ALP and GGT results

[Gaspereaux]

Good morning everyone,

I was diagnosed last November and started taking Urso right away. However, didn’t take the full dosage as per my weight until mid April. I just had my bloods done and my ALP as well as GGT are the same as three months ago…ALP is 177 and GGT is 225. They have come down since last November, when they were 385 and 560 respectively. My AST and ALT remained normal the last two bloodwork’s.

But i was a little deflated that they haven’t gone back to normal. I will have them done again in November. I am hoping not to go on any other second line therapies…

Thanks in advance for your input.

[Kristian]

Hi Gaspereaux

The treatment you are having looks to be doing a fine job. Try not to overly worry if not everything fully goes back to normal. They may not do. However, reductions are always good. GGT is also very sensitive, just looking at it in the wrong way can upset it, lol, and your ALP is now only moderately above normal levels. This would generally indicate that any continuing impact on your liver from your underlying disease is much less than was occurring previously. It may even be at a level the normal liver regenerative mechanisms can cope with.

URSO is an effective treatment for PBC and has been shown to be effective at very much slowing down progression of the disease. The good thing is, now you have a diagnosis you will be reasonably closely monitored and it's the longer term trends that tend to matter rather than if certain blood test levels are over the general norm. An improving or stable picture is generally seen to be a good sign.

Hope thats helpful and a little more reassuring.

[Gaspereaux in reply to Kristian]

That was more than helpful, Kristian! Thank you! I’m sure we all want to be totally “normal”, whatever that is. I know i am very fortunate, as i was diagnosed within three weeks after two rounds of bloodwork and placed on Urso immediately. I think I it is good to have a young internist who is just out of university and is more aware of PBC. I will keep doing what i am doing!

[lizzybeebee2003]

Give it time, it takes a while