ALT -- Labs for liver enzyme??

[Guest guest]

It has been a long time since I have got the chance to post to the

group. Just a recap of my scenario, I am now 34 years OLD (man oh

man I feel about 104 y.o. lately.) I have had psoriasis since about

2000. It was a stressful time in my life and I don't know if the

onset was due to that stress or not maybe someone has some insight

into that. Anyway I am also diabetic and take tons of insulin a day

for that, usually 4 to 6 shots a day, I also have high blood pressure

and high cholesterol as well as untreated severe clinical depression

and OCD and panic/anxiety disorder. I was diagnosed with PsA in July

of 2006, I had the pain, which started with just the finger joints,

since shortly after the onset of psoriasis. Since then it has gotten

worse and affected more and more joints to now include my knees,

hips, toes, the list goes on to include my lower and mid back and

also my neck. The rheumy started me on Methotrexate pills and slowly

increased the dose to 25mg once a week and then folic acid which I

now take 5mg a day. Then Aug 2007 added Enbrel once a week to that.

In Nov he started me on the 25mg shots of methotrexate once a week

and I continue to take the 5mg of folic acid a day. I really thought

that none of this was helping the pain at all until I was sick one

week and missed my shot of Enbrel on a Wednesday and the Methotrexate

shot on Saturday. It was the following Monday that I took both the

Enbrel and Methotrexate shots, by that time the pain was much much

worse than the pain I am normally in. I was to have an appt with my

rheumy yesterday (3/3/08) but had to reschedule due to the crumby

weather here in east central Iowa, so now my appt is with his PA on

4/2/08.

Anyway now to the actual reason for the post... I was wondering if

anyone has an idea of at what level your ALT (liver enzyme??) results

are before the Dr does more checking into things and what the next

step is for that. I get my labs done on Friday (the day before I

take Methotrexate) every 4 weeks. My ALT (i just went in the other

room 3 times to check to see what the abbreviation for the test was

UGH!!!) just seems to keep jumping around like crazy, one month it is

around 70 and the next month its around 120. I was just wondering if

anyone has any insight for me on this subject. Also, while I am on

the subject is there a common factor in me losing my mind and having

PsA? It seems I read that somewhere but can't recall.... the last

few years most days I am lucky to remember anything and trying to

think of a word is like finding a needle in a haystack. I used to be

so very sharp and could carry on a conversation and actually sound

intelligent but any more I just can not carry on an intelligent

conversation to save my life. I used to remember every number that

was of any use or any tidbit of info but not anymore. In fact just

the other day I went to use my debit card, which I use all the time,

and couldn't remember my pin at all. I drew a total blank on it,

luckily I can also use it as a credit card at point of purchase or my

groceries would have been stranded at the local Wal-Mart with me

leaving them behind LOL.

Being a medical freak as well as an internet freak I was looking

things up and I have all the symptoms of fatty liver disease or non-

alcoholic fatty liver disease.

As I said any help with any of my ramblings would be greatly

appreciated!!

Thanks,

M.

Wilton, IA