[butterflybee]

Hi - newbie lupie - diagnosed 8 months now. Taking 10mg pred, 200mg plaquinel up till December 07. Unable to wean off pred as joint pain kept coming back. Still not feeling completely well, so was started on Aza mid December - 25mg daily doubling dose every week & have been taking 100mg for past 2 weeks.

Apart from some initial nausea in the mornings (even though take it after evening meal), I felt so much better - more like my old self & since going back to the gym & building up my running again, I'd thought I'd found my magic drug & can now look forward to trying to conceive this year.

HOWEVER, my fortnightly ALT's on my bloods have come back really high (214 & 204 - the last ones) & it was when I increased from 75mg - 100mg. I feel absolutely fine, though I've been told to stop the aza for 5 days & then restart on 50mg daily & have weekly blood test now.

Do you think that I'm just on too high a dose, my liver can't handle it (I weigh about 47kg). I'm hoping that I can stay on this drug because I feel great on it & not keen to try metho. I really want to get pregnant this year & just hope I can get this damned disease under control!!

thanks for listening

bbx

 

[redbird]

hi, i took aza for around 3/4 months and had liver damage, lfts were showing liver disease.....thankfully I got put on methotrexate and have no ill effects in a year of taking it....its just trial and error whether we can take a certain drug or not

 

[Maia]

My only thought is why were you taken off the Plaquenil? Most here will stay on that drug unless there are significant problems with it --- even though they start on another medication.

I think your doctors are taking a very prudent course by just cutting it down and keeping a closer eye on the LFT values. I hope it all works out for you and you can stay at 75 where there were no problems but you were feeling so much better!

Be sure to tell them about any other medications you are taking, even over the counter or herbal type things as they can occasionally contribute to liver function test abnormalities. Especially Tylenol/parcetamol(?).

 

[butterflybee]

just to clarify!!

Hi - I haven't actually been taken off the plaquinel - my error - the way I typed it made it sound like I was taken off everything & then restarted on aza only...no no no. It was in December aza was added to my 'mix', so my daily meds were 10mg pred, 200mg plaquinel, 1 Adcal tab bd, 100mg azathioprine. Now i'm on Day 3 of my aza break as explained above. I don't feel too bad, but I'm due my period next week & I still can't really tell the difference between a flare & pre-period episode. feeling bloated, sensitive to everything. Joints OK - feel slightly swollen but not painful.

x