Extreme nausea

Boomer13

I'm beginning to wonder if my recent stomach flu wasn't really a virus at all. My nausea is back after a brief reprieve. I haven't been able to take Sulfasalazine again since I was so violently ill. I should be, but I just can't bring myself to do so. I've been taking more folic acid and my MTX dose has been lowered a bit.

I got my bloodwork results and my liver enzymes are up. Waiting to hear from rheum. Interestingly, I have an elevated ESR for the first time in my PsA history and I'm out of the recent flare-up. The body is a mysterious beast.

I don't normally post intimate details of my PsA bloods etc, but I was wondering if any one else has had bouts of nausea with elevated liver enzymes? I foresee further doctor visits in the near future. I'm so hoping none of this will interfere with starting Enbrel but maybe my stomach virus was not a stomach virus. The nausea is much worse than normal and I always have some. Fed up! It's a weightloss plan that I don't need as I'm already too thin :roll: . Thanks for reading.

To Hileena, if you read this, thank you so very much for posting your experiences regarding blepharitis. I tried your wet one's tip, as I've had a bout of this recently, and so far the itching and burning has reduced by half. Brilliant, thank you so much. xx

Starburst

I feel for you. Things haven't been easy for you, eh? My stomach condition causes near constant nausea and in some ways, the feeling of "I'm going to be sick" can be worse than the vomiting side of things.

I don't know much about livers but I know that wonky liver results can lead to nausea because when my vomiting starting, they first thought it was my liver. I'm sorry you're going through, this not what you need right now.

What does your GP and rheum say?

barbara12

Aww boomer I wish I could help, its horrible when you feel so nauseous..I cant even help with your meds..but I do hope you feel better very soon.. please let us know how you get on...has for the wet ones advice from Hileena my hubby is using them... xx

stickywicket

Sorry, I can't help, Boomer. My liver is apparently one of my best features Nausea, especially when persistent, is horrible though and I do hope things improve for you soon.

villier

My sympathies Anna, I have constant nausea due to autonomic problems and take anti sickness meds, my liver is obviously ok as it would show up in my three weekly bloods. As if you haven't enough to contend with, lets hope someone can give you an answer soon................Marie x

Numptydumpty

I'm so sorry to hear this Anna. I can offer no advice, I have no experience of stomach problems, (fortunately for me).
No wonder you're fed up!
I hope you find a solution very soon.
((((()))))
Numpty

AmandaJones

Hi Anna,

With elevated liver enzymes, there is always an underlying cause if it is not due to some medications you are taking. It could be hepatitis or nonalcoholic fatty liver disease or cirrhosis, your doctor can only diagnose and confirm with your medical history and reports.

Your liver produces enzymes in response to an injury or toxin. When these enzymes enter the bloodstream at higher than normal amounts, they are said to be elevated. Because the liver's functions affect every part of the body, inflammation in this organ may cause stomach ache, nausea and vomiting.

But never ignore this, follow up and find out more. Get well soon.

Amanda.

barbara12

Hi Boomer
Just checking to see how you are getting on, I do hope things are a little better xx

Boomer13

Thank you all very much for your replies. I'm off to the doctor soon to get her input, then the following week is my appointment with the rheum. Hopefully, something can be done because I'm finding nausea very difficult to deal with and so far, nothing seems to be helping.

I have a system for dealing with my pain but nothing for this. xx

daffy2

If your liver is not happy that will tend to cause nausea. My son was diagnosed with Gilbert Syndrome(liver enzyme/bilirubin problems) when he was at uni, and one of the symptoms for him was acute nausea. It's made worse by not eating which was unfortunate in his case as an extreme phobia about being sick coupled with OCD about germs meant a tendency to episodes of anorexia, so a real Catch 22. Happily nearly a decade later most of that is behind him, and what remains he can deal with - just as well with a wife who had a sicky pregnancy and produced a baby daughter who eats too quickly and tends to chuck up as a result!

Starburst

Nausea is a very funny beast, hard to manage in the same way as pain. Try to eat little and often. I find some foods can be tolerated, so I stick to them when I'm having bad days.

Fingers crossed that they can do something to help you!

stickywicket

Thinking of you, Anna. Any joy from the doc?

LignumVitae

I always had pretty awful nausea with meth tablets - famously still being seen as unreasonable once when my brother's very smelly spaniel decided to sit under my chair during a meal and made me sick ( I still have not forgiven it or my brother). It improved massively once I went onto meth injections - are you on tablets? It could be worth investigating injections if not. How elevated is elevated liver enzymes? Mine have been elevated if I have had my bloods done after a night or two on the tiles :oops: so unless it is unavoidable I tend to not drink the night before my bloods - obviously that suggests that in my world there are times where a G&T is unavoidable. I realise that isn't the case for everybody :oops:

Boomer13

Thank you for your ongoing caring replies. It means a lot to me.

I've got some prescription anti-nausea tablets and GP is deferring to rheum, as my appointment is next week. Not eating is the best remedy, although not practical I'm eating some clear soup and fruit/veg in small amounts and that seems to be sitting ok; it's regular meals that seem to aggravate things but possibly it was the Sulphasalazine :?: It has improved a bit with time not taking that. GP says she's not thinking it's stomach related because I've had gastroscopy fairly recently for ongoing right-side pain and fat intolerance for a few years. This was felt to be gallbladder-related but was never proven despite many tests/scans. So, possibly it was a liver issue all along? It's funny I've tolerated MTX for this long, if it is a liver problem. GP's next step after my rheum visit is referral to our local internist who she says gets extremely obsessed with solving mysterious medical issues for patients.

LV, I no longer drink alcohol, even occasionally as even a small amount makes me sick, so I can't blame the liver enzyme elevation on that. There are may times in my life when a G&T would be most welcome! I simply crave the taste of wine at times, but I do strictly avoid even though the will and want are there! It is a mild elevation, just double the high normal value. As for MTX, I've been on injectable since January. I guess I'm one of the weird ones who still experience the nausea side-effect despite this. It improved initially, then got worse when my dose was raised to a full 1.0cc in April. I get extremely nauseated soon after I give the injection. It was bad all last night after my injection. Onwards I go.....

stickywicket

Are the anti-sickness meds helping yet, Anna? I do hope so.

Boomer13

Yes, thank you Sticky. Every day now I feel a little better. Whew! I'll be glad to see the end of this. It doesn't go very well with the extreme heat wave we've been in here (insert green, nauseated smilie).

I'm hoping not to go back on Sulf. I have a feeling it may be part of the problem, plus, I don't think I ever had much improvement in joint pain with it. Hoping the liver enzyme issue will resolve itself. Wishful thinking, I know and I will follow my rheum's forthcoming advice, whatever he tells me to do.

stickywicket

That's good. We have enough to deal with with the stuff we can't get rid of. All the more reason to eliminate whatever we can

LignumVitae

Co-proximal was another sickening med for me. I hope you continue to improve, nausea affects you more than you'd think and more often than you'd think. It's a shame injecting mtx didn't help, we are all so different in how in react to meds, sulf never bothered me except for the bright wee! Fingers crossed it keeps getting better at least your doctors are on to it, an important start!

Boomer13

Yes LV, you are sure correct about the nausea. I was rudely reminded today when it returned but it's the day after MTX so I was expecting it.

I visited my rheum on Tuesday. Good news and bad news, my joints were better than he's ever seen them, my liver values are worrying so I will have to delay starting a biologic . He sent me away with a very large supply of prednisone to tide me over. I also may have to stop MTX if my liver doesn't stop protesting. Some other good news was that I don't have to re-start Sulfasalazine, so I'm pretty happy about that. So here I am, back in limbo again waiting, waiting. In the meantime, I do get to do my pre-biologic screening tests and xrays. Oh, and dive into more pred :x I did tell him while I was very pleased my joints looked so good, I still have no kind of life at all due to fatigue and pain. We really had quite a good talk, then he said I could choose my own biologic :? :shock: I don't feel competent to do this as people's responses to the various ones seem, from what I've read, to be so individual. Thinking I'll flip a coin.....

Were any of you biologic-takers offered a choice? How did you decide?

Teapot

Hello Boomer13 and everyone. I have not posted for a while but am an avid reader on this site as it really helps and lately definitely has. I started on Sulfasalazine step up programme on 12 July. Prior to this I was feeling fine. Since taking this I have felt gradually worse and have the same symptoms as you Bloomer13. Very nauseous, stomach ache and generally feeling so tired. I kept going with the sulf hoping it would get in my system but no, today I am feeling so nauseous and stomach ache. Rheumy nurse told me to cut down to 2 a day when I phoned her last week, instead of 4 and I did for a few days but I still feel bad. She said there was no problem with my blood tests and take 2 until I see consultant on 12th. As I feel so sick today I am not going to take them for a few days to see if things improve, trial and error ! I have read on this forum that some people can't take this and I am beginning to think I could be one of them. I am on 10 2.5 meth tablets a week and hydroxy and 1 folic acid a week, I also take lanzoporal stomach protector, and before I went on the sulf I felt OK. Why are we given sulf ? as this has never been explained to me. I do hope you feel better soon and a sympathize with you as its awful. Hope we both get this sorted soon and apologies for jumping in on your section.

stickywicket

I've heard others say they were offered a choice of biologics and I think the, like you, found it a bit bewildering. Tweedledum or Tweedledee? I guess I'd just read up on them and do my best to choose the one most relevant / least damaging given my own personal health record. I doubt it'll make much difference. They're not going to offer something really bad for your circumstances or, alas, a cure :roll:

I hope the post-meth nausea's a bit better today

Boomer13

Valde, I don't mind at all. I forgot to reply sooner, sorry. I think we are prescribed Sulf along side MTX and hydroxy in the hope that it will work to depress the immune system in a slightly different way to the other DMARDS and hopefully, reduce swelling, pain and fatigue. In my case I just wasn't responding to either MTX or hydroxy. I had lots of side-effects but kept going with it because I thought it would help long term. I gave it almost a year. I think that was an honest try.

I hope you can find the cause and fix for your stomach problems and nausea. No fun and disabling in it's own way.

marrianne

Boomer ,I am takeing nothing but biologics 12 weeks in ,couldnt tolerate the methotrexate ..... sick every day I am the best I have been in 20 years ok it might not last for ever see some are no longer feeling better on humira one of the best Anti tnf s ...but at the moment despite residual pain from old r/a dammage and slight increase in colestral s/p ..liver is fine AND I have never given up alcohol ,I just detox every now and then ,fingers crossed and all wishes you get sorted very soon Marrianne xx