Re: Jaundice and bilirubin #'s

[Guest guest]

,

Many of us have had gall bladder problems prior to or after the dx of PSC. A

blockage of or inflammation of the gall bladder and its ducts will often cause

an elevated bilirubin. I had my gall bladder out in '93. I was dx in '00 with

AIH and 4 months later with PSC. Shortly after I was dx, I bought Dr.

Palmer's Guide to Hepatitis & Liver Disease. I'm sure most of the material can

be found on the Internet, but I sure find it a handy guide to help me know what

is normal for " liver disease and failure. " I personally find it reassuring to

know what to expect rather to be slapped-up-side-of-the-head with a development

of some symptom I had no idea was " normal. " For those of you who have an old

copy, there is a new and revised edition 2004. There isn,t't a ton of info on

PSC, but the whole bit on how a liver fails and typical symptoms is pretty good.

Hope that helps. Take Care, Cheryl ID, 49, PSC/AIH/UC/fibromyalgia, etc.

He had an ultrasound that showed more PSC involvement

> and a " quite distended gallbladder " . I am not sure what the

> gallbladder involvement means.

>

> wife of Rick Crohn's '04, Arthritis '06, PSC '06

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

,

Many of us have had gall bladder problems prior to or after the dx of PSC. A

blockage of or inflammation of the gall bladder and its ducts will often cause

an elevated bilirubin. I had my gall bladder out in '93. I was dx in '00 with

AIH and 4 months later with PSC. Shortly after I was dx, I bought Dr.

Palmer's Guide to Hepatitis & Liver Disease. I'm sure most of the material can

be found on the Internet, but I sure find it a handy guide to help me know what

is normal for " liver disease and failure. " I personally find it reassuring to

know what to expect rather to be slapped-up-side-of-the-head with a development

of some symptom I had no idea was " normal. " For those of you who have an old

copy, there is a new and revised edition 2004. There isn,t't a ton of info on

PSC, but the whole bit on how a liver fails and typical symptoms is pretty good.

Hope that helps. Take Care, Cheryl ID, 49, PSC/AIH/UC/fibromyalgia, etc.

He had an ultrasound that showed more PSC involvement

> and a " quite distended gallbladder " . I am not sure what the

> gallbladder involvement means.

>

> wife of Rick Crohn's '04, Arthritis '06, PSC '06

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

,

Many of us have had gall bladder problems prior to or after the dx of PSC. A

blockage of or inflammation of the gall bladder and its ducts will often cause

an elevated bilirubin. I had my gall bladder out in '93. I was dx in '00 with

AIH and 4 months later with PSC. Shortly after I was dx, I bought Dr.

Palmer's Guide to Hepatitis & Liver Disease. I'm sure most of the material can

be found on the Internet, but I sure find it a handy guide to help me know what

is normal for " liver disease and failure. " I personally find it reassuring to

know what to expect rather to be slapped-up-side-of-the-head with a development

of some symptom I had no idea was " normal. " For those of you who have an old

copy, there is a new and revised edition 2004. There isn,t't a ton of info on

PSC, but the whole bit on how a liver fails and typical symptoms is pretty good.

Hope that helps. Take Care, Cheryl ID, 49, PSC/AIH/UC/fibromyalgia, etc.

He had an ultrasound that showed more PSC involvement

> and a " quite distended gallbladder " . I am not sure what the

> gallbladder involvement means.

>

> wife of Rick Crohn's '04, Arthritis '06, PSC '06

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Yep -- you can add me to the list. The first inkling of a liver problem for me

was a letter I

received from the Red Cross late 1990, letting me know my ALT was elevated and

my

donated blood had been rejected. I had donated a gallon by then and was only 22.

I ended

up having my gall bladder removed in February 1991, and my GI started tracking

my LFTs,

which would go up and down constantly.

Cheryl -- about the AIH -- the interesting thing: I believe that between 1991

and 2000,

my LFTs would drop when I had a UC flare and my GI put me on prednisone. It

certainly

supports your theory that I might have AIH. Just curious -- is it better to have

AIH or PSC?

I realize this is a completely stupid question -- better to have neither! But if

one does

have an uto-immune liver disease, which gets more support, research,

transplants, etc.? I

hope this one lasts long enough so that some day they can just regrow me a new

one from

my own stem cells!

Colleen

-- In , " Logan Berg " wrote:

>

> Many of us have had gall bladder problems prior to or after the dx of PSC. A

blockage of

or inflammation of the gall bladder and its ducts will often cause an elevated

bilirubin. I

had my gall bladder out in '93. I was dx in '00 with AIH and 4 months later with

PSC.

[Guest guest]

Yep -- you can add me to the list. The first inkling of a liver problem for me

was a letter I

received from the Red Cross late 1990, letting me know my ALT was elevated and

my

donated blood had been rejected. I had donated a gallon by then and was only 22.

I ended

up having my gall bladder removed in February 1991, and my GI started tracking

my LFTs,

which would go up and down constantly.

Cheryl -- about the AIH -- the interesting thing: I believe that between 1991

and 2000,

my LFTs would drop when I had a UC flare and my GI put me on prednisone. It

certainly

supports your theory that I might have AIH. Just curious -- is it better to have

AIH or PSC?

I realize this is a completely stupid question -- better to have neither! But if

one does

have an uto-immune liver disease, which gets more support, research,

transplants, etc.? I

hope this one lasts long enough so that some day they can just regrow me a new

one from

my own stem cells!

Colleen

-- In , " Logan Berg " wrote:

>

> Many of us have had gall bladder problems prior to or after the dx of PSC. A

blockage of

or inflammation of the gall bladder and its ducts will often cause an elevated

bilirubin. I

had my gall bladder out in '93. I was dx in '00 with AIH and 4 months later with

PSC.

[Guest guest]

Yep -- you can add me to the list. The first inkling of a liver problem for me

was a letter I

received from the Red Cross late 1990, letting me know my ALT was elevated and

my

donated blood had been rejected. I had donated a gallon by then and was only 22.

I ended

up having my gall bladder removed in February 1991, and my GI started tracking

my LFTs,

which would go up and down constantly.

Cheryl -- about the AIH -- the interesting thing: I believe that between 1991

and 2000,

my LFTs would drop when I had a UC flare and my GI put me on prednisone. It

certainly

supports your theory that I might have AIH. Just curious -- is it better to have

AIH or PSC?

I realize this is a completely stupid question -- better to have neither! But if

one does

have an uto-immune liver disease, which gets more support, research,

transplants, etc.? I

hope this one lasts long enough so that some day they can just regrow me a new

one from

my own stem cells!

Colleen

-- In , " Logan Berg " wrote:

>

> Many of us have had gall bladder problems prior to or after the dx of PSC. A

blockage of

or inflammation of the gall bladder and its ducts will often cause an elevated

bilirubin. I

had my gall bladder out in '93. I was dx in '00 with AIH and 4 months later with

PSC.

[Guest guest]

That's pretty much what they told me in my 2001 pre-ERCP US. I got a HIDA scan

(see http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hida-scan/AN00424), which proved it wasn't

working properly (NOT a fun test). It was removed 4 months later after a

midnight ride to the ER (it REALLY hurts!).

I think the gallbladder is often involved when there are common bile duct (CBD)

strictures. Going from the small intestine " up " the tree, the pancreatic duct

is first, then the gallbladder duct, then the left/right hepatic ducts. This is

a pretty good picture:

http://www.findhealer.com/glossary/images/biliary2.jpg

We did a little poll once - lots of us have had a cholecystecomy. When I told

my GB surgeon about it, he said he wwas surprised that that many of us still

have it!

See message 26089.

Arne

---- megasam2 megasam2@...> wrote:

=============

....He had an ultrasound that showed more PSC involvement and a " quite distended

gallbladder " ...

[Guest guest]

That's pretty much what they told me in my 2001 pre-ERCP US. I got a HIDA scan

(see http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hida-scan/AN00424), which proved it wasn't

working properly (NOT a fun test). It was removed 4 months later after a

midnight ride to the ER (it REALLY hurts!).

I think the gallbladder is often involved when there are common bile duct (CBD)

strictures. Going from the small intestine " up " the tree, the pancreatic duct

is first, then the gallbladder duct, then the left/right hepatic ducts. This is

a pretty good picture:

http://www.findhealer.com/glossary/images/biliary2.jpg

We did a little poll once - lots of us have had a cholecystecomy. When I told

my GB surgeon about it, he said he wwas surprised that that many of us still

have it!

See message 26089.

Arne

---- megasam2 megasam2@...> wrote:

=============

....He had an ultrasound that showed more PSC involvement and a " quite distended

gallbladder " ...

[Guest guest]

Colleen

I would say it is " better " to

have AIH, since it is treatable with steroids, which PSC is not.

Regards,

Chaim Boermeester, Israel

From:

[mailto: ] On

Behalf Of Colleen Garvey Kueter

Sent: Thursday, April 17, 2008

23:05

To:

Subject: Re:

Jaundice and bilirubin #'s

Yep -- you can add me to the list. The first inkling

of a liver problem for me was a letter I

received from the Red Cross late 1990, letting me know my ALT was elevated and

my

donated blood had been rejected. I had donated a gallon by then and was only

22. I ended

up having my gall bladder removed in February 1991, and my GI started tracking

my LFTs,

which would go up and down constantly.

Cheryl -- about the AIH -- the interesting thing: I believe that between 1991

and 2000,

my LFTs would drop when I had a UC flare and my GI put me on prednisone. It

certainly

supports your theory that I might have AIH. Just curious -- is it better to

have AIH or PSC?

I realize this is a completely stupid question -- better to have neither! But

if one does

have an uto-immune liver disease, which gets more support, research,

transplants, etc.? I

hope this one lasts long enough so that some day they can just regrow me a new

one from

my own stem cells!

Colleen

-- In ,

" Logan Berg " wrote:

>

> Many of us have had gall bladder problems prior to or after the dx of PSC.

A blockage of

or inflammation of the gall bladder and its ducts will often cause an elevated

bilirubin. I

had my gall bladder out in '93. I was dx in '00 with AIH and 4 months later

with PSC.

[Guest guest]

Colleen

I would say it is " better " to

have AIH, since it is treatable with steroids, which PSC is not.

Regards,

Chaim Boermeester, Israel

From:

[mailto: ] On

Behalf Of Colleen Garvey Kueter

Sent: Thursday, April 17, 2008

23:05

To:

Subject: Re:

Jaundice and bilirubin #'s

Yep -- you can add me to the list. The first inkling

of a liver problem for me was a letter I

received from the Red Cross late 1990, letting me know my ALT was elevated and

my

donated blood had been rejected. I had donated a gallon by then and was only

22. I ended

up having my gall bladder removed in February 1991, and my GI started tracking

my LFTs,

which would go up and down constantly.

Cheryl -- about the AIH -- the interesting thing: I believe that between 1991

and 2000,

my LFTs would drop when I had a UC flare and my GI put me on prednisone. It

certainly

supports your theory that I might have AIH. Just curious -- is it better to

have AIH or PSC?

I realize this is a completely stupid question -- better to have neither! But

if one does

have an uto-immune liver disease, which gets more support, research,

transplants, etc.? I

hope this one lasts long enough so that some day they can just regrow me a new

one from

my own stem cells!

Colleen

-- In ,

" Logan Berg " wrote:

>

> Many of us have had gall bladder problems prior to or after the dx of PSC.

A blockage of

or inflammation of the gall bladder and its ducts will often cause an elevated

bilirubin. I

had my gall bladder out in '93. I was dx in '00 with AIH and 4 months later

with PSC.

[Guest guest]

Chaim,

Thank you. Not to sound like a complete brat, but the cure sounds as bad as the

disease

to me. I hate what pred does to me, and I have been w/o it for 10 years. My

husband has

never been around me while I've been on it. Quite frankly, I would be worried

about the

long term stability of my marriage and what kind of mother I might be on

prednisone. I

hate the stuff with a passion.

Regards,

Colleen

UC -- 08/1984

PSC -- 08/2000

>

> Colleen

>

> I would say it is " better " to have AIH, since it is treatable with steroids,

> which PSC is not.

>

> Regards,

>

> Chaim Boermeester, Israel

>