Rising AST/ALT liver levels

pamalama · February 2009

Hi all,

Need some feedback here. My husband Jerry 42 now just had a b-day is on folfox and erbitux (trial) for 6 month stage 3b colon. Anyway he's been doing great and just finished treatment 4 of folfox and of 8 of erbitux. Not to bad side effects well he went in on Wednesday and his labs showed that his liver enzymes were up on 2/4 his ast was 68 on 2/18 ast was 96 on 2/4 his alt was 139 and on 2/18 was 227. Now I know they are high and he likes to take his vitamins too many concoctions if you ask me well he got chewed out by the oncologist and has now quit everything. The labs won't be back until next week. He is freaked out and concerned as am I. I know the chemo affects your liver levels has anyone here had to stop or suspend treatment because of elevated liver levels. He's been doing so well I'm just really worried and I needed to vent a little. Keep up the battle everyone and keep laughing and living. God bless.

Pam

Kanort · February 2009

He's Not Alone!
Hi Pam,

I am a five year survivor of stage 3c colon cancer. Eribux was not available at the time of my diagnosis, but I did finish all 12 of my Folfox treatments. After about eight treatments, my liver enzymes went totally off the chart. I can't recall exactly, but one level was in the 600's. Anyway, my oncologist told me I had toxic hepatitis. I stopped treatment until they came down...which they did... and then I resumed my treatments.

I, too, took all kinds of vitamins and supplements, drank green tea, and even drank some kind of "tree bark" concoction that a friend from Korea sent me. I did all of this with my
oncologist's blessings, even though he didn't believe in their curative value. I did!

Please tell your husband to try not to worry too much.

Hugs,

Kay

pamalama · February 2009

Kanort said:
He's Not Alone!
Hi Pam,

I am a five year survivor of stage 3c colon cancer. Eribux was not available at the time of my diagnosis, but I did finish all 12 of my Folfox treatments. After about eight treatments, my liver enzymes went totally off the chart. I can't recall exactly, but one level was in the 600's. Anyway, my oncologist told me I had toxic hepatitis. I stopped treatment until they came down...which they did... and then I resumed my treatments.

I, too, took all kinds of vitamins and supplements, drank green tea, and even drank some kind of "tree bark" concoction that a friend from Korea sent me. I did all of this with my
oncologist's blessings, even though he didn't believe in their curative value. I did!

Please tell your husband to try not to worry too much.

Hugs,

Kay

Thank you
Kay,

Thank you for the feedback. How long did you stop treatment for did you have any other symptoms besides the counts being high? It's great to hear your 5 years out congrats that's a big achievement.

PAM

Kanort · March 2009

pamalama said:
Thank you
Kay,

Thank you for the feedback. How long did you stop treatment for did you have any other symptoms besides the counts being high? It's great to hear your 5 years out congrats that's a big achievement.

PAM

Thanks, Pam!
Hi Pam,

If I remember correctly, (I still claim chemo brain) it was at least three or four weeks before my liver levels came down. When I resumed Folfox, my oncologist increased my oxaliplatin infusion time from two hours to three. I still, however, continued with 135mg. of oxaliplatin which is a considerably higher dosage than is presently given.

Please keep us posted on your husband's situation. I hope his levels are OK.

Hugs,

Kay

pamness · March 2009

Supplements
I didn't tolerate the oxaliplatin very well. My oncologist was very specific about supplements - they were fine as long as he knew what they were and what they contained.

I found his thoughts on the subject quite compelling and didn't take anything where I couldn't veryify the ingredients during chemo.

I am currently 18 months ned - was stage IIIA. My oncologist and primary care are both fans of Eastern Medicine, but wanted know what might interact.

Yoga, was a wonderful for me. I let all the supplements go - except the multi-vitamin.

Pam

polarprincess · March 2009

pamness said:
Supplements
I didn't tolerate the oxaliplatin very well. My oncologist was very specific about supplements - they were fine as long as he knew what they were and what they contained.

I found his thoughts on the subject quite compelling and didn't take anything where I couldn't veryify the ingredients during chemo.

I am currently 18 months ned - was stage IIIA. My oncologist and primary care are both fans of Eastern Medicine, but wanted know what might interact.

Yoga, was a wonderful for me. I let all the supplements go - except the multi-vitamin.

Pam

hi
my liver enzymes have been elevated too...my onco said it was chemo induced hepatitis and my scans last week were all clear. She has not said anything about suspending treatments or anything though.. Chemo is a heavy load for our livers to process, so i can certainly see how this could happen.
I find it very interesting that 135 mg of oxy is considered to be a lot.. no wonder why i have such a hard time with it.. I was getting 230 mg which is considered to be my full dose.

beachinmom · March 2009

Mine up too---gall bladder hopefully
Just thought I would comment. Might be a long shot as to the cause, but a real probability for me. My AST and ALT were elevated towards the end of chemo for me, and still are 1 month to 6 weeks after being off chemo. Mine became elevated at the same time I was diagnosed w/ gallstones after an attack while on chemo. Will be finding out if that is the cause soon. By the way, didn't know I had gallstones prior to chemo, but i fit the profile extremely well. Just thought I would mention it as a possibility for your hubby.

Rising AST/ALT liver levels

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