RE: autoimmune hepatitas

[Guest guest]

Dear Rani,

I was diagnosed with AIH in Feb 2002. I am

a 44 year old female. I was being observed since last Sept for an unexplained

liver problem discovered during a routine physical, and my liver enzyme levels

kept coming down since then. They went from 800 to about 220, but then shot

right back up at an alarming rate. My specialist did not want to do a biopsy

but realized quickly that AIH was developing and I had to start treatment right

away, after she was sure what it was. It was confirmed by the biopsy.

Like you, it was also the first time in my

life I had ever been jaundiced, wasn’t that obvious but my bilirubin level was going up.

I am doing really well now, I hope you do

too!

Please say a prayer for our beloved Tony.

He is an inspiration to all of us and he is not doing well now. Thank you!

[ ]

autoimmune hepatitas

Hello everyone

I just joined this support group. I have

jaundice. My doctor did

many tests to diagnose the problem, and now he

thinks I have auto

immune hepatitas. However, it is coming down

by itself without

any medication, which he thinks is a very good

sign. I am wondering

if there is anyone out there with this kind of

experience.

I am 31 years old female, and no one in my family

ever had any liver

problem from my father's or mother's side.

Even I had jaundice the

first time in my life now. I can't understand

why I would have such problem? If anyone has

any feedback, I will

appreciate a response.

Thank you for listening.

regards

Rani

[Guest guest]

Hello

I am glad you are doing well now, and I hope your friend Tony is

also.

From the first blood test, my ALT was about 2100 and my AST was

over 1000. Over the past month and half my ALT fell down to

just over 500, however my AST did not change at all for the first

month and half, but on the most recent test it fell to just over

800. My enzymes counts were extremely high at the beginning.

I was feeling encouraged that they are coming down. But after

to listen to your story, it seems like they are coming down, just

to go back up again. I mean is it even possible for me to get

completely better one my own?

It does not make any sense that if my immune system is attacking

my liver, that it will stop attacking all of sudden without

any medication. I wonder if there is anyone out there who got

better without any medication, and it never reoccured?

Or am I just being too optimistic?

I am still not well, I am little jaundice and my ALT and AST counts

are still very high. I am hoping I recover without any medications.

But it sounds less and less like it.

Even if I have to go on medication, will I be able to live a normal

life? Which kind of side affects should I expect?

Thanks for listening.

Rani

> Dear Rani,

>

> I was diagnosed with AIH in Feb 2002. I am a 44 year old female. I

was

> being observed since last Sept for an unexplained liver problem

> discovered during a routine physical, and my liver enzyme levels

kept

> coming down since then. They went from 800 to about 220, but then

shot

> right back up at an alarming rate. My specialist did not want to do

a

> biopsy but realized quickly that AIH was developing and I had to

start

> treatment right away, after she was sure what it was. It was

confirmed

> by the biopsy.

>

> Like you, it was also the first time in my life I had ever been

> jaundiced, wasn't that obvious but my bilirubin level was going up.

>

> I am doing really well now, I hope you do too!

>

> Please say a prayer for our beloved Tony. He is an inspiration to

all of

> us and he is not doing well now. Thank you!

>

>

>

> [ ] autoimmune hepatitas

>

> Hello everyone

>

> I just joined this support group. I have jaundice. My doctor did

> many tests to diagnose the problem, and now he thinks I have auto

> immune hepatitas. However, it is coming down by itself without

> any medication, which he thinks is a very good sign. I am wondering

> if there is anyone out there with this kind of experience.

> I am 31 years old female, and no one in my family ever had any liver

> problem from my father's or mother's side. Even I had jaundice the

> first time in my life now. I can't understand

> why I would have such problem? If anyone has any feedback, I will

> appreciate a response.

> Thank you for listening.

> regards

> Rani

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Rani,

My AIH was stimulated after I had a virus

last Sept or August. My enzymes shot up as a result of the virus first and then

they slowly came down. When they reached 200 or so, AIH was triggered and then

they started to go up again because of the AIH.

I was not on any meds as it was coming

down but when it started to go back up very quickly, I had to have the biopsy

and start the meds immediately. 30 mg prednisone and 50 mg Imuran. I had no side effects as I was tapered down

over the next two months.

I am on a low dose of prednisone now, 2.5

mg, then 5 mg next day and then 2.5 mg. Also I am on 50 mg Imuran.

I am doing really well and my doctor has high hopes for me. I hope you will do

well too.

We are all praying for our friend Tony

now, he is very sick. We all love him very much.

Please, if anyone hears about how he is

doing, to let us know.

[ ] autoimmune

hepatitas

>

> Hello everyone

>

> I just joined this support group. I

have jaundice. My doctor did

> many tests to diagnose the problem, and now he

thinks I have auto

> immune hepatitas. However, it is coming

down by itself without

> any medication, which he thinks is a very

good sign. I am wondering

> if there is anyone out there with this kind

of experience.

> I am 31 years old female, and no one in my

family ever had any liver

> problem from my father's or mother's

side. Even I had jaundice the

> first time in my life now. I can't understand

> why I would have such problem? If

anyone has any feedback, I will

> appreciate a response.

> Thank you for listening.

> regards

> Rani

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

randi ... when i first got sick i was extremely jaundiced ..my bili was 55 ..quite high ..i have no family members who have any liver probs and never heard of anything in past generations .. i am a first... at first the dr thought it was hep a then decided it was a drug related problem (due to all the rx from headaches)once admitted to hospital they did biopsy.. dr said aih makes some people sick very fast ..the biopsy confirmed aih...am doing better now and only have a trace of yellow staining ... kinda looks like "tan in a can" hehehehetake care karen /chas s.c.

[Guest guest]

hello hopefully someone can help me with my question.. i am 43 and dx aih 03/2002..lately i have had bad tremors.. my hepatologist had me put my arms out front and spread my fingers apart ...my right arm began "tremoring" then a lil bit later my left began to do it also ...he then asked the questios like heartburn,reflux etc but ive been on prevacid since april....my tongue is beginning to get sores on the side and very white i sometimes feel the hairball is stuck (hehehe)...i am not on any antibiotics but it feeld like thrush ...i noticed these tremors especially when i paint .. i refurbish yard ornaments...i also notice them with any neck movement left to right ...needless to say im off the road........does any one out there have the shakes or the proffessional term"tremors"??? also a great reducer of itchiness is gel ice packs they are wonderful if anyone is interested thanx for any help with tremors karen/s.c.

[Guest guest]

Rani,

Welcome to the group. I am 33 and was just diagnosed with AIH in June 2002 when I got very, very ill all of a sudden and started to experience liver failure. I didn't have a clue that I might have liver problems (or autoimmune problems) when I suddenly became jaundiced after throwing up for four days straight. My bilirubin levels shot up from 13 to 25 in a week. My AST & ALT levels surpassed 1000. My levels didn't come down until I was started on the typical meds (prednisone & Imuran), but I am doing well now two months later. What's interesting is that in retrospect I had many possibly related symptoms such as severe skin problems (rashes, irritation) and more recently headaches, dizziness and nausea -- all in addition to lifelong psoriasis and asthma. Nobody in my family has AIH, but it appears that there are some autoimmune diseases on my mother's side of the family such as rheumatoid arthritis and rheumatic fever (I think that's what it's called).

I'm happy for you that your levels are coming down on their own, but as many in this group have expressed, you *may* have a recurrence in the future unless you are stabilized with the standard meds. You mentioned your AST & ALT levels, but what about your total bilirubin level? The bilirubin level indicates liver FUNCTION, and the enzyme levels indicate liver INFLAMMATION. Your bilirubin must be high since you are jaundiced.

Hope you continue to improve.

Annette

-----Original Message-----From: rani_deol71 [mailto:rani_deol71@...]Sent: Wednesday, August 14, 2002 7:27 PM Subject: [ ] autoimmune hepatitasHello everyoneI just joined this support group. I have jaundice. My doctor didmany tests to diagnose the problem, and now he thinks I have autoimmune hepatitas. However, it is coming down by itself withoutany medication, which he thinks is a very good sign. I am wonderingif there is anyone out there with this kind of experience.I am 31 years old female, and no one in my family ever had any liverproblem from my father's or mother's side. Even I had jaundice the first time in my life now. I can't understandwhy I would have such problem? If anyone has any feedback, I willappreciate a response.Thank you for listening.regardsRani

[Guest guest]

Dear Annette,

When I read your post, I thought I had

written it! EVERYTHING you say is

identical to my situation except that I am 44 years old, and I didn’t have as

high a bilirubin. We seem to have identical family

histories too.

How are you feeling now?

[ ]

autoimmune hepatitas

Hello everyone

I just joined this support group. I have

jaundice. My doctor did

many tests to diagnose the problem, and now he

thinks I have auto

immune hepatitas. However, it is coming down

by itself without

any medication, which he thinks is a very good

sign. I am wondering

if there is anyone out there with this kind of

experience.

I am 31 years old female, and no one in my family

ever had any liver

problem from my father's or mother's side.

Even I had jaundice the

first time in my life now. I can't understand

why I would have such problem? If anyone has

any feedback, I will

appreciate a response.

Thank you for listening.

regards

Rani

[Guest guest]

,

Wow! How bizarre! Then again, I guess many of these health problems are interrelated. I'm feeling fine now and my numbers have reached normal levels (took two months). I almost feel like I'm not sick at all except for mild fatigue and some abdominal discomfort. I'm eager to get off the prednisone (on 10mg now).

How long ago were you diagnosed? And have you had any relapses?

Annette

-----Original Message-----From: lisa m skowron [mailto:lsmaxfax@...]Sent: Thursday, August 15, 2002 4:21 PM Subject: RE: [ ] autoimmune hepatitas

Dear Annette,

When I read your post, I thought I had written it! EVERYTHING you say is identical to my situation except that I am 44 years old, and I didn’t have as high a bilirubin. We seem to have identical family histories too.

How are you feeling now?

-----Original Message-----From: & Annette [mailto:joelanet@...] Sent: Thursday, August 15, 2002 3:57 PM Subject: RE: [ ] autoimmune hepatitas

Rani,

Welcome to the group. I am 33 and was just diagnosed with AIH in June 2002 when I got very, very ill all of a sudden and started to experience liver failure. I didn't have a clue that I might have liver problems (or autoimmune problems) when I suddenly became jaundiced after throwing up for four days straight. My bilirubin levels shot up from 13 to 25 in a week. My AST & ALT levels surpassed 1000. My levels didn't come down until I was started on the typical meds (prednisone & Imuran), but I am doing well now two months later. What's interesting is that in retrospect I had many possibly related symptoms such as severe skin problems (rashes, irritation) and more recently headaches, dizziness and nausea -- all in addition to lifelong psoriasis and asthma. Nobody in my family has AIH, but it appears that there are some autoimmune diseases on my mother's side of the family such as rheumatoid arthritis and rheumatic fever (I think that's what it's called).

I'm happy for you that your levels are coming down on their own, but as many in this group have expressed, you *may* have a recurrence in the future unless you are stabilized with the standard meds. You mentioned your AST & ALT levels, but what about your total bilirubin level? The bilirubin level indicates liver FUNCTION, and the enzyme levels indicate liver INFLAMMATION. Your bilirubin must be high since you are jaundiced.

Hope you continue to improve.

Annette

-----Original Message-----From: rani_deol71 [mailto:rani_deol71@...]Sent: Wednesday, August 14, 2002 7:27 PM Subject: [ ] autoimmune hepatitas

Hello everyoneI just joined this support group. I have jaundice. My doctor didmany tests to diagnose the problem, and now he thinks I have autoimmune hepatitas. However, it is coming down by itself withoutany medication, which he thinks is a very good sign. I am wonderingif there is anyone out there with this kind of experience.I am 31 years old female, and no one in my family ever had any liverproblem from my father's or mother's side. Even I had jaundice the first time in my life now. I can't understandwhy I would have such problem? If anyone has any feedback, I willappreciate a response.Thank you for listening.regardsRani

[Guest guest]

Maybe we’re related…..

I was diagnosed Feb 2002. I am in great shape, everything steadily came down to normal within two

months and have stayed there so far. I had a blood test today and will see my Hep to see how I’m doing now. I am so newly diagnosed I

haven’t had time for a relapse yet. Not to say I am looking forward to one!

[ ]

autoimmune hepatitas

Hello everyone

I just joined this support group. I have jaundice.

My doctor did

many tests to diagnose the problem, and now he

thinks I have auto

immune hepatitas. However, it is coming down

by itself without

any medication, which he thinks is a very good

sign. I am wondering

if there is anyone out there with this kind of

experience.

I am 31 years old female, and no one in my family

ever had any liver

problem from my father's or mother's side.

Even I had jaundice the

first time in my life now. I can't understand

why I would have such problem? If anyone has

any feedback, I will

appreciate a response.

Thank you for listening.

regards

Rani