Jump to content
This site uses cookies. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. More Info... ×

  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):

    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com!
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Why Elevated Alt Liver Enzyme After All Of These Years?

knowurgluten

Recommended Posts

knowurgluten Rookie
knowurgluten
Posted

Hi,

I am 44 yrs old. I have celiac sprue and have had elevated liver enzymes on and off for over 12 years.

I thought it was due to celiac but I've been gluten free for 7 years except found out a few months back that I was consuming a product regularly with gluten arrgghhh...when I was told it was gluten-free:(

ALT 87 and should be mid 40's. I saw a liver specialist years ago and he didn't really have an answer and since they had gone back down when seeing him, he discharged me and didn't feel I needed follow up.

But, I read all of these horrific things about chronic ALT values.

I haven't had a drink in 20 years and back then it was maybe 5 in my whole life.

I used to take a lot of tylenol for headaches but now take it maybe 20 times a year.

I was tested for A,B,C Hep and all negative. Fatty liver negative. Doctor said I had hepatitis of unknown etiology.

My cholesterol is elevated by about 40 points and my LDL is off a little too.

I don't sleep well at night.

I am only 130 lbs.

I eat little meat but was eating a lot of peanut butter.

I eat NO gluten and haven't for awhile now. I have checked all meds, lip gloss, and only eat something if it says gluten-free on the package.

I have stomach issues still, and 2 new lumps in my breast that are hopefully just fibrocystic.

My questions.

Why in the world is my liver inflammed?

I have no clue why this is...can someone please help me figure this out?

Thank you so much. I appreciate any help at all.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


trents Grand Master
trents
Posted

I don't have an answer for you but I have a question: Do you have any recent records of total protein/albumin levels? After years of undiagnosed celiac disease and elevated alt/ast levels my total protein/albumin levels are chronically below normal even though I have been gluten free for about 6 years and my liver enzymes returned to normal range within 3 months of going off gluten. I'm just wondering if I had already done irreparable damage to my liver by then. The liver makes albumin and other serum proteins.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
knowurgluten Rookie
knowurgluten
  • Author
Posted
I don't have an answer for you but I have a question: Do you have any recent records of total protein/albumin levels? After years of undiagnosed celiac disease and elevated alt/ast levels my total protein/albumin levels are chronically below normal even though I have been gluten free for about 6 years and my liver enzymes returned to normal range within 3 months of going off gluten. I'm just wondering if I had already done irreparable damage to my liver by then. The liver makes albumin and other serum proteins.

I will let you know if that is on my labs when I get my copy. I am assuming my protein was fine because my doctor read the abnormal ones to me on the phone tonight.

The liver can heal itself and so if you are not a heavy drinker or don't have hepatitis, most peoples liver recovers from what I understand.

I just wonder if mine is mercury poison. I have mercury fillings and so I am looking into detoxing with chlorella for that.

Anyone else detox mercury out of your system before?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
knowurgluten Rookie
knowurgluten
  • Author
Posted

I just ran onto these links

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

So perhaps I was getting gluten from those vitamins and it's only been several months...so a year my liver should improve with a total gluten-free diet. what do you all think?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
trents Grand Master
trents
Posted

Yeah, I'd seen that first linked article by Dr. Reich several years ago.

What is your age? The latest research suggests there is usually not good recovery of the flattened villi after about age 35 even when people go gluten free. Have you had a repeat biopsy since going gluten free? I had one in April afte 5+ years of concientous gluten free living and was dismayed to find there was still inflamation and villi blunting. I am wondering if I have refractory sprue.

Costco Kirkland Signature brand vitamins are gluten free.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
ranger Enthusiast
ranger
Posted

My liver enzymes were slightly elevated and doc ordered a liver biopsy. Had I been more aware, I would have refused the test, but at the time I pretty much blindly followed. Next day had to go to hospital for a chest e-ray because I was coughing up blood. Turns out he missed the liver and took a biopsy of lung tissue. I'll never blindly follow again.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
trents Grand Master
trents
Posted
My liver enzymes were slightly elevated and doc ordered a liver biopsy. Had I been more aware, I would have refused the test, but at the time I pretty much blindly followed. Next day had to go to hospital for a chest e-ray because I was coughing up blood. Turns out he missed the liver and took a biopsy of lung tissue. I'll never blindly follow again.

That's a terrible experience! Doc had a bad aim, huh?

Actually, even if he had not missed the liver, bleeding is one of the dangers with a liver biopsy. There's lots of blood supply to the liver.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


noglut4me Newbie
noglut4me
Posted
My liver enzymes were slightly elevated and doc ordered a liver biopsy. Had I been more aware, I would have refused the test, but at the time I pretty much blindly followed. Next day had to go to hospital for a chest e-ray because I was coughing up blood. Turns out he missed the liver and took a biopsy of lung tissue. I'll never blindly follow again.

Oh my gosh, that is horrible! are you okay now?

What were your liver enzymes at?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 1 month later...
Brooklyn528 Apprentice
Brooklyn528
Posted

Hello! I know that your post was from some time ago, but i really wanted to say something. I was diagnosed with celiac disease in 1/09 My enzymes were elevated at that time. They consistently stayed that way, and i was determined to find out why. After being gluten-free until 8/09 and still elevated LFT's, I went to a GI doctor who agreed that they were not elevated by celiac disease. He ran the gammit of liver test. I came back negative for the hepatitis panel, but further down on the copy they faxed to me he had circled my antinucleic antibody level, which was extremely high, put a check mark next to it, and wrote Autoimmune Hepatitis. From there, I had a liver biopsy done on Sept 14th, it came back on Sept 24th as severe hepatitis with bridging necrosis. I was absolutely horrified. I have started treatment and have a referral to a hepatologist, but it will be touch and go for a while.

I would like you to let me know how you are doing and if you had found anything out. Are you being treated for your hepatitis, with what?

Thanks, hope to help

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      121,091
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Grammar B
    Newest Member
    Grammar B
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      120.3k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • trents
      Waiting for urgent referral.

      By trents · Posted

      Oh, okay. The lower case "b" in boots in your first post didn't lead me in the direction of a proper name. I thought maybe it was a specialty apothecary for people with pedal diseases or something.
    • Scott Adams
      50 YO Male Recently Diagnosed with Celiac Disease

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      In the Europe the new protocol for making a celiac disease diagnosis in children is if their tTg-IgA (tissue transglutaminase IgA) levels are 10 times or above the positive level for celiac disease. According to the latest research, if the blood test results are at certain high levels that range between 5-10 times the reference range for a positive celiac disease diagnosis, it may not be necessary to confirm the results using an endoscopy/biopsy: Blood Test Alone Can Diagnose Celiac Disease in Most Children and Adults TGA-IgA at or Above Five Times Normal Limit in Kids Indicates Celiac Disease in Nearly All Cases No More Biopsies to Diagnose Celiac Disease in Children! There are other things that may cause elevated tTg-IgA levels, but in general a reaction to gluten is the culprit:    
    • cristiana
      Waiting for urgent referral.

      By cristiana · Posted

      Hi @trents Just seen this - Boot's is a chain of pharmacies in the UK, originally founded in the 19th Century by a chap with the surname, Boot.  It's a household name here in the UK and if you say you are going to Boot's everyone knows you are off to the pharmacist! Cristiana
    • Denise I
      Celiac Dietician

      By Denise I · Posted

      I am looking to find a Celiac Dietician who is affiliated with the Celiac Disease Foundation who I can set up an appointment with.  Can you possibly give some guidance on this?  Thank you!
    • Posterboy
      14 year old with Celiac & EOE still suffering...

      By Posterboy · Posted

      Nacina, Knitty Kitty has given you good advice. But I would say/add find a Fat Soluble B-1 like Benfotiamine for best results.  The kind found in most Multivitamins have a very low absorption rate. This article shows how taking a Fat Soluble B-1 can effectively help absorption by 6x to7x times. https://www.naturalmedicinejournal.com/journal/thiamine-deficiency-and-diabetic-polyneuropathy quoting from the article.... "The group ingesting benfotiamine had maximum plasma thiamine levels that were 6.7 times higher than the group ingesting thiamine mononitrate.32" Also, frequency is much more important than amount when it comes to B-Vitamin. These are best taken with meals because they provide the fat for better absorption. You will know your B-Vitamin is working properly when your urine becomes bright yellow all the time. This may take two or three months to achieve this.......maybe even longer depending on how low he/you are. The Yellow color is from excess Riboflavin bypassing the Kidneys....... Don't stop them until when 2x a day with meals they start producing a bright yellow urine with in 2 or 3 hours after the ingesting the B-Complex...... You will be able to see the color of your urine change as the hours go by and bounce back up after you take them in the evening. When this happens quickly......you are now bypassing all the Riboflavin that is in the supplement. The body won't absorb more than it needs! This can be taken as a "proxy" for your other B-Vitamin levels (if taken a B-Complex) ...... at least at a quick and dirty level......this will only be so for the B-1 Thiamine levels if you are taking the Fat Soluble forms with the Magnesium as Knitty Kitty mentioned. Magnesium is a Co-Factor is a Co-factor for both Thiamine and Vitamin D and your sons levels won't improve unless he also takes Magnesium with his Thiamine and B-Complex. You will notice his energy levels really pick up.  His sleeping will improve and his muscle cramps will get better from the Magnesium! Here is nice blog post that can help you Thiamine and it's many benefits. I hope this is helpful but it is not medical advice God speed on your son's continued journey I used to be him. There is hope! 2 Tim 2:7 “Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things” this included. Posterboy by the grace of God,  
×
×
  • Create New...