Member Comments are provided by individuals and reflect their personal opinions only. Under NO circumstances should you act on any advice or opinion posted in this forum. ALWAYS check with your personal physician before taking any action regarding your health! MedHelp International and our partners, sponsors and affiliates have no obligation to monitor any comments posted on this site, or the content and/or accuracy of such exchanges. MedHelp International does not endorse the views of any user.
Gastroenterology (Expert Forum)
Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis
This forum is for questions regarding Gastroenterology issues such as Acid Reflux (GERD), Barretts Esophagus, Colitis, Colon/Bowel Disorders, Crohn's Disease, Diverticulitis/Diverticulosis, Digestive Disorders, IBS, Stomach Pain.
Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis
by salcds, Sep 18, 2001 12:00AM
I am 43 yr. old female with recently diagnosed Primary Scherosing Cholangitis. I had an initial diagnosis of Autoimmune hepatitis and was put on prednisone for 3 months and imunran for 3 weeks. After having difficulty with the imuran, this was stopped and an ultrasound was ordered. This showed an abnormality which then led to an ERCP after which the current diagnosis was made. I have had no symptoms and this was only discovered through routine lab tests which showed elevated liver enzymes. I previously have also had a liver bioposy which showed mild tissue inflamation (inflammation) and no cirrhosis. I understand there is no treatment and the end result is liver transplant in 7-10 years. My Dr. is a general GI specialist and I have no reason to doubt his findings. However, should I ask to a liver specialist or be referred to a speciality center of any sort? If so, what else should be done, and what other questions should I be asking? I am a young mother who is fearful of the end result of transplant as the only option!
Member Comments
by Golden Optic, Oct 23, 2001 12:00AM
Yes, there are treatments, and you should definitely see a liver specialist. I don't know why you were on predisone or imuran? Transplant is however the final outcome. I am a 25 year old male who was diagnosed with PSC in June of '96, I got really sick and ended in the hospital, and put on the transplant list in August/September '97. You should first get a ERCP and a PTHC (percataneous cholangiogram) to see how strictured and scarred your bile ducts are. There are a few treatments and options that you should know about, including taking Actigall, and billary stents as a posible future treatment. I don't want to scare you, but you should really talk to a liver specailist about all this. I am just going by my own personal experiences. And even though right now I feel pretty good, and my billirubin (bile salts in the blood) levels are up, and it has been over 5 years, I have accepted the fact that I am pretty sure that I will need a transplant. But I'll tell you this, and this is what I tell my self too, miracles do happen, and this whole thing is NOT in my hands. Good Luck.
