Liver results satisfactory

[Doughnut61]

Finally liver results have come back satisfactory 😄😄

Do you think it's safe for me to have a glass of wine at the weekend?

[AgedCrone]

I'd give it a few more clear results if I were you! Once your liver is shot it's no wine ever.......

[Doughnut61 in reply to AgedCrone]

Thank you 😘

[jlat in reply to AgedCrone]

I agree ,i have had basically no wine for 2 years no fun Jen they call me however when I have had a glass ,my glands ache like crazy and i really wonder if its worth it ,just let it go if you can.

[Susiespain]

I assume you're taking mtx? My dose is 7.5 mg per week and my liver is managing well. I drink in moderation, ie, glass of wine now and again, never ever binge. This disease is bad enough, gotta have a life.

[Doughnut61]

Yes I am on MTX 17.5 weekly apparently my RA is seropositive and aggressive ☹️ I so miss my glass of wine on a Saturday night X I am hoping one day I can enjoy this pleasure once again. Thank you all for responding x

[Susiespain in reply to Doughnut61]

Yes, hopefully you will, sending best wishes in the meantime. X

[DelicateInput in reply to Doughnut61]

Well, if you can limit yourself to one glass on a Saturday night, it is not going to do any harm - but how big is the glass????? I could never have just one glass. It is usually three to four bottles a week. I can resist if I don't have any at all, but I can't stop after one glass. The rheumatologist asked me how much I drank, when offering me a choice of drugs, and said we had better forget the methotrexate then. I find beer and white wine really make my hands flare. I am OK with champagne and red wine - that may not make any difference to the liver but it does to the RA. I suggest it would be best to have champagne rather than wine on a Saturday night. It evaporates very quickly from the body (and never gives me a hangover) and is therefore less likely to upset the liver.

What does make a big difference to the liver is a herb called Milk Thistle (biologic name Silymarin). It acts as a liver detox. Take it for three months maximum and then have a break as it is not supposed to be taken all the time. It makes the liver more efficient. I have heard also that it is very good for a hangover if you take a tablet on the night and one or two the next day.

I think I must have the liver of a rhinocerous. I have always had excellent liver results despite being quite a heavy drinker. I come from a long line of alcoholics. Unlike cigarettes, alcohol affects the brain so when you have had one, your thinking changes and you either don't care or cannot stop.

[Mandalou]

My liver results go up and down like a blinking yo yo! Honestly I can never tell from one month to the next whether my ALT will be raised or not.

I'm super sensitive to all these drugs but I have a few glasses probably once a month.

As Aged Crone said above maybe get another clear result and then allow yourself a small glass split into two with soda or something, like a nice long drink as long as you don't binge and abuse you will be fine.

They can tell by your other liver results whether you are abusing alcohol, there is no hiding it!

Best regards to you.

Mx

[Hidden]

Hi Doughnut.

I've just gone through the quickest rheumy quick change ever I think! Last week I had an abysmal rheumy appointment. It was with the nurse rather than the consultant (who I'd seen just once since moving house and who seemed really good). This nurse truly took the biscuit. The whole packet of biscuits. And due I suspect to lack of resources it seemed I would have to see the same nurse at the next appointment and possibly forever. I started explaining exactly what happened just now but deleted it, I could easily go on all night! But suffice to say her knowledge was appalling and her people skills matched.

So I bit the bullet and booked a private appointment with a wonderful doctor who is one of the UK's top PsA specialists and am now joining her NHS list (I'm getting there, honest!). She said many interesting and helpful things. And one of them was that my last but one rheumy was absolutely right to up my folic acid to 6 days a week to help combat persistently raised ALT. At that time I had a liver scan which showed my liver was fine despite ALT creeping up & up for many months and so I was able to go back on Mtx, hence the increase in Folic Acid as a precaution. Lo and behold, ALT returned to normal almost as soon as I started taking more Folic.

The new doctor did say that I could probably get away with, say, 3 Folic Acid tablets per week while I'm on 10 mg Mtx, but as I'm now upping it a little I should increase up to 6 F A tabs again.

If you're not on 5 or 6 Folic Acid tabs per week then maybe this is something worth asking your rheumy about ASAP. My last but one rheumy was excellent (I'm clocking 'em up!) and I now have his view on Folic Acid endorsed by a rheumy who conducts a lot of research in addition to seeing patients.

[Doughnut61]

Thank you I will ask 👍🏻🍷

[Hilary2802]

I have been on 15mg of methotrexate for 6 months and have three or four drinks a week with no problems, and have done from the start. My rheumatologist told me to drink within the UK guidelines and I am well within those. Good luck.

[Doughnut61]

I hadn't had a drink for 5 months and my liver readings became raised. I was very unwell over Xmas for about a month with an awful chest Infection and the worst cough I've ever had. GP gave me two lots of antibiotics and I stayed on the Methotrexate . I am now wondering if that has had an affect on my liver? I will leave of the alcohol for now. I may have a very weak shandy? Thank you all for replying it really helps and I value your support 💕