Raising ALP?

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PezGal
PezGal Member Posts: 99
edited May 2017 in Not Diagnosed With a Recurrence or Metastases but Concerned

Hi. Anyone have high ALP (Alkaline phosphatase - liver/bone enzymes)?? During chemo (12/15-4/16) my ALP was pretty steady, high 40's low 50's. Frankly, I never paid attention to it. Saw my MO the other day and she wanted to run a blood test to recheck it along with a GGT. She said it was a little high but she wasn't too concerned but likes to be proactive. I come home and check my e-record and see that since June of last yr this thing has a steadily been rising. Side note: I had rads in June when it started going up. It's 128 now. Triple what it was. Not super high but the steady increase has me freaked out. If it was one oddball high number that'd be something else. Update: New number is 119 (slightly lower) and GGT was normal (although twice what it was last summer). So Friday I'm having a bone scan. MO says it's totally precautionary, but maybe she's underplaying it to keep me calm? Do they do that? I'm sure they're trained to not freak people out in the regular.

Anyone have experience with ALP? I know the numbers aren't too bad, but the trend upward is really bothering me. And no, no new medication. Only thing I maybe can think of is turmeric pills?

Will this mental anguish ever end!!!!

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  • wenben
    wenben Member Posts: 12
    edited May 2017

    During chemo my ALP was elevated, out of the normal range (I don't remember the #s as it was 1 1/2 years ago. My onco said it was due to the chemo and not to worry. Sure enough, a few months after I finished chemo it went back down in the normal range. Hope this helps.

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  • PezGal
    PezGal Member Posts: 99
    edited May 2017

    Hi, thanks for the response. Mine seems to be opposite from yours. Normal during chemo, wacko after. :-

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  • Mommato3
    Mommato3 Member Posts: 633
    edited May 2017

    My alkaline phosphatase numbers have been on the higher end of the range pretty much since I was diagnosed three years ago. Last year though they slowly started to rise until it hit 152 in December. My MO did the blood test that showed it was my bones causing the elevation. I had a bone scan in January that showed everything looked good. We scheduled a Dexa scan that showed I'd had considerable bone loss in just under two years from the Arimidex. She had me start on Fosamax since I now have osteopenia. My new MO, as of April, wants me to start Zometa because she's really concerned about me having so much bone loss at 44. I see you're ER- so I know you're not taking an AI. I see you had an ooph. Were you in chemopause prior to that? Early menopause can cause bone loss.

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  • PezGal
    PezGal Member Posts: 99
    edited May 2017

    Hi Mommato3. So you think your bone loss is due to Arimidex not menopause? A combo? I had my last period after my first chemo and it never came back before my BSO. I assume I was in menopause since Dec 2015. Most probably wavered for a bit till the axe came down last August. I read on here (don't know if its true) that if it is bone mets your calcium numbers will rise also. My calcium is pretty stable. I had a dexa scan last summer and it was normal. Of course the medical professionals are like "bone loss can't happen that fast.." Oh really? Seems to happen that fast to some people I know. I had my bone scan today, fingers crossed it comes out ok. I don't know why I schedule these things on a Friday.

    This brings me back to liver, since the other liver "things" are also rising. Hrrrm. If this bone scan comes back ok I'm going to STOP playing detective and trying to decipher blood test results. Too much time, energy and worry. That being said.... I'm still trying to put together medical/herbal combinations that might have interacted poorly on my poor liver.... herceptin and everything? herceptin alone? turmeric and metformin? baby asprin and turmeric?


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  • Mommato3
    Mommato3 Member Posts: 633
    edited May 2017

    Hi! I'm sure my bone loss is a combination of the two. I started chemo in June 2014, one last period in July and ended chemo in November. Unfortunately I became premenopausal again in March when I got another period. My MO recommended Zoladex shots until I decided to get an ooph in September 2015. Yes, there have been some people that have experienced rapid bone loss. Bone scans...(sigh). Such a stressful test. Thankfully I had mine on a Monday and got the results a couple hours after it was done. I drove my self crazy trying to figure out what could possibly be causing the rise in ALP, besides mets of course. My MO just casually said, hey, let's schedule a bone scan. You haven't had one in a while. She wasn't overly concerned, at least I didn't think so. BUT, it still freaked me out. Your MO can order the blood test that determines whether it's coming from bone or liver. Baby aspirin shouldn't be causing the rise. At least that's what I've read. I take it daily too. Herceptin? Don't think so. Can't tell you about the other stuff. I'll keep my fingers and toes crossed for you!

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  • PezGal
    PezGal Member Posts: 99
    edited May 2017

    Thanks mommato3! Bone scan results are in..... I'm fine. Your crossed fingers and toes must have worked. ;)The mystery continues, but I think I'm going to (try) to drop it for now. It's just not healthy. I will do another blood test before I see the MO in 3 months.

    Best wishes to you!

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  • Mommato3
    Mommato3 Member Posts: 633
    edited May 2017

    That's great news!! It's tough not having answers. I finally decided to just let it go too in January after I had my bone scan. Too much stress. My ALP actually went down last month. My new MO did say that if it were cancer related that it would have shown itself by now. I would assume the same for you too since it's been almost a year since you started seeing the increase.

    Best wishes to you too!

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