Liver Enzyme ?
 

Re: Liver Enzyme ?
 

Hi Pink Girl,

They bounce around during treatment, and can continue for a while after treatment is done before gradually simmering down. (I know you have been out of treatment for some time but want to say that for those who don't know your history and are comparing their own with yours in thinking about your question.)

Middle-aged women in general often have elevated liver enzymes so it is common in general completely separate from breast cancer, and with breast cancer happening mostly for middle-aged and older women, it can coincide. It is more common with significant alcohol use. Some drugs can cause elevated liver enzymes too.

How elevated they are, and whether they stay that way over time, is important to track. If they are not just mildly elevated and they pretty much stay that way then there is more concern about them. It is important to understand that there are other causes for them, especially at middle age.

Although my copy is not recent, The Liver Disorders Sourcebook by Howard J. Worman, M.D. was helpful to me.

Hope that helps.

AlaskaAngel

Re: Liver Enzyme ?
 

Hi Pnk Girl,

I am really sorry you have to deal with this, and I will be praying for your ultrasound to be clear. It sounds like AlaskaAngel was able to provide you with very helpful information. I will be thinking of you -

Love,

Carolyn

Re: Liver Enzyme ?
 

Pink

Could the Arimidex be causing your liver enzymes to be elevated? Just a thought, from Dr. Caya...

Hope it all is a big fat NOTHING!!

all the best
caya

Re: Liver Enzyme ?
 

Pink,

A good friend of mine had the same thing (23 year survivor) and had a liver biopsy, but thankfully it just showed a benign hematoma so it can be nothing serious.
We worry anyway of course, thinking good thoughts for you and hoping it's nothing serious. xx

Re: Liver Enzyme ?
 

Pink,
I have had elevated liver enzymes several times. Only one time I thought it was due to TCH since I had just finished my last cycle. But I've had mine elevated 2 and 3 yrs out from chemo and each time it turned out to be nothing. (So yes...it can be nothing serious.) :)

Chelee

Re: Liver Enzyme ?
 

Do you take any medication for high cholesterol?
Sometime that causes the numbers to rise.
patb

Re: Liver Enzyme ?
 

Re: Liver Enzyme ?
 

I'm wondering if your cold is what made a rise in your liver enzymes. I remember many years ago, and before breast cancer, I was to have a procedure of some kind done under anesthesia. When speaking with the anesthesiologist, he asked about my liver enzymes because they were high. I remarked that I had had a bad cold, and he shrugged off the high numbers and said that the cold would be the reason for the elevated numbers.

Hoping that is your situation, too. Did your onc order these tests after seeing your bloodwork? How high were the enzymes? Did you let him know you had a bad cold when the blood was drawn?

Re: Liver Enzyme ?
 

Hey Pink,

Please know that I am thinking about you and hoping this turns out to be a false alarm. Be sure to keep us posted.

Take care,

Re: Liver Enzyme ?
 

Re: Liver Enzyme ?
 

5 hour drive Pinkie? Wow! Since your onc didn't realize you had a bad cold maybe you could repeat the test (assuming you can do so locally) before you have the ultra sound. Just a thought...

Re: Liver Enzyme ?
 

Re: Liver Enzyme ?
 

I'll be thinking of you. Hope that nasty cold gets better too.

Leslie

Re: Liver Enzyme ?
 

Pinkie
So did you overindulge on the spray cheese before the tests? My liver enzymes have been off from meds, illness etc...I would get them tested again after the cold...and by the way, how about something to get you over that...you may have started with a virus but gone into a secondary infection...

Thinkin of you...I know everthing will be fine Pink!

Re: Liver Enzyme ?
 

Ha ha Sheila that must be it!

Liver enzymes can fluctuate due to a bunch of different things. Including tylenol - which makes me wonder of you've been taking stuff for your cold which might have that.

My husband had "elevated liver enzymes" - it was so little compared to what mine are from the TDM1 that I almost wanted to spit on the results. He had them retested and they were fine.

Probably nothing, but if you've been having ANY meds, that can affect things.

Re: Liver Enzyme ?
 

This past May I had a little scare. My emzymes were slightly elevated - 5 points above the top normal. I didn't think anything about it, but my onc did. he scared the beejeebies out of me. After asking if I was taking Tylenol and my telling him "no", he said he wanted to see me in a month and do scans. Then he changed that and said, "Let's make it two months. That way if something is there, it will give it time to grow."

That shook me up. I very rarely have a glass of wine and could not think of what could be causing this. As soon as I got home, I started researching what is processed in the liver. All vitamins are. I learned that vitamin A, E, and D could especially cause increases in liver enzymes. I was taking a multivitamin along with 5,000 units of vit D for my bones. I stopped all vits and when I went back all the scans were clear plus my enzymes had dropped in half.

Pink girl, could it be your vitamins?

Re: Liver Enzyme ?
 

Pink,

You had me at shopping. Go forth and spend - nothing feels better than something new to wear...for me anyway...

Re: Liver Enzyme ?
 

Re: Liver Enzyme ?
 

Pink,

Here's a link to the Merck Manual on the subject.

http://www.merckandcoinc.net/mmpe/se...23/ch023b.html

As you can see, there are many possible benigh reasons for the elevation(fatty food, high protein...) I remember the feeling when I was getting checked out for the irritation in my liver area. It turned out to be 'hepatic hemangioma'. But before we got the result, I was 'so' sure that I'd had liver met.

The wait is always stressful. Just wanted to let you know I am thinking of you and hope that everything turns out good.

Re: Liver Enzyme ?
 

Pink,
Try not to worry - you are getting it checked out. Think of it this way: Most people do not regularly get these types of blood tests and they have nothing wrong with them. The only difference may be that you got the tests and know a number is elevated; they didn't get the tests and ignorance was bliss...and then everything got back to normal eventually all without their knowledge.

I still think it was spray cheese, you're probably sleepwalking to get it.

Re: Liver Enzyme ?
 

Re: Liver Enzyme ?
 

Hi Pink....Just saw your post. I, too, am praying it is nothing and am very confident it isn't anything at all. Like Chrisy said, most people never get this stuff checked out and never know.

I'm rootin' on just a fluke thing....cold etc.

Love to you Pink.....

Mary Jo

Re: Liver Enzyme ?
 

Pink Girl,

I know you said you did not take Tylenol, but check your cold med. Many contain acetaminophen which is tylenol. That will pop up your liver enzymes every time! Take some Milk Thistle to help heal it.

Re: Liver Enzyme ?
 

Re: Liver Enzyme ?
 

And there is no telling where those rascal bees have been!!!
Thinking powerful, good thoughts for ya, Pink! ma

Re: Liver Enzyme ?
 

Pink Girl,
Oh you can always make me laugh. I had forgotten about the cheese spray. Is it still in your china closet with all your lovely dishes?

Seriously, by the responses you are a very special person to many of us here on the sight. Many positive thoughts and prayers are coming your way.

Let us know how the next test results. Hope your cold is getting better. I am finally over a cold I had for more than 3 weeks. Even that concerned me, why can't I get over this? Do I need a blood test? See what we live with all the time.

Love ya,
Donna

Re: Liver Enzyme ?
 

Re: Liver Enzyme ?
 

I bet it's the cold. I would be very surprised if it isn't.

Jacqueline

Re: Liver Enzyme ?
 

maybe the bee ate string cheese or took tylenol.

Re: Liver Enzyme ?
 

Re: Liver Enzyme ?
 

You know, they're doing research on the little bee these days 'cause he has some problems. They're finding out what makes them sick. I tell ya, that ol bee's been up to mischief and jumbled up Pink's score.

Re: Liver Enzyme ?
 

Those pesky bees. Kick 'em in the knees they are so proud of!

I'm betting on the cold Pink.

Thinkin of ya!

Re: Liver Enzyme ?
 

Re: Liver Enzyme ?
 

I agree with Jacqueline that there is a good chance that it is the cold. Especially knowing that your cold was quite severe when the bloodwork was drawn.

Re: Liver Enzyme ?
 

Re: Liver Enzyme ?
 

Do I need to send you some smarties to take to get to the bottom of this....I take them all the time and pretend they actually help me!

Re: Liver Enzyme ?
 

Re: Liver Enzyme ?
 

Re: Liver Enzyme ?
 

I might spit on them for me. They are not that elevated, particularly since you had other things going. Why not get them retested an a week or so, which is probably much easier than doing an ultrasound. Your primary care doctor can order that test, or around here you can sometimes get them at the drugstore for $65.