Methotrexate blood test and liver marker up

Claire_a_Bella

Hi,

I've been on Methotrexate for about a year and a half now and up until now my blood tests have been fine. I started on Cosentyx in February and had to have a monitoring blood test a month after starting it which was the 9th March. I have spent the last few weeks trying to get in touch with rheumatology to find out my blood test results. Yesterday (4th April) the rheumatologist finally rang me back after me leaving many messages and said one of my liver markers was up. She said these things happen sometimes and to not worry, to go for another blood test a 4 weeks and she has dropped my dose from 20mg to 15mg. The problem is, I am a natural born worrier and am now really panicking that something is wrong with my liver seeing as the marker is up.

Has anyone else ever had a liver marker up and did it all return to normal? I'm going to be worrying until my next blood test.

Thank you in advance,

Claire

Ellen

Good morning @Claire_a_Bella Welcome to the Versus Arthritis Online Community.

I understand from your post that your liver markers are up and your Methotrexate (MTX) has been reduced from 20mg to 15mg. You are quite understandably anxious and wondering if anyone else has ever been in a similar position and if they were did things return to normal.

People do report blood results like this on here from time to time so you are not alone. I am going to attach a link from this January on the same subject:

https://community.versusarthritis.org/discussion/56110/told-to-stop-taking-methotrexate-after-blood-tests

This is not so recent, but may reassure you:

https://community.versusarthritis.org/discussion/comment/371028#Comment_371028

Best wishes

Ellen.

frogmorton

Hi @Claire_a_Bella

I haven't ever had this problem, but I have read so many here have it over the years most seem to resolve with time or a reduced dose.

I think it's good that they do our bloods and keep an eye on our levels.

Hopefully now you are on your new medication you might need less MTX anyway fingers crossed.

Easy for me to say, but try not to worry ((()))

Toni x

scotleag

Hi @Claire_a_Bella

This has happened to me several times and the raw numbers they tell you can be scary. I've been on Methotrexate for a few years and whenever this happened the next test turned out all right. Except for the last time when it was still high and they did the same as to you - dropped the methotrexate from 20mg to 15mg.

One of the problems - for me anyway - was as a consequence of the pandemic blood tests were taken far less frequently so monitoring became more of a problem. But as I say it's happened to me several times. My rheumatologist has now set the bar higher regarding the liver test.

I panicked a bit after my last test when I received a text the following day asking me to come in for a fresh blood test as I'd had several weeks off methotrexate (and that was far worse than anything else) but it turned out my liver was fine but this time I had a high potassium reading. That too has now resolved itself.

Sorry, I hadn't seen the link from @Ellen linking to my initial post on this. Please consider the above as an update to that.

Claire_a_Bella

Thank you everyone for your comments, they have reassured me a little and I am just hoping this is a blip. Fingers crossed my marker will return to normal for the next blood test. Thanks again, Claire.