Slightly elevated liver enzyme: SO SCARED

Options
Anonymous
Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
edited June 2014 in Not Diagnosed With a Recurrence or Metastases but Concerned

Blood tests fine, every three months post tx till now.  My oncologist wants me to re-test in a week and was concerned (used "progression" and "mets" in the same sentence,and I went black and stopped listening).  She then asked if I had wine in the past week and my husband told her yes, because it was Valentine's Day. I did probably have too much for me.  That was 6 days before the blood test. I've also been taking a lot of aspirin because the arimidex makes me ache so much, and I take tons of supplements.  When my doc found out about the wine, she said OK, THAT makes sense...but still wants me to re test. Of course i've stopped all supplements, OTC drugs, and of course NO alcohol.  I'm still so scared.  Help please. I know that ILC has a tendency to met to soft tissues.

· Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Comments

  • Holeinone
    Holeinone Member Posts: 2,478
    edited February 2014

    Claireinaz, 

    Damn, I hate that you are having to worry & stress until the next test. I know our dx is looks very similar. Does your MO run tumor markers or just a CBC? 

    Wish I had some fantastic advice. I am thinking of you &  waiting for your scare to be behind you. Stinkin' red wine, which is my drug of choice, and I had a little too much 3 weeks ago on the last day of rads. Now, my theory is less wine, better quality...seriously, I know I would be a basket case. I actually think about it constantly. I hope this next week goes as quick as possible..

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • leggo
    leggo Member Posts: 3,293
    edited February 2014

    Claire, try not to worry just yet (I know, easy for me to say), but I recently posted about my liver enzymes going completely nuts from milk thistle. I have liver mets so I was flipping out when the onc's nurse mentioned that with numbers like I had, she didn't understand why I wasn't yellow, or even upright for that matter.  Long story short, mets were stable and milk thistle caused the crazy numbers. They're back down to a more manageable number now that I stopped the milk thistle. I hope that's the case for you too.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited February 2014

    Hi, leggo, but I thought milk thistle was a liver cleanser...several scientific articles show that milk thistle can reduce fatty liver disease and also elevated liver enzymes. ??? However, I like that someone else on another post said Bragg's vinegar would do the trick too...and so I'm going that way and will postpone my test till this coming Monday to give my body 2 extra days to cleanse.  If I get the test on Friday I won't hear till at least Monday anyway, and I have to wait through the weekend.  If I get it Monday I'll hear within 24 hours or less.

    Thank you!

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • leggo
    leggo Member Posts: 3,293
    edited February 2014

    I know, right? Thought it would be great for my sick liver....didn't work out that way for me. Unlucky, I guess. Keeping my fingers crossed you get good news. 

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • mammalou
    mammalou Member Posts: 823
    edited February 2014

    I am in the same boat with elevated liver enzymes. They have been elevated for the last 4 blood tests. I go for an ultrasound on Tuesday, but I get so scared when I read about it on here.  They have run 15 blood tests to rule out every other liver problem and I have come out clean,  that just scared me more!  This is too much some times!

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • SpecialK
    SpecialK Member Posts: 16,486
    edited February 2014

    Just an FYI - glucosamine and chondroitin can elevate liver enzymes also - a lot of people with hormonal therapy induced joint pain take it, so it is good to know that it can cause this.  DH was taking it for knee pain and his ALT and AST came back 10 times high normal, his doc freaked! He stopped taking it per instructions from the doc and the values were normal within a couple of weeks.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited February 2014

    Thank you SpecialK, mammalou, I'm feeling your fear.  SpecialK I had just started taking glucosamine/chondroitin--Move Free--they said for the first two weeks to take 6 pills a day, which I was doing.  I started the Sunday before the test on Friday. I just had another blood test this morning and am hoping for the best. I stopped EVERYTHING except my rx drugs.  I have had perfect liver enzyme scores till now, and have been on arimidex for 2-3 months.  I haven't seen my onc. since Sept 13 which tells me that I started the new medication after I had my last blood text...could it be the arimidex even?  Even if enzymes don't go down it doesn't mean an automatic you-know-what...right?  

    I'm so nervous my head is buzzing.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • SpecialK
    SpecialK Member Posts: 16,486
    edited February 2014

    Elevated ALT can reflect inflammation, so Arimidex could be a possibility if it is causing joint pain.  OTC pain meds also - aspirin, NSAIDS and Tylenol can have an effect, as well as some other prescription drugs.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • mammalou
    mammalou Member Posts: 823
    edited March 2014

    I only take Tamxifen.  My alt and AST went up 1 year ago and have risen steadily.  I have had blood tests to rule out almost everything and that's what is scaring me.  The dr says that he highly doubts it is the tamoxifen.  

    Thud us certainly scaring me,  I sure hope that an ultrasound can give me some peace. 

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • luckypenny
    luckypenny Member Posts: 150
    edited March 2014

    claire 

    I have struggled with my liver enzymes for about a year now.  Mine were always normal the. 2 months after starting arimidex they became elevated. We retested 2 weeks later and they were higher. Off to ct scan.  Have fatty liver.   While they have come down in the part year they are still not in normal range. They remain steadily slightly elevated ( my ast and alt).  We know it's the armidex and effects from all the chemo a couple of years ago.  I was so frightened but then so relieved after finding out the cause.  If you search my posts you can see my previous worries about this.   Hang in there

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • mammalou
    mammalou Member Posts: 823
    edited March 2014

    Lucky......Have they ever had you go off Arimidex to see if they go down?   My liver specialist said that he highly doubted it was my Tamoxifen, but the rise does correlate with taking it.  May I ask how high yours are?  My ALT is 101. AST 58. 

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited March 2014

    Test results yesterday: ALT 24, AST 24. TOTALLY normal range again!!!!  so relieved

    Here's what I did: of course avoided all alcohol like the plague. I think what partially contributed to the high numbers orginally was the celebration on Valentine's Day, but that was isolated. So haven't had any since.

    Stopped all supplements and OTC drugs except my RX ones.  Took milk thistle (tincture form from my herbalist) the first 2-3 days after original test.  Then stopped that.  Took 1 tablespoon of Bragg's Vinegar in water.  I don't know if either of those helped at all, but I heard about the vinegar from some one else on these boards.  Milk thistle is a liver detoxifier but the tincture comes in grain alcohol and that scared me so I stopped that too. Drank  a lot of water and went to my normal bikram yoga classes, which cause me to sweat--a lot.

    Probably simply cleaning out the alcohol and OTC/supplements from my body did the trick, but I've learned something from all this and so glad they aren't ordering a CT scan now.  

    Thanks for the reassurance ladies.!

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • luckypenny
    luckypenny Member Posts: 150
    edited March 2014

    actually I went off all medication at one point - arimidex , Metformin , etc.  before the test that showed the second increase - the one where he sent me for the scan.  The highest my alt was I think 98 and alt in 60s.  Now alt is 60 and ast is like one or two points above normal maybe like low 40s.  It's been 3 months since lady blood draw.  

    My onc says it's fatty liver and arimidex. 

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • leggo
    leggo Member Posts: 3,293
    edited March 2014

    Booyah!!!!  I'm so happy everything's o.k.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited March 2014

    Can medications only cause fatty liver?  Or does it have to be coupled with obesity as well? I'm 5.8 and weigh 130.  Just wondering about all this for future reference.

    And yes, SpecialK, the arimidex causes awful joint pain. Trigger fingers in the a.m., joints so sore when I get up although they loosen up quickly, and hip/leg aches every week at least.  That's why I was taking so much aspirin.  Lesson learned.

    Claire

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Momine
    Momine Member Posts: 7,859
    edited March 2014

    Claire, I vaguely remember something about AIs sometimes causing fatty liver. So glad your numbers returned to normal.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • luckypenny
    luckypenny Member Posts: 150
    edited March 2014

    I am overweight but I was also told that chemo contributes to fatty liver  it's alsopretty difficult to lose weight on arimidex for me 

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited March 2014

    Thanks all, my liver enzymes were completely normal all through chemo and afterward. I don't think this is fatty liver, I'm sure it was the alcohol and the OTC meds.  If they continue to be elevated now, I'll know it's the arimidex.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Alicethecat
    Alicethecat Member Posts: 535
    edited March 2014

    Hi Claire

    The Arimidex official website from Astra Zeneca says that 'changes in blood tests of liver function have also been reported'.

    I only lasted a month on Arimidex because I got low blood pressure and jaundice so as you say, it could be the Arimidex that is affecting you.

    By the way, my onc says he never worries about slight changes in AST/ALT and other levels because he says they're bound to change from time to time as we have so many blood tests.

    Good luck!

    Alice

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited March 2014

    Thanks Alice, that's good to know for my next check up.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • SmokyMountain
    SmokyMountain Member Posts: 7
    edited March 2014

    Labs came back today with a elevated ALP but my AST and ALT are normal.  I'm scared and my doctor was off today.  I do have some gallbladder issues so I'm hoping that is the reason for the elevated ALP.  Still worried….

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Categories