Possible Celiac?

[GottaSki]

Protein, Total, Serum=  7.9 g/dL  range=6.4-8.2

Albumin, Serum=4.5 g/dl    range 3.4-5.0

Bilirubin, Total=0.7 mg/dl     Range 0.1-1.2

Bilirubin, Direct 0.2 mg/dl  Range 0.0-0.2

Alkaline Phosphatase, Serum= 158 U/L    Range=50-136 H

AST (SGOT)= 39 U/L   Range=0-37 H

ALT (SGPT)= 87 U/L Range= 0-65 H

A/G Ratio= 1.32     Range=1.00-2.00

 

 

Makes me feel a little better seeing the numbers. They are high but not that much, not uncommon for people with Celiac disease to have liver enzymes 15-20 or so points high when they are loaded up on gluten. The labs were drawn in the afternoon and that morning I ate a couple of donuts and had a couple of gluten packed bars for a snack just before I got the Drs. Office since I wasn't expecting to get my blood drawn. 

 

Elevated liver enzymes correct with time gluten-free.  Mine were very high at diagnosis and came down at a consistent rate until they were normal.  They have lived at a nice "normal" low for about three years now.

 

Welcome to the club....with time those elevated liver enzymes become part of the puzzle and their decrease is comforting....at least it was for me.

 

Hang in there

[Fenrir]

Well, starting to seem like i'm lactose intolerant or at least more sensative to it now than I was before. Really massive bloating and gas after eating a cup of yogurt.

 

I'm going to be miserable for a while when I go gluten-free, I eat yogurt and breat pretty much everyday.

[GottaSki]

Well, starting to seem like i'm lactose intolerant or at least more sensative to it now than I was before. Really massive bloating and gas after eating a cup of yogurt.

 

I'm going to be miserable for a while when I go gluten-free, I eat yogurt and breat pretty much everyday.

 

You will likely get your yogurt back -- try it again after six months gluten-free

[Celiacandme]

How your endoscopy/scope been scheduled? I'm glad you are starting to get some answers. Hope your scope is scheduled soon so you can go completely gluten free and get on the road to feeling better.

[Fenrir]

Unfortunately, all the GI groups around here are pretty busy so I don't get in until the 21st of April.

[ezgoindude]

Unfortunately, all the GI groups around here are pretty busy so I don't get in until the 21st of April.

Quick question Fennir,

 

By change did you notice any stomach pain or differences in stool prior to them thinking your gallbladder was the cause?  After cutting it out any difference in shape, color, or consistency?

 

Lol, nasty that I'm even asking but I'm currently going through this battle myself in getting a diagnosis and my guts occassionally burning and just funky looking stool is throwing me off.  Only been gluten/milk free for almost 4 months.

[Fenrir]

Quick question Fennir,

 

By change did you notice any stomach pain or differences in stool prior to them thinking your gallbladder was the cause?  After cutting it out any difference in shape, color, or consistency?

 

Lol, nasty that I'm even asking but I'm currently going through this battle myself in getting a diagnosis and my guts occassionally burning and just funky looking stool is throwing me off.  Only been gluten/milk free for almost 4 months.

Well, yes, I have had light colored stools since before I had my gallbladder out. Still happens sometimes now. Also have floating poop frequently, Both of those can be caused by celiac or a gallbladder issues.

[Fenrir]

My joints have been killing me the last couple weeks, particularly my knees. Can hardly make up stairs these days.

 

Two weeks until my biopsy.

[cyclinglady]

Hang in there!

[GFinDC]

Quick question Fennir,

 

By change did you notice any stomach pain or differences in stool prior to them thinking your gallbladder was the cause?  After cutting it out any difference in shape, color, or consistency?

 

Lol, nasty that I'm even asking but I'm currently going through this battle myself in getting a diagnosis and my guts occassionally burning and just funky looking stool is throwing me off.  Only been gluten/milk free for almost 4 months.

Hey EZ,

 

If you read up on having your gallblader removed you will find that the follow-on symptoms may include problems with diahrea and stool changes.  They say that tends to improve over time, like a year or so.

 

Open Original Shared Link

 

There have been quite a few people post on the forum about having their gallbladders removed prior to finding out they had celiac disease.  IMHO it's possible in some cases they may have been able to save their gallbladders if they knew about the gluten-free diet and began following it earlier.  The gallbladder reacts to chemical signals from the small intestine to discharge it's contents.  So if the small intestine is damaged and not sending those chemical signals the gallbladder is left helpless/up the creek.

 

Having your gall bladder out means the liver bile is continually being dumped into the small intestine instead of being held until needed by the gallbladder.  It's kinda similar to walking around with a full bladder and never urinating.  Eventually that is going to cause a problem.  If nothing else when it gets high enuff your eyes will turn yeller.

 

Of course if the gallbladder is already diseased/iretrievably damaged it needs to come out.  But it is worthwhile trying the gluten-free diet as a fix if that is not the case.  Once the small intestine heals and can make the chemical signals again, things may start working better in the gallbladder.

[ezgoindude]

 

Thanks for the reply Fenrir!  I feel you on the joint pain,  mine is only located in the lower back at the moment. 

 

 

Sup GFinDC!  I should have added that I haven't had any surgery yet, heck, they haven't even suspected my gallbladder after the mysterious endoscopy......

 

What is really bugging me is I haven't had a "normal" stool in months, pretty much right before I started getting crazy symptoms beyond the IBS excuses.

 

The stool is the right shape but color is off,  always light brown/ligh green?/tan......

 

 

Its also annoying that I'm doing an elimination diet but not finding relief and what could be problems other than gluten.  For example, I've brought back bell pepper and onion this week, and do necessarily feel worse, you know? so I can keep eating them?  then you read accounts online and nightshade veggies are supposed to be the worst for you?

 

Sorry for the rants but I tend to use this forum in some ways to vent when its been 6 months of testing with little to no idea on what they want to diagnose me.

[GFinDC]

Thanks for the reply Fenrir!  I feel you on the joint pain,  mine is only located in the lower back at the moment. 

 

 

Sup GFinDC!  I should have added that I haven't had any surgery yet, heck, they haven't even suspected my gallbladder after the mysterious endoscopy......

 

What is really bugging me is I haven't had a "normal" stool in months, pretty much right before I started getting crazy symptoms beyond the IBS excuses.

 

The stool is the right shape but color is off,  always light brown/ligh green?/tan......

 

 

Its also annoying that I'm doing an elimination diet but not finding relief and what could be problems other than gluten.  For example, I've brought back bell pepper and onion this week, and do necessarily feel worse, you know? so I can keep eating them?  then you read accounts online and nightshade veggies are supposed to be the worst for you?

 

Sorry for the rants but I tend to use this forum in some ways to vent when its been 6 months of testing with little to no idea on what they want to diagnose me.

 

Hi EZGoingDude,

 

The thing about food intolerances is, they don't come in a one size fits all package.  I might be intolerant to ABC and C,  while you might be intolerant to X, Y and Z.  That's why elimination diets are so helpful, they reveal the food intolerances of the person doing the diet, not some random others.

 

II don't know how you are doing your elimination diet.  A good way is to start with a very small number of foods, often 5 foods, and then slowly build up from there.  Slow as in adding only one new food every 3 to 5 days.  If you add too many foods to quickly it wil confuse the results.

 

Starting off with the just 5 foods for two weeks you should see an improvement in symptoms.  If you don't have any change either you are intolerant to one or more of the 5 foods you started with, or there is some other issue going on.

 

Another common digestive issue for us is gut flora whackiness, or dysbiosis.  That's where probiotics can  be helpful.

[ezgoindude]

Yea, after the blood tests come back I'm thinking of saving up for a food allergy test.... I caved and bought digestive enzymes to help the body, wouldn't hurt the gallbladder anymore, right? (haven't even checked that one yet....) 

 

What would be the recommended amount of probiotics daily?  the stores have it vary between 5billion to 200billion,  I bought 20billion thinking an average would be good.

 

Let us know about the biospy Fenrir,  from my endoscopy the doctor could see damage yet my biopsy shows healthy and normal........ getting nowhere!

[GFinDC]

Yea, after the blood tests come back I'm thinking of saving up for a food allergy test.... I caved and bought digestive enzymes to help the body, wouldn't hurt the gallbladder anymore, right? (haven't even checked that one yet....) 

 

What would be the recommended amount of probiotics daily?  the stores have it vary between 5billion to 200billion,  I bought 20billion thinking an average would be good.

 

Let us know about the biospy Fenrir,  from my endoscopy the doctor could see damage yet my biopsy shows healthy and normal........ getting nowhere!

 

Hi Ezgoing,

 

There aren't any set standards for amounts to take yet. 

 

Celiac Now (Harvard) probiotics, Prebiotics etc.

Open Original Shared Link

 

I have some that are 5 billion and some that are 10 billion etc.  The little buggers are going to multiply in your gut after all, so it's not critical I don't think.  But taking them every day for a while is good, so they can get established.

[Fenrir]

Well, only a few days until I have the colonscopy/EGD with biopsy.

 

I never would have expected to be excited to get a colonoscopy/EGD done but I just want to know what's wrong and get it fixed.

 

Knees continue to kill me lately, now headaches.

 

Hopefully this will be all over soon, because it seems to be getting worse.

[Fenrir]

Well, had the colonscopy and EGD with biopsies done yesterday. Went pretty well, wasn't as bad as I thought.

 

The GI doc says I probably don't have Crohn's which is good. Colonoscpy was negative for pretty much anything of cocern. EGD noted some reflux which I have had in the past but otherwise on visual looked fine.

 

Just waiting for biopsies to come back later in the week. She also did biopsies of the colon just because they were in there.

[GFinDC]

I hope they come up with some clear answers for you fenrir.  Waiting for test results sure is fun eh? 

[Fenrir]

Well, I wasn't expecting to get the results the next day but I it is official, I have Celiac Disease. 

 

I'm strangely happy about that, at least now I know what it is and it's not something worse. 

 

Colon biopsy negative so everything good there. 

 

Feels good to have a direction after 6 months of chronic pain and not feeling well. Good thing we figured this out as well, symptoms were getting worse. 

[kareng]

Well, I wasn't expecting to get the results the next day but I it is official, I have Celiac Disease. 

 

I'm strangely happy about that, at least now I know what it is and it's not something worse. 

 

Colon biopsy negative so everything good there. 

 

Feels good to have a direction after 6 months of chronic pain and not feeling well. Good thing we figured this out as well, symptoms were getting worse.

Welcome to the club! Unfortunately, the secret decoder rings have been on back order for 2 years.

[cyclinglady]

Supply issues still??????

Welcome, Fenrir!

[LauraTX]

Good to hear you finally have some answers, Fenrir.  Welcome to the "Nooooooo I don't wanna be in that club" club.  

[Fenrir]

Thanks for the welcomes.

 

This is the coolest uncool club that I never wanted to be a part of......

[1desperateladysaved]

Glad you are now ready to start your new gluten free life.  I am so glad you got a definitive diagnosis and so soon after the scope!

 

Dee

[GFinDC]

Wow, those were quick test results!

 

So, time to learn how to eat gluten-free then.  There is a whole new world of whole foods and gluten-free alternatives to explore.  It can be kind of fun to try out new foods that you may not have considered in the past.  Welcome to the 1% club Fenrir!

[GottaSki]

Welcome to the best club none of us ever wanted to join.

 

Good health awaits...cheers!