...Re: Judy - Prednisone before biopsy

[Guest guest]

Hi ...So you think it'd be a good idea to go ahead & take the

prednisone without the biopsey if he suggests it? It really sounds

like you've got a good doctor looking after you.

One good thing I've discovered from talking to all of you is that my

#'s are way lower than all of yours. Which I take to mean that

whatever this is, it isn't bad now & possibly they're getting it in

the very early stages. That would be nice.

Are you still on the prednisone? & are your lfts still normal. I pray

that they are. Thank you so much for your input. BTW, could a bad

gallbladder cause elevated LFTs?

I do mostly decorator sewing(valances, bedskirts, pillows etc) but

haven't been doing much of that lately b/c of all my problems with my

neck & back. I also do/did sewing for craft shows, totes, aprons,

casserole carriers, vests. etc. I would love to learn how to do

smocking. I'm expecting twin granddaughters anytime now. They're my

first & I plan to spoil them rotten, LOL.

TC, hope to hear from you often.

Judy fr. Va.

> Judy,

> I know that every case is different, but I was started on Prednisone

> before any definite diagnosis. At my first visit with my GP, my

> AST/ALT were between 1500-1800, but all the Hep A,B,C tests were

> negative, as were a ultrasound for the gallbladder. He immediately

> referred me to a gastro, who suspected AIH and ran all of the tests -

> everything, and I mean everything, came back negative. After about a

> month, with my AST/ALT and billirubin going up and my albumin going

> down, he tried to do a biopsy, but my prothrombin(?) time was too

> long so he couldn't safely do one. He put me on 20 mg Prednisone and

> sent me to a specialist. A week later (1 week on Prednisone), my

> LFTs at the specialist had dropped to around 800. He ran lots of

> tests, and the ANA came back 1:640. That was around the first of

> August, and I didn't have a biopsy until December, when all of my

> numbers were almost normal. He said that I was such a classic case

> and everything else was pretty much ruled out that the biopsy could

> wait, but that I needed to continue the meds.

>

> Just my input!

>

>

> BTW, what kind of sewing do you do? Heirloom sewing is a hobby of

> mine - the magazine Sew Beautiful is printed here in town by Martha

> Pullen - I have done some things for it and my daughter has been a

> model for it. Also taught sewing classes and smocked/sewed for

> others.