, when i sit or stand I am fine. No cramps. I lie down my toes curl up and stick which can be painful. I have to stand on my toes to unlock them. Still don't get it? Oh Yes! I do take 1 tablet 326 mg. OTC tablet of Magnesium Oxide, once a day for the last 2 years. 

Post Edited (bostonmike) : 12/21/2011 6:38:03 PM (GMT-7)

Posted 12/22/2011 4:16 AM (GMT 0)
Mike, I also get toe cramps when I lie down. Not every night, but maybe one or two nights a week. With me, it seems to be potassium, although I was taken off of Aldactone a couple of weeks ago because my potassium was too high. ???? Weird. I have some potassium tabs that were prescribed to me at one time. I find if I take 1/2 of one, it takes care of the cramps. This has happened days away from labs, so I don't think it affected them. They also have me on mag. oxide, but 400 mg twice a day (written Rx for this, which my insurance won't pay.)

Looking at your labs, it seems most are trending upward. That's also a high viral load. So it does look like your hep C is progressing.

Hugs,
Connie
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