Liver Questions

worried1

Diagnosed Stage II in 2003. Chemo followed by radiation. I was on tamoxifen then switched to Arimidex then Aromasin.

I take cholesterol/sugar/thyroid/aromasin medicine and I have a shot in my stomach every month to prevent me from getting a period...

For the past 2'ish years my Liver Enzymes have been elevated then gone back done etc. At first we had scans done to make sure it wasn't a metastasis and it wasn't. Docs thought it was from the meds...

Primarily ALT and AST have been up and down.

Well in July I went in for a checkup; ALT was elevated and AST a little as well. CA2729 was 9.6

Well last week, I went to the endocronologist.

ALT was 106 and AST was 49 Normal for both is under 40. He told me to talk to my oncologist about the findings of the test and to check my liver. Highest ALT had been before was 89...

I called my onc and on Friday (2 DAYS LATER) I went in for blood work there...

ALT had dropped by 1 point to 105 and AST had dropped to 37 (12 point drop) to normal range.

CA2729 elevated to 12.4 from 9.6

Doctor has been away all week. Based on these findings how can we explain this fluctuation of the tests? I'm a diabetic, HAVE A FATTY LIVER, and on cholesterol meds... I'm just worried this may be a recurrence? Isn't 12.4 TOO LOW to have a recurrence on my tumor indicator? All the rest of my results were pretty normal... CBC was fine etc. Billirubin was fine as well... Please lend some advice.

Anonymous

Hi,

  Has anyone considered the Lupron to be the culprit? Is the the shot in the stomach lupron to shut your ovaries down? I ask because I am a liver patient with fibrosis, and fatty liver. They wouldn't let me have lupron because its contraindicated in patients with liver disease. Instead I had my ovaries removed. The liver also makes cholesterol. Its just a thought if all else is ruled out, which I pray it is..

Blessings.

Rosemary44

Did they give you a new diet plan to eat for the fatty liver problem?  It's in the news today about eating the right foods can be very helpful:

"If these findings are confirmed in humans, it may mean that fatty liver disease can be prevented and possibly treated through dietary changes, the study authors said.

They fed mice either a high- or low-glycemic index diet. The mice on the high-glycemic diet received a type of cornstarch that's digested quickly, while those on the low-glycemic diet received a cornstarch that's slowly digested.

In humans, examples of high-glycemic foods -- which raise blood sugar quickly -- include white bread, white rice, most prepared breakfast cereals and concentrated sugar. Vegetables, fruits, beans and unprocessed grains are examples of low-glycemic foods, which raise blood sugar slowly.

In this study, both groups of mice received equal amounts of total calories, fat, protein, and carbohydrate. After six months, both groups of mice weighed the same. However, the mice on the high-glycemic diet had twice the amount of fat in their bodies, blood and livers than those on the low-glycemic diet.

The findings were published in the September issue of the journal Obesity.

"Our experiment creates a very strong argument that a high-glycemic index diet causes, and a low-glycemic diet prevents, fatty liver in humans," research leader Dr. David Ludwig, director of the Optimal Weight for Life program at Children's Hospital Boston, said in a prepared statement.

He and his colleagues have just launched a clinical trial to examine whether a low-glycemic index diet can reverse fatty liver in overweight children.

sahalie

Rosemary,

Thank you for what you just posted on the 23rd. 

It is very helpful to me.

I don't smoke and only have occasional out to dinner drink but

my liver enzymes are always elevated.

I had a scan that showed absolute clear so it must be a fatty liver

issue.

Rosemary44

Cheryl,

You mention that you take cholesterol drugs,  anyway here's the short list:

What medications cause abnormal liver enzyme levels?
A host of medications can cause abnormal liver enzymes levels. Examples include:
-- Pain relief medications such as aspirin, acetaminophen (Tylenol), ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), neproxen (Narosyn), diclofenac (Voltaren), and phenybutazone (Butazolidine)
-- Anti-seizure medications such as phenytoin (Dilantin), valproic acid, carbamazepine (Tegretol), and phenobarbital
-- Antibiotics such as the tetracyclines, sulfonamides, isoniazid (INH), sulfamethoxazole, trimethoprim, nitrofurantoin
-- Cholesterol lowering drugs such as the "statins" (Mevacor, Pravachol, Lipitor, etc.) and niacin
-- Cardiovascular drugs such as amiodarone (Cordarone), hydralazine, quinidine, etc.
-- Anti-depressant drugs of the tricyclic type

I'm sure you and your Dr. went over all the drugs you take daily by now, but I thought I'd give you the short list anyway.  I think there's a longer one out there.

If it is a fatty liver problem, losing some extra pounds will do wonders for your numbers.  Much easier said then done. 

Calico

Cheryl,

check with your onc if he agrees on you taking milk thistle (seed) extract, it is suppose to regenerate the liver.

A few ladies on the board reported better values after taking it.

Hopefully you will be okay and nothing bad comes out of this.

God Bless

sahalie

I pray you all are doing great!

Calico

Here are some links, maybe you can print them out....my onc didn't seem to know about it....it is an over the counter supplement, not a FDA regulated drug but the info on it sounds promising.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/silymarin/NS_patient-milkthistle

http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/cam/milkthistle/Patient/page2

God Bless

saluki

Calico-Your Doctor may be more familiar with it as Silymarin.

Cheryl- Lisinopril can cause hepatotoxicity--it is one of the rarer side effects.

I've had high LFT's since my diagnosis and have been on Lisinopril, Effexor, and Protonix.

All three can affect liver enzymes. I am one of the gals that has taken Milk thistle for years.

I use Thislyn by natures way-- I can tell you it does make a difference.  

When I get lazy about taking it you can see a difference in my LFT's.

When the Docs are looking at your LFT's they are not too concerned about minimal elevations-- They are generally concerned about  readings that are double or triple the normal range.

sdepour

I was diagnosed with breast cancer and liver disease at the same time.  My best option for the breast cancer was a mastectomy.  Because of my liver problem, I could not undergo further cancer treatment.  After much research, I turned to organic foods to try to heal my liver and fight cancer recurrence.  After 6 months on an all organic diet, my doctor took a series of blood tests.  The results:  my liver enzymes returned to normal, my overall cholesterol dropped 40 points, my good cholesterol rose 40 points, even my bad cholesterol dropped a few points.  I developed organic recipes high in antioxidants and immune boosters to help me fight cancer recurrence.  You can find recipes on my website. It's been 2 years since I began an all organic diet and I feel great.

Sandy, www.organicforhealthsite.com