autoimmune hepatitis - Liver & Pancreas Disorders Message Board

chooky54 · 10-16-2008, 11:04 AM

I had a liver biopsy last month because my doctor has suspicions of fatty liver disease or even NASH. Well, as it goes the fatty liver is nothing to be concerned about but here I found out that the biopsy suggests autoimmune hepatitis. Right now I am awaiting results of some blood work to find out how it maybe progressing! I am in shock! He said it it sometimes called lupoid liver and until he gets the results of the tests he feels no treatment at this time is necessary. If treatment is deemed it will consist of predisone and another drug! ( I have just lost 36 lbs by dieting and if I get on the predisone that means I will bulk up again!) Is anyone on the board familiar with this disease? Right now I have a gerneral feeling of malaise,,,,,,kind of like I have the flu...........is this common....or could this be the flu! (Wish I felt this way a few days ago when I was at the doctors, but of course it is happening now!)

gcbpgh · 10-16-2008, 06:51 PM

Yes, I have sjogren's disease which they found in the spring......they then found my liver enzymes had been high for years and I had been complaining of fatigue......opps they missed it....I has a biopsy done and I have auto immune hepatitis which has gone into cirrhosis.....I have had 2 separate liver doctors here in Pittsburgh, I cannot have prednisone....the immunologist would not give it to me for the sjogren's for treatment because of the liver and my liver doctors would never give it to me.....perhaps you need another opinion.....I am on Xifaxan for encephalopathy which I have because my liver is having a problem with not eliminating toxins and my ammonia levels are high......which was a real problem, this has helped.
Are you sure you are with a liver specialist? The second one I just went to is on the transplant medicine here also.....you need to go to a Gastroenterology and Hepatology doctor.
You need to go on line and see what they specialize in and make sure they have the right experience.....this is your liver......take care.
gcb in pgh

chooky54 · 10-17-2008, 07:23 AM

Yes this is a liver doctor, in fact he is chairman of the department at the Cleveland Clinic so I feel I am in very good hands. (In fact this is a second opinion because my gastro doctor sent me for an ultrasound, then refered me to my current doctor. They have been watching my liver enzynmes since 2000. They bounce all over the place)

This is just so scary and I think once the blood work is in I will feel better. I guess its the "not knowing everything" is what is driving me nuts. When your ammonia levels are up what happens? Is that like a brain fog because thats what I have been feeling too along with the flu thing.

marys1358 · 10-17-2008, 02:17 PM

Hi Everyone,

Sorry I have to be here and everyone else but my questions are,I'm Dx's with Mixed Connective Tissue Disease and I just found out that I now have Sjorgren's which I really think I have had for about 3 years asked my Rheumatologist to run some test and came back positive for SSA but negative for SSB.Now some blood test came back with elevated liver enzymes
GOT/AST 226 LAST MONTH 28
GPT/ALT 236 LAST MONTH 46

is it normal for it top elevate that fast and why?I'm freaking out about this and not sure what to make of this.I'm having more test in 2 weeks.The only thing I can think of is toxic medication because I'm on Methotrexate and Hydrocodone/Apap5-500 mgs.and I do drink beer maybe ONCE a week with cigarettes.Along with 8 other meds. a week for Lupus,Raynaud's,now Sjorgren's and Inflammatory Arthropathy.
Please any information would be great and appreciative.Thank you so much.Do the levels look like some kind of Hepatitis????????
Thanks,
Mary