+AMA, No liver function, no symptoms

[soulshine02]

Hi everyone, I am 40 year old mother of a 7 and 9 year old that resides in the US. This year I went in for regular health screening, and was found to a elevated ALT 45 just slightly above normal. All other liver enzymes are normal. I demanded further testing due to my dad passing away this year at the age of 67 from cirrhosis and liver cancer caused by alcohol. Tests that were ordered for me were ANA, ANA direct, SMA, Ceruloplasm, AMA,Ferritin, liver panel, and Hepatitis. All my tests came back normal ALT 25, AST 18, ALP 58, Bilirubin 0.5, direct bilirubin 0.14; however, my AMA was + and was 32 (normal range 0-24. I have no joint pain, aching, or fatigue. But I do have issues with bad health anxiety. My GP wants me to schedule a liver US. Should I demand my GP send me to a GI specialist (no hepatologist in my area) and demand a biopsy? How did you cope with the impending scan. I am having such severe anxiety and unable to eat or focus and keep crying. I keep thinking the worst. I know it can take some time to be diagnosed, and I cannot go for months on end with this severe anxiety. Sorry, I know a lot of people on this forum are dealing with way more issues. Its just the anxiety getting to me and the fact I lost my dad to cirrhosis and what he went through scares me.

[ninjagirlwebb]

The liver ultra sound is just like when they do sonograms on the fetus when you are pregnant. Nothing to be anxious about the scan. It will probably be normal in your case as the blood work does not indicate that anything is wrong.

Your dad’s liver condition was alcohol induced so it is not possible you will have any of his issues unless you are a heavy drinker.

I really think you have nothing to worry about. As for the positive AMA, some people have that but there is nothing wrong with them. Perhaps you just might want to monitor your AMA & ALT over time at the discretion of your doctor.

There is no need for a biopsy at this time as with any procedure, there is associated risk & unless your doctor believes it should be done, you probably don’t need it.

Hope this helps. I am sure you are fine. Go take a bubble bath & drink some soothing tea.

[soulshine02 in reply to ninjagirlwebb]

Thank You for your reassurance! I just can be such a stress case sometimes.

[ninjagirlwebb in reply to soulshine02]

It is human nature...I was a mess while waiting for diagnosis. You’ll be fine.

[butterflyEi]

Your anxiety is totally understandable especially as you recently lost your Dad under such difficult circumstances. Is it possible that your anxiety and grief is impacting on your blood results? PBC is not caused nor in any way related to alcohol abuse.

If you can manage your anxiety I am sure you will be better able to cope with yourself and your children. I have for a while been using the recordings on YouTube for guided meditation and visualisation to help with my mood, I have found these to be most useful in controlling my wayward mind

Follow your doctor's guidance, go through the process, a liver biopsy is not necessarily needed to diagnose PBC these days as doctors become more aware and adept at diagnosing PBC. The liver biopsy has associated risks although when I had mine done I did not have any problems apart from having to be still for a while after - not good at that

keep coming back to us and let us know how you get on

best wishes

[soulshine02 in reply to butterflyEi]

Thank you! I will check out those videos. I might also see if I can get some therapy or talk to a behavioral health specialist to try to get a grip on my anxiety.

[mrspeffer]

Greetings and welcome! Everyone is here to help one another through the maze of issues that will arise with PBC and life. The perfect place to have landed. I want to let you know I feel heart heavy that you dad had to experience such a terrific disease and last days.

As far as your situation goes, as others have said, grief, stress, loss, fear, all add to our disorders "symptoms" But these are symptoms of many other issues too. Again...love/hate relationship with too much data available on the internet. When my levels were first found to be high, my Alkaline Phos. was already in the high 400's. They thought it was medication, and did changes, and rule out tests for a long while. Then there was the ultra sound.., nothing showed up...numbers still high. So that is when I quit everything bad for me. A year later, test still high. So now 4 yrs later comes the biopsy. Sure enough, PBC was the best guess diagnosis. From what I was told, biopsy is a rule out test.

I was sent to a G.I. after the ultra sound was performed, and the labs were still high. I also am in the USA and with my insurance, I have to follow the protocol to see specialists. G.I.'s have managed me until now. I'm now in year 21 since the LFT's have been abnormal. Finally getting to see a Hepatologist, but having to advocate with insurance to get one that is out of network. I want a firboscan to see the staging.

PBC is a very slooooooow progression. I am not happy that the data tells us 2-20 year prognosis...I may be one of the fortunate ones, but with a very clean diet, yoga, meditation, staying out of conflict, and lots of rest, I have relatively no symptoms. Sometimes the itch will come, but I find it's during major stress events. I am NOT on Urso(allergic) or any other drugs for this. I use Livaplex and milk thistle to nourish and cleanse the liver.I am also known to do a liver cleanse/fast periodically. I haven't had any alcohol in over 20yrs and gave up any processed foods too.

Let us know how you do. If it is PBC, it's not a prison sentence...there are far scarier diseases out there Blessings...M

[soulshine02]

Thank you!