I'm waiting to hear back from my rheumatologist and my gastoenterologist. My rheumy suspects my liver issues are autoimmune hep. My appointment with my gastro isn't until a week from Friday. Rheumy faxed gastro lab results and is waiting to hear back. I may need to have a biopsy done. I'm praying it's something less scary than autoimmune hep, especially since, with my other liver issues, I'm not supposed to take prednisone, which is the treatment for autoimmune hep - and doesn't cure, just slows it down. To say I'm stressed is putting it mildly.
I'm not on any PsA treatment right now and am doing my best to manage pain with Tramadol. My joints are swollen, I had a sausage finer for nearly a week (I haven't had that since starting treatment), and feel like I'm rapidly going back to the way I was when I got diagnosed, which wasn't pretty!
Anyone else have to deal with autoimmune hep or suspected autoimmune hep? Any words of wisdom?
I do not know about auto immune hepatitis at all but I send lots of hugs and prayers your way! I am sure someone on this site will have some pearls of wisdom for you as it such a wonderful site for everything your physician can't tell you.
I can imagine how stressed you are, with your tribe you don't need it. Predi fortunately isn't the ONLY med used to treat. Sometimes just a rest, others an easily reversed fibrosis. As long as you have 2 healthy liver cells it can recover. The hard part will be backing off treatment until its is sorted out....... You have handled it before, and you have a great family behind you that know what to do. heres a link to a few studies both encouraging and not so much but at leats your eyes arwe open:
Oh and one other thing. The combination of 2,5-diaminotoluene with the coupler 1-naphthol makes purple hair dye. The combination of chemicals is also related to Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC), which is an early form of autoimmune hepatitis which can become a long term progressive autoimmune disease. I'm just sayin' :-)
Thanks, everyone! It is stressful. I'm trying not to google. I'll call my gastro tomorrow, as I got an automated message telling me I'm overdue for an appointment (it's on the calendar for a week from Friday - I'm hoping I didn't get bumped for some reason)...and see if I can get the doctor or a nurse to call me back and answer a few questions before I go in.
And lamb ... I don't DRINK the hair dye. It doesn't even touch my scalp. Besides, life without purple hair isn't really worth living, is it??? LOL
I don't know what my levels are on my most recent tests, but last month's test that got my rheumy and pcp concerned were ALT: 143, AST: 79. Apparently they're higher now, but I'm not sure...