Poll: How Many Of You Had Elevated Liver Enzymes?

[trents]

I was wondering how many of you had elevated liver enzymes as one of your presenting medical conditions in the process of Celiac diagnosis. In retrospect, that was the first tip for me that something was wrong. I was first made aware of the liver enzymes being a little high when I went to donate blood in about 1990 at a Red Cross bloodmobile. They continued being high until about 2 years ago when I was diagnosed with Celiac's disease and went gluten free. Now they are normal but I think some permanent damage was done to the hepatacytes as now my total protein and albumin are always a little low. I should mention that my employer pays for a free CBC every year so I have been able to monitor these things for quite some time.

[jenvan]

I had high liver enzymes for years. That is very common with Celiacs. Most of the time they do return to normal after the gluten-free diet. Had mine cked a few weeks ago--back to normal. My albumin also came back slightly low, but I'm not aware of that being a problem for me at this point. Nice your employer pays!

[jerseyangel]

Mine were high--I had blood work done after 6 months on the diet, and the levels had returned to normal.

[happy4dolphins]

Mine have been rather on the high side as well. A few years ago they kept checking me for hemochromotosis (sp), but nada.

I donated blood back in early Feb and nobody said has said anything to me about anything. SO I presume I'm fine.

Nicole

[Guest Robbin]

I've had this too, off and on for about 15 years. My last test was in the normal range, I believe thanks to being gluten-free now, but one has to wonder what the damage is when it goes on for awhile. Does anyone know what the connection is between gluten and liver enzymes? My drs. were stumped and had me increase fiber--only added fuel to an already out-of-control-blaze!!

[trents]

I've had this too, off and on for about 15 years. My last test was in the normal range, I believe thanks to being gluten-free now, but one has to wonder what the damage is when it goes on for awhile. Does anyone know what the connection is between gluten and liver enzymes? My drs. were stumped and had me increase fiber--only added fuel to an already out-of-control-blaze!!

No one knows for sure what the connection is. The best theory I've heard has to do with the leaky gut syndrome caused by the inflamation of the autoimmune response to gluten in people with Celiac disease. According to the theory, the gut lining becomes more permeable and allows larger than normal protein molecules from incompletely digested food to pass into the blood stream. These larger than normal molecules are, in effect, toxins that the liver has to deal with constantly and so it is overtaxed.

[slpinsd]

Mine were in the normal range- but I did have elevated platelets- which I was told was due to inflammation.