My sister has been taking, only for 3 weeks a drug called Sulphazalazine for inflammatory Arthritis...which we think will be (Rheumatoid) a doctor has just rung and told her to stop the drug immediately, because of abnormal liver reading. Has anyone else had this, and what`s to do about it please, does it become "normal" again? she had tried this as a last resort for the pain....
The liver is very adept at repairing itself. Has your sister's blood been monitored prior to this, I would assume so?
Try not to worry before you need to. It could be a junior doctor being over cautious. It could be that the drug doesn't mix with another drug she is taking.
I imagine your sister will be asked to have more blood tests and see her Consultant.
I hope all goes well, Linda.
I've had this with taking mtx and sulpursalazine. They withdrew the mtx totally and reduced my sulpursalazine from 3g to 1g a day. This was at the start of August last year and I'm still waiting to see if I can start back on the higher doses.
Might be worth speaking with the rheumy about different pain relief; I take tramadol, nortriptyline and have started Lyrica too. They do help take the edge off of it
Hi Linda, this can happen. What your sister has is autoimmune illness and it can cause many things. I had abnormal reading for liver enzymes regardless of medications that ended up in an emergency liver biopsy. Which came out totally normal. About 6 months later or maybe even less the liver enzymes got back to normal. Consult the dr regarding the follow up that she will need (blood tests in a month or 3 month or so) and see what other options are there (steroids/biological... it might not be the last resort these days). Hope that she will feel well soon (I suspect she feels very tired?) and that the impact of the medication will disappear soon. Good luck.
I took Methotraxate for 2 years and my liver levels were off the scale and it was very scary, came off and things settled down, tried Leflumanoid - not sure of spelling- and they shot up again, came off that and things have settled down again and my specialist says I have turned a corner - feel I have had lucky escape but am now having Cimzia injections so hope things do not go pear shaped again, the only thing I have noticed so far is some breathlessness and of course extreme tiredness.
Thank you all for your replies....It does seem quite common that this happens...it`s just as well they make the patients have very regular blood tests. My sister originaly tried MTX but boy did she suffer, after only taking two tablets! Obviously DMARDS do not suit her...she sees her doctor today, and we`re hoping after stopping this drug now, that things will get back to normal. We`re not sure what the "biologics" are or if that gets offered, is that the Cimzia? but I presume she will get sent back to her Rhemy. She is extremely tired....and very fed up....but onward and upwards....Thank you all again, and good health!
https://patient.info/health/biological-medicines-for-rheumatoid-arthritis
Have you read this page Linda?
I took MTX for 18 months and had to come off it, now I have started MMF [Mycophenolate mofetil] my liver enzymes are already elevated because I am having to take Fluconazole to try to keep on top of Candidiasis, plus various other drugs. The doctors aren't unduly worried.....yet!
Let us know how your sister gets on.
Thanks for that, will keep you posted...and will read what you have sent....thank again.
I hope you are right about the liver repairing itself! MY sister has just returned from the doctor`s...she has hepatitis! she is to have a liver scan...very worrying, when she has only taken DMARD`s for 1 month...amazing....No medication as yet......but I`m sure it will repair itself...here`s hoping anyway!
I'm sorry to hear your sister's news, I hope things go well for her.
Linda, I am so sorry to hear that. Did she have biopsy (or is this the scan that you are referring to? ) to the best of my knowledge, autoimmune hepatitis is something that you can be conclusive about only after biopsy... Otherwise these might be just abnormal levels that come/go away as they please. Keep my fingers crossed for her.
Thank you, at the moment it seems to be "drug induced hepatitis" only taking the DMARD`S one month! is the doctor`s opinion...but we`ll know more after the scan, and possibly biopsy, but it`s thought (and we hope) with the drug stopped she will be back to "normal" in time. It goes to show how powerful these drugs are....my sister is 50 and has never drunk alchohol, so one would have thought she had the healthiest liver to cope with these drugs offered, and blood test before starting them were normal... ....anyway, thanks again...will keep posting....
Just an update, and more confusion!!...My sister had a liver scan and a blood test at hospital yesterday....they said her liver was ok, but the doctor rung her today, about her blood test, and she is now being admitted to hospital, because of very poor blood readings...and so it goes on....will keep posting, she was ok (apart from the inflammatory arthritis) this all started after taking MTX and Sulphalzaphine (spelling ?) ....
Nearly right! Sulfasalazine.
They are keeping an eye on your sister and they may well change her meds. I hope the scan doesn't show anything ominous. She is in the right place. I hope it goes well for her, Linda.
Thanks for that, they are letting her out tonight, they have found a large gallstone...blood still not right....past meds mentioned earlier may have made the stone worse....not allowed any meds at all now....
How is your sister now, Linda, what are they doing about the gallstone?
I hope things are going well.
Thanks for asking....my sister was in hospital for the day, many blood tests, and they are now arranging ASP a scan with "blue dye?" to show up more things....so to speak. She is to have blood tests every week, so it`s a bit of wait and see, when they will operate (large stone) so open surgery, also a liver biopsy.... She has a letter which says...mild hepatic, and derranged liver??.....she isn`t feeling too well, very dizzy, weak, although they did say she has a water infection as well...she.just want to get it sorted now....any thoughts welcome! thank you...
https://patient.info/health/liver-function-tests
Emis Moderator comment: I have replaced the link with one to the LFT article on our site.
I don't know whether you have come across the British Liver Trust? That is the link waiting to be moderated, I'll pm it to you.
I haven't looked at the whole site but it might be useful to you
I hope things go well for her [and you]