Alt #'s and prednisone

[Guest guest]

Hello all,

My son 10 yrs has been taking prednisone for 1 ½ yrs. His dose has been

tapered during this time. He had been down to a 5mg dose every other day

for the past few months. In the fall we had our yearly visit with our

out of state GI/ Hepatology doctors. They wanted him off the prednisone,

he doesn't need them get him off! So at the next appt with our local GI

we mentioned this and slowly got him off the Prednisone. His only

request was to get blood work done 3 weeks after last dose of pred. So

alas I get my son's blood taken yesterday after noon and sure enough I

get the call from local GI that his Alt has gone from 52 to 82 in three

weeks. He now wants him back on the pred. My question is is it normal

for these numbers to move like this? Does this mean he will always need

to be on this prednisone? What are the side effects when the dose is so

low but on it indefinitely? Our out of state Doctor's were so

lackadaisical about the prednisone that it was very surprising to me to

see his body react the way it did. On a side note the kid looks and feels

great!

Thanks,

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

Our son (also 10yrs) had the same happen to him when he was taken off

prednisone for the first time except that his liver enzyme numbers got

much higher because there was a bigger time lapse before the next

bloodwork. The same happened also another time later on but since he

has been on azathioprine (Azamun) for the last two+ years he is now off

the prednisone and his ALT and GT are more or less ok. ALP has recently

been high but not alarmigly so. Our son has had the diagnosis of PSC

for 4.5 years now and he is also asymptomatic except for some fatigue

(and some crumbling teeth lately). He is on 50+50 mg azathioprine, 1650

mg ursodeoxohylic acid divided in to three doses and calcium+vitamin D

daily. Plus he takes probiotics and fish oil also local doctors do not

prescribe them (we are from Finland).

Taru-Mari, mother of Eemeli (10), dx psc July 2003