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Question about high liver enzymes
Halfway through treatment for hep c...virus is undetectable thank God but platelets are in the 40's and liver enzymes have been high and keep climbing. The Doctor does not know why they are high and will want to do a biopsy after treatment. I have to have a liver and spleen MRI in the next week. Has this been a problem with high liver enzymes for anyone else?
I wasn't clear... Are you still having the abdominal MRI scan soon?
Is the doc still thinking about biopsy after treatment.
I just realized that when you said you had "early stage cirrhosis" you meant compensated Class A cirrhosis. So the MRI will show nodular liver and enlarged spleen. The biopsy would be to assess can see if there is any other liver disease damaging your liver. Plus the level of inflammation (high ALT).
Hope you feel better.
Hector
Is the doc still thinking about biopsy after treatment.
I just realized that when you said you had "early stage cirrhosis" you meant compensated Class A cirrhosis. So the MRI will show nodular liver and enlarged spleen. The biopsy would be to assess can see if there is any other liver disease damaging your liver. Plus the level of inflammation (high ALT).
Hope you feel better.
Hector
You are too kind. Thank you for the nice words.
I am sorry you are having such a rough time but you are half way through treatment which is a plus. Treatment with interferon when you have cirrhosis can be especially tough. I did it back in 2008 and it was a rough go plus I was a null responder so treatment really only made me ill didn't do a thing to my hep C. I think my hep C just laughed at the treatment. Like an elephant with a fly on it...
Your doctor (gastro or hepatologist) didn't offer the option of non-interferon treatment?
A few questions just to understand more:
What side effects have you had?
Is it mostly abnormal blood levels?
When did you become undetectable?
How have your ALT numbers changed before and after being undetectable? ALT should drop as ALT indicates the damage being done to the liver which is usually just from the hepatitis C virus which when undetectable should not be injuring your liver further.
Let me know if I can help in any way.
Hang in there!
Hector
I am sorry you are having such a rough time but you are half way through treatment which is a plus. Treatment with interferon when you have cirrhosis can be especially tough. I did it back in 2008 and it was a rough go plus I was a null responder so treatment really only made me ill didn't do a thing to my hep C. I think my hep C just laughed at the treatment. Like an elephant with a fly on it...
Your doctor (gastro or hepatologist) didn't offer the option of non-interferon treatment?
A few questions just to understand more:
What side effects have you had?
Is it mostly abnormal blood levels?
When did you become undetectable?
How have your ALT numbers changed before and after being undetectable? ALT should drop as ALT indicates the damage being done to the liver which is usually just from the hepatitis C virus which when undetectable should not be injuring your liver further.
Let me know if I can help in any way.
Hang in there!
Hector
I have early stage cirrhosis...and am on the interferon, ribivarin and solvadi. The doctor said that the elevated liver enzymes could be some other liver disease but he wants me to finish my treatment first. I am having such a hard time just being on treatment for 6 weeks, cannot imagine what you have been through.
Hector you are amazing the way you help people. I was reading your story and you have been through so much, how do you fight like that? I am sure you are an inspiration to many. Thanks so much for what you do for everyone.
Hector you are amazing the way you help people. I was reading your story and you have been through so much, how do you fight like that? I am sure you are an inspiration to many. Thanks so much for what you do for everyone.
What treatment?
If you are treating with peg-interferon it is to be expected the platelet counts will drop. Which is one reason most doctors don't use interferon in those with low platelet counts. Either Sovaldi + Ribavirin or Sovaldi + Oysio. Neither treatment causes the drop in platelet counts seen with older interferon based treatments and many times excluded people who had lower platelet counts before treatment such as cirrhosis with portal hypertension.
Hep C clearance was associated with rapid normalisation of ALT levels which indicates improvement in liver inflammation. Hopefully you have a experienced doctor who understands that some treatments can cause further liver damage in those with advanced liver disease.
Looking in your profile I couldn't figure out which treatment you are on of if you have cirrhosis. So I can only speculate as to what may be happening.
Hopefully noting worrisome is happening.
Hector
If you are treating with peg-interferon it is to be expected the platelet counts will drop. Which is one reason most doctors don't use interferon in those with low platelet counts. Either Sovaldi + Ribavirin or Sovaldi + Oysio. Neither treatment causes the drop in platelet counts seen with older interferon based treatments and many times excluded people who had lower platelet counts before treatment such as cirrhosis with portal hypertension.
Hep C clearance was associated with rapid normalisation of ALT levels which indicates improvement in liver inflammation. Hopefully you have a experienced doctor who understands that some treatments can cause further liver damage in those with advanced liver disease.
Looking in your profile I couldn't figure out which treatment you are on of if you have cirrhosis. So I can only speculate as to what may be happening.
Hopefully noting worrisome is happening.
Hector
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