High alt/sgpt test

[marree39]

I am 39, always been very healthy, but overweight.  Feel lousy last 10 months, had many blood tests everything normal except one liver alt/sgpt test was 71(norm 9-52), second test I am waiting for.  I feel tired alot, pale gums, tingles throughout my head.  I excerise 3 miles a day, on a good diet, but feel awful.  I have ringing in my ears too.  I am SOOOOO sick of feeling sick.  I have lost 38lbs in the past 12 weeks, but I will feel great one day and like death the next.  I am getting scared.  HELP???

[Myown]

Thanks for the congrats and I do believe that the test is accurate for me only because of where my numbers are. You're reading my mind, because I may NOT tx as I had planned. I am looking at this delay that this doctor put me through as a move of God. Sometimes we curse delays under our breath and then to find out it was God intervening for us. People that were late for their job at the world trade center on that horrible day testify to that.

As far as the Vertex, I questioned my friend about that, He told me the Vertex was squashed in Europe because of problems.Why they are doing it here, who knows?  I don't know whether I should comment on what he said. I know people have already started on it. While I was sitting and talking I actually thought about you and a few others on forum who know much, much more than I, and would have been able to question him more and absorb more of what he was saying.

He and his wife are moving, but of course we will keep in touch. Just because he is retired does not mean he will loose contact with whats going on. We will remain in contact and he said he will let me know when something looks good or promising. He told me to keep an eye on my enzymes if I choose not to tx. I said I will, but stupid me, why didn't I ask what he considers too high, just incase.

I didn't take your advice as misleading me in anyway, nor do I think that you conveyed a message that you now favor fibrosure over bx. When will people on this forum, stop twisting peoples words?

Jim why did you waste your time and energy defending yourself, Everyone knows where you stand. I know you're a bx man, probably a leg man too.lol But really, don't waste your time. your advice is always helpful to the 10th degree. I am going to seek another opinion, but to be honest, I don't feel it necessary to get a bx at this point. I feel confident that the score was accurate, maybe to some its a gamble, but the bx has limitations also, correct,,,didn't I read on forum England or somewhere over there takes a bx from 3 areas. So i can tell someone that their bx is not that reliable because they only had one area done, but that would be silly to get into all that.

after getting another opinion,I am going to try to resume life and even stay away from the forum a little bit...hark,,,,do I hear a thunderous applause. lol Is that Cuteus walking towards me with flowers,,,ahh, thanks, ya didn't have to do that...  lol

So thats the story. I feel much better than I did. Going down to the doctors early early and pulling out all my records was a good thing. They never expected it to get to that point, but I am not going to take antidepressant just because this is what she has her patients do. All these drugs mess with your chemistry, yet doctors prescribe them like candy. Its differnt if someone is depressed, but to use them as a preventative is against my belief. I'll be checking in now and then,,,,, probably tommorrow. lol See ya ,,nighty night. thanks you're the best!

[honey11]

What are your liver enzymes running now?

[jmjm530]

MyOwn: He told me the Vertex was squashed in Europe because of problems.
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I wonder if he's not confusing Vertex with a previous trialed protase inhibitor, BILN 2061, that was pulled off of trials around a year and a half ago? Haven't heard anything about Vertex being "squashed". But even if it ends up not working, as a probable Stage 0, Watch n' Wait still makes sense. Remember, it's not "Watch with a Guarantee" it's "Watch n' Wait :)


MyOwn: I know you're a bx man, probably a leg man too.lol
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Glad we got that straigtened out. Am I that transparent :)


MyOwn: I don't feel it necessary to get a bx at this point.
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Understood based on some of your previous posts. Still -- and no immediate rush -- but consider doing a day or overnight trip to Afdahl in Boston sometime this year as a private patient. He has a Fibroscan machine. It's a non-evasive way to stage Fibrosis, has shown promising results and as a private patient you will probably get scanned. I had two scans this year. Hopefully, within the next year or two, Fibroscan machines will start popping up at more local locations.
Contact info for Afdhal: http://tinyurl.com/nbavn

MyOwn:

after getting another opinion,I am going to try to resume life and even stay away from the forum a little bit..
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Now, you're reading my mind. I was going to suggest that to you.
Get off here for a while, maybe even a longer while :) What you fill your thoughts with day and night can affect your health. In fact, I'm giving this advice to me as well as you, cept' it's always easier to give advice than accept :) And, of course, this in no way reflects on what a wonderful and helpful place this can be. Just sometimes being off can make more sense.

All the best.

-- Jim

[copyman]

lets not forget that the "gold standard" biopsy has flaws as well, not just limited to who reads them or what part of the liver the sample is taken from or perhaps not a big enough sample. my hep doc also said they are doing the fibrosure more often with patients that do not have that many symptoms and rely on it being 80% accurate especially the low & high end of the scale. i think we are only a few years away from NON-invasive tests becoming the gold standard for liver damage testing.

[Kalio1]

My Own, You went so far as to say this much:

"As far as the Vertex, I questioned my friend about that, He told me the Vertex was squashed in Europe because of problems. Why they are doing it here, who knows?"

That is a really sweeping statement. Squashed in Europe? Are you serious? If you aren't going to elaborate, why'd you say this much? Everyone here is anxiously waiting on VERTEX results so if you have some information, please share it.




Jm
My position remains the same, I think anyone choosing to wait to treat definately needs a biopsy to make an informed decision. I think doing a Fibrosure is a good idea too, but I wouldn't base my decision on that alone due to it's limitations.

[jmjm530]

Kalio: My Own, You went so far as to say this much:

(Vertex) Squashed in Europe?... if you have some information, please share it.
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Her friend told her this. My guess is that he may be confusing Vertex with an earlier protease inhibitor biln 2061 that was "squashed" a year or two ago. At least I hope so and have no reason to believe otherwise.


Kalio:
My position remains the same, I think anyone choosing to wait to treat definately needs a biopsy to make an informed decision. I think doing a Fibrosure is a good idea too, but I wouldn't base my decision on that alone due to it's limitations.
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I don't think we're really  far off in agreement on this, although Copyman makes some valid points in his post above. Certainly, a biopsy is a sensible option for MyOwn, either now or sometime in the future, depending on a number of factors including blood tests and how some of the non-evasive tests like Fibroscan pan out in the next year or so.