Blood tests

[Anneeileen1]

I was diagnosed with PBC in May this year after a spell in hospital with Jaundice and Hepatitus .Just been to see a doctor at my surgery ( not my own doctor ) about something else and she was perscribing pain relief when I said about PBC and what I could take and she said your liver blood test is normal so you haven't anything wrong with you !! What does this mean have l or haven't got IT ??? Any comments please x

[Hidden]

Hello Anneeileen1.

If you were diagnosed with PBC by a doctor then you will have PBC. I expect you started taking urso at the time.

Your LFTs (liver function test) could have not been so abnormal when you were diagnosed so the urso has started to help and that has brought them back to normal as it is possible for LFTs to return to normal if notso when taking urso.

Mine dropped drastically in the first 6 months on urso but then slowed down. I was diagnosed in Dec 2010 with PBC and have been on urso ever since. Mine haven't returned to normal, it is possible they might never do so but they can be called normal for someone with PBC as we get different variants to someone without PBC.

If your LFTs have returned to normal meanwhile they might remain so but also they might start to climb again in the future.

Normally if we are diagnosed with PBC then we have PBC for the rest of our life unless a cure is found to cause a full stop. Some of us can go through life with nothing much of a hindrance of PBC and some of us encounter problems.

I've not taken any medications over-the-counter or prescribed since being diagnosed with PBC myself as if I can avoid I will do so. It is said unless someone with PBC is at a crucial stage then short courses with most medications are 'tolerated'.

In your case I'd be inclined to contact the consultant's secretary if you have a telephone number on any letters you may have received. I had cause to contact my consultant's secretary after I was diagnosed due to my consultant's letter he sent me not explaining Vit D reading and she said she'd send me the blood test results so I could have a look at the exact number reading. Maybe go in to the surgery and ask to see any letters to your GP and explain you are not clear may put your mind at rest. I can't really say other than my view on your questions on here.

[Anneeileen1 in reply to Hidden]

Thanks Peridot for your reply .my LFT were in the thousands when I had a reaction to the drug doxycycline and was in hospital for 3 weeks they came down to 500-800 and I was allowed home this was in January this year they have slowly come down to " normal" . When I saw consultant in May she said blood tests for autoimmune disease were high so was diagnosed with PBC and put on Urso will see her again in September .

[Hidden in reply to Anneeileen1]

Hello again Anneeileen1.

It is said that certain medications can cause the LFTs to rise. This is one reason personally that I have tried to avoid having any since I had my first LFTs done after starting to itch early 2010. I was never really taking any form of medications pre-2010 anyway if I can manage without and now I've still got LFT abnormalities, I think less is best if possible.

I usually request a print out of my bloods each time I have done. I find this can cause my GP surgery more upheaval than actually going in to have them taken but I prefer to just have a quick scan through them these days so I know myself.

I presume with your mention of blood testing for autoimmune conditions you had the antibodies one that is the AMA (I had this and had a high titre of them for diagnosis and ANA at that time, this one was found to be negative), this would point to PBC Normally if there is any doubt a biopsy would be requested but I have never had one and since diagnosis due to at the time 2 symptons (fatigue and itching of which the former vanished some point 2011), abnormal bloods and then positive AMA,, I know I'd not agree to one now due to the fact it wouldn't change the outcome as I'd still have PBC and still be taking urso. I am not interested in any staging of PBC.

[teddybear7]

Not all Drs are fully aware of PBC the foundation has a leaflet especially for GPS you can get one via the web site it may help x

[Anneeileen1 in reply to teddybear7]

Thanks for your reply teddybear7 I will have a look at that as my doctor hadn't much idea about it .

[PBCFoundation PBC Foundation]

Hello Anneeileen1,

I have sent you a direct message this morning

Regards

PBC Foundation