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]

Stenting/dilation has been nearly magical for me. I've done the

ERCP/stenting/dilation procedure about seven times in the last year,

and it's easy-peasy--you go under, wake up with happy drugs and a bit

of gas discomfort, and go home the same day (barring complications,

which are possible, but I have never experienced). Sometimes it

takes me a few days to get back to full speed, and the longest

recovery was my first--when I had a sphincterotomy, the procedure in

which they make a tiny cut to access your bile ducts if it's too

tight of a squeeze with your anatomy.

Regarding the itching: between when my itching starts and I get in

for an ERCP I usually add more Questran to get it under control.

Most recently--when Questran wasn't doing it's usual good job for me--

my doc prescribed Atarax, which did seem to reduce the itching

to 'itching light' rather than the claw-your-feet-off kind of

itching; major side effect of drowsiness, though, which was a trade

off I was willing to take at the time. Usually by a week after my

balloon dilation/stenting procedures I, personally, am feeling golden

and ready to take on the world again.

Genevieve

UC 1983, J-Pouch 1999, PSC 12/07, CCa 10/08; getting ready for chemo,

radiation, and listing for Tx

>

> Balloon dilatation and stenting worked very well for me. I've been

asymptomatic since having that procedure in spring, 2001.

>

> Many here have experienced great relief with rifampin. I have no

personal experience myself.

>

>

> Arne

> 57 - UC 1977 - PSC 2000

> Alive and well in Minnesota

>

> ----- Original Message -----

>

>

>

> ...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.

> .

>