I have to make a decision between my mental health and my liver

[mtk0925]

I restarted the Prozac and then Xanax a year ago right after I had my baby. My whole pregnancy my liver enzymes stayed normal. When I restarted the Prozac and Xanax they have been slowly climbing back up. I get a yearly scan it’s been normal. I drink alcohol but in moderation it’s not daily or weekly it’s socially and when I do it’s one or two. I have a history or Hep A and drug induced liver toxicity due to a med I was on in the past it I had to go off of it immediately so my dr thinks my liver enzymes are stable considering what they were on the past med but now their climbing back up. I suffer anxiety and OCD intrusive thoughts so it’s hard to be off meds. I’m scared and anxious but don’t want my liver to be compromised because of my meds. Anyone else going through this?

[AyrshireK]

I don't think doctors would be getting unduly concerned about that level of elevation - AST just one point above normal and ALT not hugely elevated (even a minor cold can elevate them more than that). Doctors only get concerned when you start to see figures going above about 4 times upper limit of normal - yours are barely out of range.

You need to be able to live your life so if the meds are helping with that then you need to do what is right for your mental health - obviously from time to time you may want to reassure yourself that your markers are not going way out of whack but this isn't something you need to dwell on day in and day out. These figures can vary from hour to hour throughout the day - it's time to be concerned when figures start to soar into the hundreds or thousands and thats when damage can be done.

Katie

[Smokey001 in reply to AyrshireK]

To my mind

Do what feels right,Your mood and feeling good is paramount. The liver is secondary.

Mental health, (i.e) if you feel happier then should reduce cortisol levels which are a main Iiver if not a wider body health issue

Ideally tackle the problem from all angles, sometimes easier said than done.

No matter how short a life we have and it can all change in an instant , just enjoy the time, so for me In your situation I would do as you already are doing

Happiness primary concern.

[Horsemum101]

That is such a difficult dilemma. I have bipolar and I would not know what I would do if I had to stop my meds. Here for you

[mtk0925 in reply to Horsemum101]

Thank you from a fellow horse lover too! I have a mare that is like my support animal 😂

[Horsemum101]

I have two and they are my life! Best therapy

[pushthrough]

Hello mtk I take Xanax and a ssri. Since not drinking for over a year my ast and alt have gone down drastically. My alt has been 1 point over until recently and now in the normal range. Stay off alcohol completely and follow dr instructions and it should drop into range. Not sure how hard Prozac is on the liver though. My specialist is fine with me taking Xanax. Never ever drink while taking it because it can be a deadly combination.

[mtk0925 in reply to pushthrough]

Things for your comment Push through hope your doing well! You and I are close in age I’m 37 I drank a lot in my college years but really with having babies I can’t anymore My littlest one is only one years old so she keeps me sober LOL I have to stay on top of everything since she’s in everything . I think God that my liver ultrasound has continued to be clear and other test that I’ve done but I know that I have to really baby my liver for the rest of my life we have primary bilary Cirrhosis that runs in the family and we have cirrhosis of the liver with two family members that passed from it so I have to be extremely careful it’s hard to suffer from mental health issues and every day that I take the medication I feel that I’m further damaging my liver even my doctors are saying that it could be the cause but it’s better to stay on the meds and then my doctor the other day just said well maybe go off the meds since they’re starting to climb back up again .

[Readlots in reply to mtk0925]

I have PBC and my Mum died of it so I can understand how protective you are of your liver. It really is a difficult balancing act to keep yourself physically and mentally well. I found that counselling, yoga and meditation helped with my mental health and none require medication but I know it’s not everyone’s bag, and it can be hard getting out to do these things when you’ve got little ones. If you decide to come off the meds could your doctor offer other support?

[mtk0925 in reply to Readlots]

Thanks for your reply. I’m going to see my dr at the end of next month after I tapper off the meds and see if there’s something else I can go on. My dr thinks it’s really from the Prozac but I have a history of Hep A and pre eclampsia from pregnancies and it hasn’t helped my liver. It’s so reactive to medications. I barely drink alcohol but I do eat a lot of sugary and salty foods it’s a weakness of mine and I know for my health I need to stop. I’m a runner and I do stay fit but alwaysCarried weight in my stomach

[BritishLiverTrust6 Moderator British Liver Trust]

Hi mtk0925, it's actually against the forum guidelines to post photos or test results as noone on here can diagnose or offer medical advice, so we have removed the photo you attached. Test results vary according to both the individual’s whole health and the laboratory analysing the results, and should therefore always be interpreted by your own doctors/health care professionals. Best wishes, British Liver Trust