First GI Doctor visit

[Spencer88]

    Hi all! Back in August of 2016 I started experiencing some crazy symptoms mostly started with fatigue and worked its way up to anxiety attacks along with moments in which I felt like my blood pressure was super low. I ended up going to my primary care doctor and he ran several tests. My white cell count was elevated, my liver numbers were 63 and 150ish (elevated liver enzymes). He also had tests run for Celiac and a Hepatitis Panel. Hep panel came back 100% negative however I tested positive for Celiac. I received these results on October the 4th. My primary care doctor refured me to a GI doctor. That visit is on November the 9th. 

I was wondering if anyone could give me some good questions I should be asking or if I should ask about more specific testing with my GI doctor? I know they will be looking at my liver for sure. Has anyone else experienced elevated liver enzymes due to Celiac? Can that damage be reverted easily to get those numbers back to normal? 

Thank you for the support! 

[ravenwoodglass]

Hopefully your doctor told you NOT to go gluten free until after you saw the GI doctor. You do need to be actively eating gluten if the GI wants to do an endoscopy.

As to the liver enzymes many celiacs have these elevated before diagnosis. They will likely go down without any treatment after you have been gluten free for a bit. Try not to worry too much about it. As to the question of having a drink or two on your birthday it shouldn't do any harm but do ask your GI about it when you see the doctor.

 

[ironictruth]

TTG can come back positive with other diseases, including liver disease. Not to scare you, it is probably celiac. I have read it happens to a lot of celiacs. Do you know what tests were run?

They will do a biopsy. Maybe an abdominal ultrasound as well. 

My BP dropped as well randomly. I caught it by buying a monitor and checking. I would get episodes of feeling horrendous and my heartrate would be like, 50. BP 80/40's. Then it would spike and return to normal. Not super low, but low for an anxious person. My doc's office said it was anxiety attacks (not likely with a heartrate of 50). Sugar commonly drops in folks not absorbing as well. I would immediately eat during these episodes. We are still trying to figure it all out. 

Any problems with gallbladder or common bile ducts? Abdominal pain?

I hope you get a good GI! Keep us posted!

[Spencer88]

Hi all! Thanks again for responding in on this topic. 

Sorry for the delay, been trying to find time to update this. 

I visited my GI doctor who I think is great! she was very thorough and let me ask a lot of questions. Of course she asked me many questions. I answered all of them to the best of my ability. She did mention how she wanted to do a biopsy but that it would be up to me if I really wanted to follow through with that. She said that the only benefit of doing a biopsy is just knowing 100% whether or not I have celiac. She did mention that she wasn't 100% positive herself that I have celiac. She wants to run a series of other tests to see how my liver is doing. 

I did receive a ultrasound of my entire abdominal cavity back and front. That came back all good from the radiologist. 

My GI wants to run these tests: 

-Alpha-1-Antitrypsin blood

-Ana Blood Screen W/Reflex Titer 

-Ceruloplasmin 

-Iron + TIBC Panel 

-Metanephrines Urine Fractionated 

-Vitamin D 1,25 Dihydroxy 

-Vitamin D 25-Hydroxy 

In order to do one of these tests I have to be admitted into the hospital into the IV Therapy department. One of the tests takes about an hour and requires that I have zero distractions in the room, no cell phone, no tv. Is all this normal protocol? Is my GI trying to rule out other possibilities? Did anyone else have these types of test run? 

Thank you guys! 

Spencer