Help Please!

[Guest guest]

Hello All- I have not posted here in a long time. I got diagnosed

with PSC in July of 07', but started having symptoms in October of

06'. I have remained farily asymptomatic until the last few weeks.

A few weeks ago I started itching like mad. I was also having

sporadic GERD symptoms and nausea. My doctor checked my LFT's and

they were slightly elevated. He ordered an MRI and it was

determined that I have a prominent stricture in my main bile duct

and so they are going to go in with an ERCP and do a balloon

dilation procedure. Have any of you had this before? What can I

expect?

I would also appreciate advice for itching. The itching has come

back like gangbusters and I am miserable. I have not been able to

sleep at night and I wish I could crawl out of my skin during the

day. It is awful. I take 2 doses of cholestyramine in the a.m.

And I am on 1500 mg of Urso a day. My doctor prescribed rifampin

for the itch, which is a drug that is primarily used to treat active

TB! It seems like a gnarly drug and I don't really want to take it,

but I am getting desperate. I have not taken it as of yet.

Hopefully I will get my ERCP scheduled soon and I am hoping the

procedure will relieve my symptoms.

Does anyone have advice for the itching? I don't want to sound like

a baby, but it is driving me nuts. And if anyone could share their

experience with the balloon dilation procedure I would appreciate

that too.

I am glad we are all here for each other!

Thanks much,

Amy

[Guest guest]

Do you only take the cholesteramine in the morning?  I take a dose in a.m., afternoon, and one at night. If really bad try to take 4 doses in a day!Sent from my iPhone

Hello All- I have not posted here in a long time. I got diagnosed

with PSC in July of 07', but started having symptoms in October of

06'. I have remained farily asymptomatic until the last few weeks.

A few weeks ago I started itching like mad. I was also having

sporadic GERD symptoms and nausea. My doctor checked my LFT's and

they were slightly elevated. He ordered an MRI and it was

determined that I have a prominent stricture in my main bile duct

and so they are going to go in with an ERCP and do a balloon

dilation procedure. Have any of you had this before? What can I

expect?

I would also appreciate advice for itching. The itching has come

back like gangbusters and I am miserable. I have not been able to

sleep at night and I wish I could crawl out of my skin during the

day. It is awful. I take 2 doses of cholestyramine in the a.m.

And I am on 1500 mg of Urso a day. My doctor prescribed rifampin

for the itch, which is a drug that is primarily used to treat active

TB! It seems like a gnarly drug and I don't really want to take it,

but I am getting desperate. I have not taken it as of yet.

Hopefully I will get my ERCP scheduled soon and I am hoping the

procedure will relieve my symptoms.

Does anyone have advice for the itching? I don't want to sound like

a baby, but it is driving me nuts. And if anyone could share their

experience with the balloon dilation procedure I would appreciate

that too.

I am glad we are all here for each other!

Thanks much,

Amy

[Guest guest]

Do you only take the cholesteramine in the morning?  I take a dose in a.m., afternoon, and one at night. If really bad try to take 4 doses in a day!Sent from my iPhone

Hello All- I have not posted here in a long time. I got diagnosed

with PSC in July of 07', but started having symptoms in October of

06'. I have remained farily asymptomatic until the last few weeks.

A few weeks ago I started itching like mad. I was also having

sporadic GERD symptoms and nausea. My doctor checked my LFT's and

they were slightly elevated. He ordered an MRI and it was

determined that I have a prominent stricture in my main bile duct

and so they are going to go in with an ERCP and do a balloon

dilation procedure. Have any of you had this before? What can I

expect?

I would also appreciate advice for itching. The itching has come

back like gangbusters and I am miserable. I have not been able to

sleep at night and I wish I could crawl out of my skin during the

day. It is awful. I take 2 doses of cholestyramine in the a.m.

And I am on 1500 mg of Urso a day. My doctor prescribed rifampin

for the itch, which is a drug that is primarily used to treat active

TB! It seems like a gnarly drug and I don't really want to take it,

but I am getting desperate. I have not taken it as of yet.

Hopefully I will get my ERCP scheduled soon and I am hoping the

procedure will relieve my symptoms.

Does anyone have advice for the itching? I don't want to sound like

a baby, but it is driving me nuts. And if anyone could share their

experience with the balloon dilation procedure I would appreciate

that too.

I am glad we are all here for each other!

Thanks much,

Amy