I wanted to start this thread and dedicate it to your lovely wife and my husband- two MSers who have had elevated liver enzymes without cause.
Jeff was not drinking alcohol or taking any medication when he was diagnosed with MS in March '07. He had not received steroids or Copaxone, and was not taking any supplements. His blood test showed liver enzymes (AST and ALT) elevated 10x normal. He was jaundiced, and his eyes were yellowed. His neuro said there was no link to his MS flare, but I couldn't imagine that a previously perfectly healthy man could have such serious symptoms as a "coincidence." She simply shrugged her shoulders.
I began to research....
Multiple Sclerosis Linked to Abnormal Liver Test Results-
The liver is the organ responsible for plasma synthesis, drug detoxification and digestion. Diseases of the liver include hepatitis and cirrhosis.
To make the link, the researchers used data from the Sylvia Lawry Centre for MS Research in Germany, the largest database of MS clinical trial information in the world. In all, medical information from 813 people with MS enrolled in various clinical trials from North America, Australia and Europe was analyzed. The study was funded by the MS Society of Canada.
Over a two-year period, there was an over three-fold increased risk of a person with MS having an elevated liver test result compared to expectations. An elevated test result indicates that liver enzymes have leaked out of their cells. This leakage into the blood stream may be an indicator of liver cell damage.
http://www.mssociety.ca/en/releases/nr_20061101.htm
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The risk of an abnormal liver test in 813 patients with multiple sclerosis or clinically isolated syndrome enrolled in placebo arms of clinical trials was greater than expected for alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (relative risk [RR] 3.7; 95% CI: 2.3 to 6.0) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) (RR 2.2; 95% CI: 1.3 to 3.6), although not alkaline phosphatase (AP) or total bilirubin, at first presentation. Abnormal test results were associated with higher body mass index (ALT only), male gender (ALT only), and a relapsing-remitting (vs secondary-progressive) course (ALT and AST only).
http://www.neurology.org/cgi/content/abstract/67/7/1291
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I began to theorize....what if my husband's liver (and the livers of all of these other MSers) was unable to process all of the toxins and waste in his body, and his system was so overloaded that his immune system went haywire, trying to rid itself of waste. And the neuros weren't even looking into this.
That's when I put together his supplement program, asked holistic docs for help, and turned into the google queen...second only to the fabulous Jimmylegs
The liver cleanses the blood for the entire body. If it is not working, fatigued, or impeded, the liver enzymes will skyrocket, and most MSers will have a flare.
Milk thistle is quite effective in cleansing the liver. So is curcumin, and there are also commerically produced liver cleanses that are quite good. They work. Jeff's enzymes were normal in a month.
Jeff's liver enzymes have remained normal, even with Copaxone and the various meds he is now on. Is a coincidence that he hasn't had a flare up of his MS since we've kept an eye on his liver enzymes? I do not think so. I attribute his health to an entire system which is working well to keep toxins out of his blood. We continue to do monthly liver cleanses.
I don't understand MS; the mechanism of axonal destruction and T-cells and B-cells is beyond me...but I do know that the body is one organism. Neuros need to look at the body as a whole!
To clean livers world-wide!
AC
