I have a rheumatology appointment this coming Wednesday. I have to get some blood work done, and my biggest fear is that they are going to find my liver functions elevated. I have never had problems with my liver, but with all of this new medication it worries me. What have been your experiences? I have been on Leflunomide for the the last 2 months, and for the past week have been relatively pain free.( Which is great!) I am still taking 20 mg of prednisone/day. I know they want to take me off of it, but it seems that every time the dose is lowered the pain gets worse. On top of all of that, my depression has hit an all-time high. I cry all the time, and I hate it. I keep telling myself that it will get better, but it’s extremely difficult at times to convince myself:(
Foggymama, hang in there. I have elevated liver enzymes and I will be going to Washington University School of Medicine tomorrow to findout what can be used to battle my PsA. I am on Enbrel, but my doctor wanted me to do complete a liver biosy first, before they adjusted any medication. I decided to get a second opinion. Keep us posted. I hope all is well. I too battle the depession and as some refer to “foggy brain”. I am looking for a doctor who will guide me and educate on this disease, rather give me some medication and will just follow up in a few months. For me being a Type A, I am looking for that extra surge. I am not use to sitting around.
I hope your appointment went well. I was on MTX for approx 1 year when my liver enzymes became elevated and we had to stop the medication and let the labs become normal again. It was a very effective treatment for me so when they went back down, we began the MTX again with a lower dose and kept watch over the labs until we reached the maximum that kept things normal. At that time, my mind set was that I had a condition and there were medications that fixed it. Ok, I knew it didn't cure it but it made things almost normal and the thought that I might not be able to take it anymore terrified me. It was one of the first steps in coming to an understanding exactly what I was up against.
I have not been able to come off of the prednisone either and often have to increase it when I have flare ups. Depression, denial, frustration are struggles for me also. My dr's are great in helping me put all aspects of this together in a full rounded treatment. I hope you talk to your dr. about the depression and coping difficulties that you are having right now, there may be some suggestions for additional support.