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Pentasa liver issues

Ok experts. Please read over and add any knowledge u may have...
Here's my current issue...
Son is 13...diagnosed 10 months ago..severe UC....entire colon. Steroids first which turned everything around then pentasa and 6mp.
All symptoms seem to reverse..going real good EXCEPT. Liver labs slightly elevated...alt ast and alp..... We watched and waited and this continues so.... Along the road we upped the pentasa and reduced 6mp...trend continued....now he's off 6mp and dr intends on rechecking labs in 2 months(I think 1 month would be better)
My questions are: Does anyone find it unusual that liver enzymes trend upwards despite 6mp being reduced constantly?
And. Does Anyone have Any experience
Where the pentasa caused the liver issues??
 

David

Co-Founder
Location
Naples, Florida
When you upped the Pentasa and lowered the 6-MP what dose did you go from and to for each?

I found this for Asacol which has the same active ingredient as Pentasa:
Asymptomatic elevations of liver enzymes which usually resolve during continued use or with discontinuation of the drug have also been reported. One case of Kawasaki-like syndrome which included changes in liver enzymes was also reported.
 
He was climbing up pentasa to his current dose of 2500 mg per day....the 6mp was 50 mg...to 39.....to 35. To zero now...
Spoke to dr today about that pentasa possibility.....he said it is possible but far less likely than the 6mp as a suspect. Especially considering the Prometheus showed he had high levels of likelihood for liver complications......he says if the liver doesn't stabilize than we will begin to explore the pentasa possibility
 

Jennifer

Adminstrator
Staff member
Location
SLO
There was another user a while back who's child's liver was being affected by 6MP even though the dose kept being lowered (I want to say the child's name was Kota but I can't remember the user's name, maybe DustyKat or David might know who I'm talking about). Anyway, I believe it took some time for the 6MP to get out of his system before the number started to go back down (I forget how long it took though).

It seems that the Pentasa is a possibility just from doing a quick google search on it yet 6MP is a very likely culprit still even though he's recently stopped taking it. My liver was also elevated so I had to stop the 6MP and switched to Humira.

Also I have blood work done once a month (I did this as a child and as an adult). Doesn't make sense to me to wait 2 months rather than checking the numbers each month. You can try requesting the GI check each month or even have his GP check it instead if the GI doesn't want to.
 
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