Ahh! Obsessing About Other Problems Now!

[123glldd]

Guys I am totally freaking out....

#1 I've had anxiety issues most of my life...just putting that disclaimer out there. I KNOW I am overreacting....I just keep..."what if" ing.

#2 When i got my enterolab results...my fat content was 332..normal was below 300. My husband was about 700-800. It stated that Biliary Cirrhosis and pancreatic problems can cause that..or simply malabsorption due to celiac...or even just a high fat diet.

#3 For a few nights there I was waking up with tummy pain and nausea around the same time every night.

Okay..the past two nights i've been okay. *knock on wood*

So....I've not been feeling great and my husband suggested I do a UTI test. Well, the UTI test strips we have also have bilirubin on it..which of course is to do with the liver. I did 3 tests to be sure of my results. 2 were a color that didn't even match any of the colors on the comparison chart the last one was normal.

Blood tests I had in november 2011 showed all within range results for total bilirubin...albumin....alkaline phosphatase, ALT and AST....

So here's the thing...I'm still freaking out! Thinking about gallstones and blockages of bile ducts....please someone tell me i'm crazy and probably fine? lol *bangs head off the desk*

Yeah I really hate anxiety....

[tom]

Well I dunno if you're crazy, but ya REALLY ARE probably fine.

[lynnelise]

I wouldn't say your are crazy. All I can say is that I wouldn't worry too much about a blocked bile duct. Symptoms are usually pretty severe. My husband had one and he was doubled over in pain, the whites of his eyes started turning yellow, and his urine was day-glo orange!!!

Couldn't hurt to see your regular doctor and ask for some labs though!

[ravenwoodglass]

I agree you should talk to your doctor about your concerns. If your DH hasn't seen a doctor yet to figure out why his FF score was so high it would be a good idea if he did.

[123glldd]

Thanks guys. In the bilirubin topic I created I wrote out my experience with the doctor today..here is what i wrote in that topic:

I just got back from the doc and he felt around my abdomen..didn't feel anything weird and asked me if it hurt....i always feel a little uncomfy having my abdomen pressed on but nothing hurt at all. There was a trace small amount of billirubin in my urine he said but he thinks at worse it's probably gilberts syndrome. He said starvation (i think? and i haven't been eating much the past couple days) and stress (i've been pretty stressed) can cause slightly elevated levels? I mean he said it was apparently VERY slight. So i dunno...he's sending me for a full abdomenal ultrasound which i think should show something even if it's autoimmune as i guess they'd see the damage? i dunno... he and the nurse both felt that damage causing that probably wouldn't come on so quickly...my levels in november 2011 were great. which is why he feels gilberts could be what might be happening if anything which he says is not life threatening and is just something that happens sometimes. I mean..i know i COULD have had this my whole life...i mean..i've never tested billirubin on my own before so i have nothing to compare it to. I'm still a little scared but...i would guess if it was stones he'd prably of felt SOMETHING? hell..i should have if i had them but i didn't feel a thing so who knows.

So I'm gonna try and relax and enjoy memorial day weekend ....hopefully i can get my mind off the worry....i have horrible anxiety.. hopefully the more i stay away from gluten the better my anxiety will get (hopefully non existent). I agree my hubby needs to get checked as well. We have such a limited budget all the tests are killing us. *sighs* AND he just had surgery in march for a pilonidal cyst. Hoorah...isn't life grand? heh

[ravenwoodglass]

Thanks guys. In the bilirubin topic I created I wrote out my experience with the doctor today..here is what i wrote in that topic:

I just got back from the doc and he felt around my abdomen..didn't feel anything weird and asked me if it hurt....i always feel a little uncomfy having my abdomen pressed on but nothing hurt at all. There was a trace small amount of billirubin in my urine he said but he thinks at worse it's probably gilberts syndrome. He said starvation (i think? and i haven't been eating much the past couple days) and stress (i've been pretty stressed) can cause slightly elevated levels? I mean he said it was apparently VERY slight. So i dunno...he's sending me for a full abdomenal ultrasound which i think should show something even if it's autoimmune as i guess they'd see the damage? i dunno... he and the nurse both felt that damage causing that probably wouldn't come on so quickly...my levels in november 2011 were great. which is why he feels gilberts could be what might be happening if anything which he says is not life threatening and is just something that happens sometimes. I mean..i know i COULD have had this my whole life...i mean..i've never tested billirubin on my own before so i have nothing to compare it to. I'm still a little scared but...i would guess if it was stones he'd prably of felt SOMETHING? hell..i should have if i had them but i didn't feel a thing so who knows.

So I'm gonna try and relax and enjoy memorial day weekend ....hopefully i can get my mind off the worry....i have horrible anxiety.. hopefully the more i stay away from gluten the better my anxiety will get (hopefully non existent). I agree my hubby needs to get checked as well. We have such a limited budget all the tests are killing us. *sighs* AND he just had surgery in march for a pilonidal cyst. Hoorah...isn't life grand? heh

It sounds like your doctor isn't really concerned with this. Since you are newly diagnosed and celiac can impact liver function you may want to ask the doctor what he is looking for with the ultrasound and/or if you can hold off on it and recheck when you have been gluten-free for a bit. The liver issues may resolve on their own gluten free and if you are risking finacial difficulties you want to be sure he isn't ordering the test 'just to set your mind at ease'.

[GFinDC]

Did you see the part about photo therapy in the link to bilirubin testing in the other thread? It said the treatment for babies is a light blanket and it helps change the bilirubin in to a more easily eliminated form. I thought that was very interesting. So maybe if you get out and enjoy the holiday weekend and get some nice sun time you will reduce your bilirubin score. Maybe. Or at least have a nice weekend. :-)

[123glldd]

I actually really want the test as the anxiety is doing more harm to me than anything right now....so i'm going in on tuesday morning.

Also I was told about the light therapy....I am gonna try that this weekend yes I always feel better on a sunny day

[123glldd]

Well I took another test this morning..it MIGHT have been a bit lighter than it was before the weekend. I'm going for the ultrasound tomorrow morning. A little nervous but..something I noticed was....the weekend i felt great....we got home and within a couple hours i got a bit of a tummy ache...but when i took my anti anxiety meds (clonazepam) it subsided so i think it might be psychological/ stress for the tummy aches..the bilirubin i'm still unsure but the sunlight might have helped that. I'll be doing another urine test in the morning before i go in for the ultrasound. I was outside most of the day today.

[GFinDC]

Well good, feeling better is great! Getting some sun also helps with vitamin D levels. So that might be something to have checked.

[123glldd]

Well good, feeling better is great! Getting some sun also helps with vitamin D levels. So that might be something to have checked.

Oh I was put on nutrimetrix vitamin D3 +k2 last november for a month..every day. Then every other day there after. and YES i felt better. But now that i'm completely gluten free it may be really starting to kick in. But really there is nothing like being outside in the fresh (or semi fresh ? lol) air.

I had my ultrasound today....AND got the results about an hour ago. Everything is perfect. No gallstones...my gallbladder..liver...kidneys..pancreas...apparently they all look perfect. So either the bilirubin was a result of celiac or i have gilbert's syndrome but there is certainly nothing there physically it seems. I cried I was so relieved. No seriously....big weight off my shoulders.

[GFinDC]

Great news Krista! Celiac can cause a whole lot of symptoms, but the nice thing is usually they resolve on the gluten-free diet. Once we stop poisoning our bodies, things just tend to get better.

[123glldd]

Great news Krista! Celiac can cause a whole lot of symptoms, but the nice thing is usually they resolve on the gluten-free diet. Once we stop poisoning our bodies, things just tend to get better.

For sure. I am guessing I either have Gilbert's Syndrome like my Doctor theorized or maybe I'm not just gluten sensitive but full blown celiac (I think i heard in someone elses thread that's what would possibly cause it?) and had increased bilirubin like some others did. I did another test strip yesterday morning before i went as I had to use the washroom when I woke up and the bilirubin area was much lighter than it was when I first took the test...it probably is to do with the gluten...it seemed to be getting better anyhow.