Just got a call from the nurse at my RD's office. My liver functions are elevated again and she wants me to discontinue the MTX and get the blood work done again in a few weeks. She will then put me back on MTX in a lower dose. I am so afraid to go off the MTX...I am living pain-free at the moment and the thought of going back is crippling to me.
I am going to ask if I could try and get my liver functions down holistically for a week and then get the blood work done again to see where I am.
Any ideas????? How soon am I going to feel pain going off the MTX. I will continue the Enbril.
plaquanil (not sure of the spelling) as about that. It is like mtx, it can take a month or so to take effect, but John Hopkins guy told me that he prefers to start people on that first. Don't think it attacks the liver, might be worth trying to see if you can work on that instead.
Also, i am on celebrex and it works a billion times better for me than naproxen or ibuprofen for inflammation and helps a bit with pain, might look into that as well.
God bless, I too am on mtx at high doeses and it worries me as well.
mtx stays in your system quite awhile. I wouldn't worry too much. I am not an expert because I can no longer take mtx but I have had my liver enzymes elevated and they go back to normal quite quickly. Good luck.Isn't it bad to go on and off the MTX????
I am so frustrated with these elevated liver functions.
Why does this happen to your liver? I don't drink at all... what else could cause it? Y'all are scaring me!The drugs are excreted from your body through the liver, if they are not excreted then they build up in your body and you would overdose. That is why they give older people lower doses that average adults many times.
Plaquenil takes about 6 months to start working, but it still may be worth a try if you are not able to stay on the MTX.
I've been off MTX a couple times and the only time I really had a problem was late this summer when I was off both my MTX & Humira for about a month. Week 3....and certainly week 4 were the hardest. It takes a while to leave your system....but as every week passes it gets a little worse. It won't be over night.
Let's hope it's only a temperary set back Gena. Don't panic quite yet. This happens to a lot of people. Try not to let yourself get over whelmed with worry sooner than nessesary. Continue to think positive and stay as active as possible.
Best of Luck!!
Gena, my liver enzymes are elevated - just slightly. I'm also reluctant to go off MXT. I'll be getting my 2nd Remicade infusion in 2 weeks and we're going to revisit the elevated enzymes and probably will decrease the MXT. I'm trying to taper off Prednisone also. I feel that it's playing a bigger role in the elevated enzymes than the MXT. Before I started MXT I had elevated enzymes one time. I actually am going to ask for a a ct scan of my liver when I see my internist in 2 weeks. Too many unanswered questions.
Let me know how you can normalize enzymes holistically? I'm just starting to do some research on diet.
Linda, if you're really worried about your liver, they can do a liver biopsy. I haven't heard that prednisone raises liver enzymes. However, a lot of other medicines can cause problems with your liver. Getting the CT scan probably is a good idea.
My doctor takes me off for 2-3 weeks to give my liver a rest. Then, he put me on a lower dose, which I don't like as much. But if the MTX is causing it, the cure for it is going off of it. Then the liver seems to recover. The only problem is if you are a drinker. Drinking or a history of drinking can cause real problems. MTX can cause cirrohsis of the liver, that's why they check it so frequently with blood tests. Some RDs do a liver biopsy if you have been on it for more than a couple of years.
The good news is that your liver can recover. It isn't a permanent damage. I would look up things on liver health. I take milk thistle for liver function and so does my mom. We are both on MTX and the doctor approves of my taking it. I think I'll ask about the milk thistle myself. I really would like to stay at the higher dose of MTX.Hi Deanna: I know a liver biopsy is probably in my near future. My last CT showed some fatty areas around my liver. Prednisone may not cause it but it might cause further damage. I don't drink. When I did drink it was probably 1 drink a month, so alcohol isn't the primary problem. Just another little quirk in this battle.I talked to RD and told her how concerned I was to go off MTX.
I currently take 10 mg MTX per week. We came to a compromise. I am going to go down to 7.5mg of MTX the next 2 weeks. I am doing a 2 week liver cleanse. It is an herbal formula from Whole Foods that is high in Milk Thistle. I am taking additional Milk Thistle. I am drinking 48oz of lemon water during the day and hot water with lemon in the am. I am drinking a liver/detox tea also. I will get my blood work done in 2 weeks and see if I can get my numbers down. She wants the SGP number under 40 and I am at a 240!!
I will keep you posted!!