Liver Enzimes High...could it be Arimidex?

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MEL_63
MEL_63 Member Posts: 5
edited June 2014 in Not Diagnosed With a Recurrence or Metastases but Concerned

Hi, I am a new member but not a new reader.  I was DX in Dec. 2010.  Chose BLM (no reconstruction) because of Sclerosing adenosis in both breasts.  Oncotype was 14%, 9% on Tamox. so I chose not to do chemo/radiation.  I had trouble on Tamox. and switched to Arimidex after about 10 months.  I have done pretty well on Arimidex, been taking it for over 2 years now. Mainly, fatigue, hot flashes, and achy all the time. Over all I have considered myself very fortunate and have just never felt like I deserved to take up time in support groups or forums. Although I have just joined, this forum has helped me so much over the years, getting through the initial DX, surgery, decision making and all the various tests & scares over the years.  THANK YOU! Happy

My latest scare, I am not finding much on the forum and was wondering if anyone had any thoughts.  Went in for a six mo. check this week and got a call this A.M. from MO saying my ALT (40) and ALK Phos. (174) were high and that they were borderline high in Sept. so they have continued to rise and she wanted me in tomorrow for an abdominal US.  Of course she said it could be gall stones, or a number of other things but these numbers were concerning for liver and bone mets.  (I'm sure you all know what it's like when they have that "certain" tone in their voice, kinda' positive but a little scared.)   Anyway, my US is in the morning, Fri. so I know I wont hear anything for several days and the anxiety is starting again.  I was wondering if anyone has had this problem after taking Arimidex?  After looking back on some of my blood test I noticed that these Liver counts began rising a few months after I started taking it.  Also, my cholesterol levels have gone up.  I've read a few things about Arim. causing these numbers to elevate and if it is the cause, your Dr. will probably take you off of it because it can cause severe liver damage.  As much as I don't want it to be bone(or liver) mets, I'm also concerned about going off the A.I.

Just wondering if anyone has any insight?

Thank You,

 MEL


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  • Moderators
    Moderators Member Posts: 25,912
    edited April 2014

    Hi Mel63, we are so glad you decided to join the community, you are so very welcome. 

    If you have not seen this conversation (attached below) on the board yet you may find it helpful

     Topic: Arimidex side effects

    Kind thoughts to you from all the Mods 

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited April 2014

    Dear Mel,

    I had the same scare at my last visit with my MO.  She said mine were "a little high", and I nearly blacked out with fear.  She asked if I had had any alcohol the week before because of a Valentine's Day dinner and I was so stunned my husband had to answer.  I had imbibed a few glasses of wine and my MO immediately relaxed and said "that's it", she was sure. Sure enough I got my blood levels checked in a week and they had dropped well into the normal range. Alcohol can stay in the tissues for up to 7-10 days and can affect blood tests.  I also did some research on arimidex and it too can have effects on enzymes and so many other things in our bodies. My oral surgeon just checked out a thing in my mouth--lichen planus--that wasn't there before I started taking the stupid drug.  He said without a doubt that in my case the drug caused this benign condition.

    Hope that helps. Let us know what you find out!

    Claire

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited April 2014

    You might find this helpful, read the fourth section.

    http://livertox.nlm.nih.gov/Anastrozole.htm

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  • Halfabanana
    Halfabanana Member Posts: 36
    edited April 2014

    Hi Mel,

    You and I have a similar diagnosis, and I also am scheduled for an abdominal ultrasound next week. My ALP has been consistently elevated, as high as 205, now hovering at 178 for the past six months. Last year I had CT, because the liver was enlarged on examination, and the report came back clear. I was also sent for a bone scan, which only showed some arthritis.  Although my GI doc had initially mentioned a biopsy if it stayed elevated this long, he decided on a US first, and go from there. If the findings are unremarkable, he will write it off to side effects of Arimidex.

    Here's hoping we both have unremarkable results!

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited April 2014

    The other thing I forgot to mention (chemobrain). Anyway, I was taking so much advil and aspirin because of the joint pain and stiffness b/c of arimidex SE. We talked to a surgeon friend of mine before I retook the second blood test and he told me the amount of pain killer alone that I was taking could cause liver enzymes to go high. So remember it could be a ton of stuff before it's some kind of recurrence.  I stopped taking all pain meds and upped my yoga, and find I don't need them as much as I thought anyway.

    Claire

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  • MEL_63
    MEL_63 Member Posts: 5
    edited April 2014

    Hi Claire, thank you for responding with such good info.  Sadly I can't blame it on Alcohol.  I don't really like to drink, but I sure wish I did at times. ;)  Spent most of the night reading thru the link the mod suggested.  Not much on Arim. and liver function.  I know what you mean about taking so many pills.  Before all this I hardly ever took anything.  I've been thinking about trying to back off some of it for a while.

    Hi Halfabanana, does your Dr. want you to go off Arim. if they decide that it's the culprit?  I hate having my tests done on Fridays, it makes for a long anxious weekend.  It runs through your mind just how many times the technician clicked a spot on the machine.  Anyway, I'll let you know what my docs say.  Good luck with yours next week.  I have seen so little about liver enz. being up.  Thank you so much for sharing your exp. too.  Here's to good results for us both next week!

     


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  • Halfabanana
    Halfabanana Member Posts: 36
    edited April 2014

    I am not sure what he might suggest.... hoping it's not a biopsy! He has asked me a couple of times how long I have  to take the Arimidex, and I let him know I am one year into a five-year course. He hasn't seemed too concerned about my ALP being elevated for that long, if it is arimidex-induced, knowing that there is an end in sight. I suspect he is more concerned that something else might be going on. My mother died of complications from liver disease (non-alcoholic cirrhosis), but he has said that my numbers don't indicate concern for that.

    Keeping my fingers crossed for both of us, that we have happy livers! Hope your results come early in the week... be sure to post your outcome 

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  • Susie123
    Susie123 Member Posts: 804
    edited April 2014

    Hi Mel,

    My liver enzymes were elevated too. The onco ordered an abdominal CT, a nuclear bone scan, and sent me to a GI doc as well as a bone doc. When they ran tests that checked just their specialty independently, they came back clean. Nothing was wrong except the elevated liver enzymes that nobody could find a reason for. My onco said he sees a few people each week with this issue. That being said, I took arimidex too and had to stop taking it due to unrelated issues. After being off Arimidex for 2 years my liver enzymes have steadily declined and are finally in the normal range. I know it's hard, but try not to worry about mets. It could just be meds. If you can't tolerate arimidex the onco can change you to a different drug. 

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  • MEL_63
    MEL_63 Member Posts: 5
    edited April 2014

    Hi Susie, Thank you for sharing.  After spending the weekend reading, it does seem that the Arim. can cause this so that's what I'm hoping for.  Just always feels like every time we begin to forget about the whole cancer thing and live a more normal life, one of these scares occur.  Hope that they will call soon.  What did you start taking instead of Arim?  If you don't mind me asking.  Thanks again for sharing your experience.  It's helped to get through the weekend.

    Halfabanana, when do you go in?  I'll post when I hear my results.  I agree... here's to happy livers!


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  • Susie123
    Susie123 Member Posts: 804
    edited April 2014

    The onco put me on tamoxifen even though I was post menopausal. I know what you mean, I dreaded each appointment just knowing it was mets, but it wasn't. Turns out it was just the Arimidex.

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  • SpecialK
    SpecialK Member Posts: 16,486
    edited April 2014

    Something potentially related too - if you are taking Glucosamine and Condroitin for joint aches from Arimidex (or any other AI drug) that can cause your liver enzymes (ALT) and your AST to go up.  My DH was taking this for regular joint pain and had a CMP done prior to taking a prescription that is liver filtered.  His ALT and AST results came back at 10 times high normal - his doc flipped!  Took him off the Glucosamine and Condroitin, did not start him on the prescription med, and the numbers returned to normal within three weeks.

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  • MEL_63
    MEL_63 Member Posts: 5
    edited April 2014

    Doc called today and the abdominal US was unremarkable all around.  Yea!  She wants me to start backing off some supplements I'm taking, beginning with niacin and retest in two weeks.  If there's no improvement, we'll decide on trying something else or stopping the Amimidex for 30 days or ordering the bone scan.  So...very happy with the US results and feeling better about it just being a tired, overworked liver but guess we wont know for sure for another few weeks.  Thanks for all your input, it really does help, I'm glad I finally joined the forum. Smile  You all helped me get through the long weekend, keep a good perspective and keep the anxiety at bay.  I have good people around me but anytime I've had a problematic check up and just want to tell someone that I'm a little scared, they just don't get it really and tell me that I can't think that way and just stay positive.  So, other than my husband I just don't tell anyone anymore.  It felt and feels so good to know that there are people out there that get it.  I'll update as we proceed.  Bless you all!  Sure miss the days when a headache was just a headache or a pain was just a pain. 

    Halfabanana, will you let me know how things go at your end?  Who ever thought that being "unremarkable" would be a good thing?  It's fine by me!  Hoping you'll be the same.  Sending good wishes to all of you.

     

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  • Halfabanana
    Halfabanana Member Posts: 36
    edited May 2014

    That's great news! Just heard on Friday that my liver is also unremarkable, and was very relieved. He wants to continue follow-up every six months with blood work and an exam, so I assume if the ALP doesn't climb too much higher, we will just keep an eye on things. Thanks for your support, and keep us posted. 

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