Jump to content
  • 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 Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

High Liver Enzymes A Sign Of Gluten Intolerance?


gonnabeglutenfree

Recommended Posts

gonnabeglutenfree Rookie

Have been suspecting gluten issues based on more than a year and a half of logging my food. Never thought to log my SYMPTOMS along with my foods until about 3-4 months ago. Have had constipation, violent vomitting and even diarrhea after eating certain foods.

27 years old. Athletic (workout 6-10hours a week) Eat what all doctors recommend. About 1400-1600 cals, only water/black coffee/teas/limited sugary stuff. Veggies as much as possible, fruits, olive oil, greek yogurt with active cultures, meats (organic chicken/beef, bacon, shrimp/fish, Applegate or Boar's Head deli meats, no meat with every meal), occasionally dairy like sour cream or creamer (don't care for any of it). Prefer almond milk/coconut milk.

The only grains I eat are oatmeal, whole grain breads for sandwiches, wheat buns/breads at restaurants, spinach wraps, pizza crusts, bagels.

No alcohol in the last year or so. It HURTS to drink beer. And wine makes me feel sniffly. It's not fun so I just don't. Occasional whiskey drink if I am in a social setting. I just milk that one drink and stick to water after that...

Typically react to the grains (Subway is the worst), pizzas, pastas, beer, and baked goods.

Received my lab work back and visited a gastro specialist who insists I have a crappy liver...

Background:

High liver enzymes

AST: 48

ALT: 74

Bilirubin: 1.8

Total Chol: 355

LDL: 271

HDL: 63

Triglycerides: 103

Hemoglobin: 15.6

Hematocrit: 46.2

The doctor brushed off my GI symptoms as only IBS and recommended I eat yogurt (even tohugh I already do that...). When I suggested a wheat intolerance, he REALLY became firm that it was only IBS.

He went straight for the liver...

My feeling is that my body and liver are fighting the inflammation from my body's reaction to wheat.

Why is it so damned hard for a doctor to at least rule out wheat intolerance/celiac? Then we could move on?

I found a private lab that I plan to test for IgA and IgG.

Frustrated! Kind of worried!!


Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



IrishHeart Veteran

Your cholesterol level is very high for a young, athletic person on a pretty good diet.

Doctor are not very quick to suggest celiac or a gluten free diet for GI distress for reasons none of US on here can quite understand.

Many of us heard "IBS" and do you know what we say it means?

It means the doc is thinking:

I

Be

Stumped

There is a link between elevated liver enzymes and gluten/celiac--but also to several other conditions. (mine were slightly elevated, but dropped back down after being gluten-free)

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

roxieb73 Contributor

Have been suspecting gluten issues based on more than a year and a half of logging my food. Never thought to log my SYMPTOMS along with my foods until about 3-4 months ago. Have had constipation, violent vomitting and even diarrhea after eating certain foods.

27 years old. Athletic (workout 6-10hours a week) Eat what all doctors recommend. About 1400-1600 cals, only water/black coffee/teas/limited sugary stuff. Veggies as much as possible, fruits, olive oil, greek yogurt with active cultures, meats (organic chicken/beef, bacon, shrimp/fish, Applegate or Boar's Head deli meats, no meat with every meal), occasionally dairy like sour cream or creamer (don't care for any of it). Prefer almond milk/coconut milk.

The only grains I eat are oatmeal, whole grain breads for sandwiches, wheat buns/breads at restaurants, spinach wraps, pizza crusts, bagels.

No alcohol in the last year or so. It HURTS to drink beer. And wine makes me feel sniffly. It's not fun so I just don't. Occasional whiskey drink if I am in a social setting. I just milk that one drink and stick to water after that...

Typically react to the grains (Subway is the worst), pizzas, pastas, beer, and baked goods.

Received my lab work back and visited a gastro specialist who insists I have a crappy liver...

Background:

High liver enzymes

AST: 48

ALT: 74

Bilirubin: 1.8

Total Chol: 355

LDL: 271

HDL: 63

Triglycerides: 103

Hemoglobin: 15.6

Hematocrit: 46.2

The doctor brushed off my GI symptoms as only IBS and recommended I eat yogurt (even tohugh I already do that...). When I suggested a wheat intolerance, he REALLY became firm that it was only IBS.

He went straight for the liver...

My feeling is that my body and liver are fighting the inflammation from my body's reaction to wheat.

Why is it so damned hard for a doctor to at least rule out wheat intolerance/celiac? Then we could move on?

I found a private lab that I plan to test for IgA and IgG.

Frustrated! Kind of worried!!

I do have elevated liver enyzmes. I know there is a link. I also have high cholesterol and had high blood levels till I quit absorbing iron now they are normal but I am iron deficent. So yes it could all be realated.

jnh380 Rookie

I was recently diagnosed with Celiac, but my first indication anything was wrong was 6 years ago when I saw a GI doc about elevation ALT and Bilirubin tests. I was diagnosed with Gilbert's syndrome, which is a naturally occuring elevation Bilirubin.

Now that I know I have celiac I think this was a precursor or indication of something not quite right about my digestion. All they can say now is I have a fatty liver, not that it is connected to Celiac. However if you read up on the links between Celiac and Liver issues it seems like a strong link between the two.

gonnabeglutenfree Rookie

I was recently diagnosed with Celiac, but my first indication anything was wrong was 6 years ago when I saw a GI doc about elevation ALT and Bilirubin tests. I was diagnosed with Gilbert's syndrome, which is a naturally occuring elevation Bilirubin.

Now that I know I have celiac I think this was a precursor or indication of something not quite right about my digestion. All they can say now is I have a fatty liver, not that it is connected to Celiac. However if you read up on the links between Celiac and Liver issues it seems like a strong link between the two.

Thanks everyone so much for reading.

I am like a lot of people....had not much of an idea what celiac truly involved.

Until I began researching symptoms AND when I got my bloodwork back.

I am CONVINVCED this is gluten related and plan to get to the bottom of this myself! Doctor or no doctor. :)

To be fair, I really have tried to go the traditional route and thought it would be easier if I could get a doctor to diagnose me. But why wait? What if I do before then?

My plan is to continue to work with this registered dietician who has been through the EXACT same thing. The only difference was she was experiencing arthitic symptoms as well and was very young.

My concern is...why in the HECK would he not want to rule out more things considering that I am otherwise in great health and do all of the right things (including eat my grains). Even a patient in a nearby room mumbled under his breath, "What is SHE doing in here? She looks so healthy?" And I wanted to scream "BECAUSE I HAVE CELIAC AND THESE STUPID DOCTORS JUST WANT TO FORCE ME INTO EXPENSIVE PILLS, SURGERGIES AND MORE SUFFERING"

You know what. They can keep their stupid diagnoses....

I will prove to them with better stats. Dummies!

It started today!

Fruit smoothie for breakfast

Lots of raw veggies with my chicken topped salad.

Tomato soup

some more raw veggies from our garden for dinner!

first round of heavy duty probiotics.

ravenwoodglass Mentor

Yes elevated liver enzymes can be part of the impact of celiac. I was accused by more than one doctor of being an alcoholic even though most of the time when I did drink prediagnosis I drank NA beer.

Do be sure to read as much here as you can and ask any questions you need to. Make sure you read all labels and are very careful in restaurants. If you can go with whole foods as much as possible do so.

I hope your feeling better soon and at your next checkup your liver enzymes are in normal ranges. Then you can do the 'I told you so' dance for your doctor.

lovegrov Collaborator

My liver enzymes were high and because I did drink too much at the time, one doctor immediately decided I had destroyed my liver drinking. Except it immediately started getting better with IVs.

You most definitely should be concerned abut that cholesterol number. That's really, really high and I doubt that's attributable to celiac. In fact, my cholesterol was EXTREMELY low because of celiac, which is not uncommon among people with undiagnosed celiac. It was 120.

richard


Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



Skylark Collaborator

Hey, if you're getting private celiac testing you need to keep eating gluten until after the tests are done! The blood tests are inaccurate gluten-free because they measure antibodies that only are in your blood when you are consuming gluten on a daily basis. Keep your wheat consumption at or even above where it usually is until the test is done. I do think getting private testing is a great idea. Are you getting the Cyrex panel or something else? Do you need a list of celiac tests from us?

You most definitely should be concerned abut that cholesterol number. That's really, really high and I doubt that's attributable to celiac. In fact, my cholesterol was EXTREMELY low because of celiac, which is not uncommon among people with undiagnosed celiac. It was 120.

richard

Richard is right that your cholesterol is a concern, particularly with the high LDL and low HDL. If it doesn't start falling within a few months of when you go gluten-free you need to start researching how to control it. Look into paleo/primal diet and the benefits of natural fats as part of your reading. :)

gonnabeglutenfree Rookie

Hey, if you're getting private celiac testing you need to keep eating gluten until after the tests are done! The blood tests are inaccurate gluten-free because they measure antibodies that only are in your blood when you are consuming gluten on a daily basis. Keep your wheat consumption at or even above where it usually is until the test is done. I do think getting private testing is a great idea. Are you getting the Cyrex panel or something else? Do you need a list of celiac tests from us?

Richard is right that your cholesterol is a concern, particularly with the high LDL and low HDL. If it doesn't start falling within a few months of when you go gluten-free you need to start researching how to control it. Look into paleo/primal diet and the benefits of natural fats as part of your reading. :)

Thanks so much Skylark and everyone!

I found a lab through my insurance that allows me to mail in blood and stool samples. They have a celiac panel with all of the ones I've read here. (I think there were 5...possibly 6 different things listed)

The only hang up now is that I do need a doctor's authorization OR you can pay more through MyMedLab.com and have their specialists approve it (of course more $$).

So....if my chiropractor is not willing, which we are very close to him, so I believe he actually might, then I will pay the extra. My RD would DEFINITELY sign but she is on vacation until Friday, and I LEAVE on saturday. It would be another two weeks of feeling bad.

My liver ultrasound was today. The whole time I laid their fuming because it's not my liver you dummies...it's my guts causing my liver to react!! lol

I have for sure been force-feeding myself gluten since before Memorial Day 05/28. I did skip it over the weekend (Fri/Sat/Sun) because of a gnarly migraine and started to feel better instantly.

Guess I will just go on a wild gluten binge this week and get it out of my system this week.

Death by cookies, anyone?

gonnabeglutenfree Rookie

Thanks so much Skylark and everyone!

I found a lab through my insurance that allows me to mail in blood and stool samples. They have a celiac panel with all of the ones I've read here. (I think there were 5...possibly 6 different things listed)

The only hang up now is that I do need a doctor's authorization OR you can pay more through MyMedLab.com and have their specialists approve it (of course more $$).

So....if my chiropractor is not willing, which we are very close to him, so I believe he actually might, then I will pay the extra. My RD would DEFINITELY sign but she is on vacation until Friday, and I LEAVE on saturday. It would be another two weeks of feeling bad.

My liver ultrasound was today. The whole time I laid their fuming because it's not my liver you dummies...it's my guts causing my liver to react!! lol

I have for sure been force-feeding myself gluten since before Memorial Day 05/28. I did skip it over the weekend (Fri/Sat/Sun) because of a gnarly migraine and started to feel better instantly.

Guess I will just go on a wild gluten binge this week and get it out of my system this week.

Death by cookies, anyone?

My chiropractor has agreed to sign.

So maybe I will have a test confirm something...anything!

Can't continue these awful headaches and feeling like I am constantly carrying around a gut bomb.

Skylark Collaborator

Great! You had me laughing at "death by cookies". Time to eat all your favorite gluten foods and wish them a fond farewell! :lol: Have some crusty sourdough for me, willya?

Good luck with the testing and getting an answer.

beachbirdie Contributor

27 years old. Athletic (workout 6-10hours a week) Eat what all doctors recommend. About 1400-1600 cals, only water/black coffee/teas/limited sugary stuff. Veggies as much as possible, fruits, olive oil, greek yogurt with active cultures, meats (organic chicken/beef, bacon, shrimp/fish, Applegate or Boar's Head deli meats, no meat with every meal), occasionally dairy like sour cream or creamer (don't care for any of it). Prefer almond milk/coconut milk.

The only grains I eat are oatmeal, whole grain breads for sandwiches, wheat buns/breads at restaurants, spinach wraps, pizza crusts, bagels.

I found a private lab that I plan to test for IgA and IgG.

Frustrated! Kind of worried!!

With the high cholesterol and headaches going on, I think you should also be investigating your thyroid. A messed up thyroid can really affect the numbers.

Don't take "normal" for an answer, get your TSH, Free T3 and Free T4 done. I couldn't get a handle on my cholesterol (even with healthy diet) till my thyroid was well treated.

roxieb73 Contributor

Eat some cookies for me! :D lol

gonnabeglutenfree Rookie

With the high cholesterol and headaches going on, I think you should also be investigating your thyroid. A messed up thyroid can really affect the numbers.

Don't take "normal" for an answer, get your TSH, Free T3 and Free T4 done. I couldn't get a handle on my cholesterol (even with healthy diet) till my thyroid was well treated.

My original bloodwork that prompted my primary to send me to the GI/Hepatic Specialist included thyroid levels and those were fine. :-/

The blood sample from home testing was going to be REALLY complicated. I decided since I don't have children yet, to go ahead and begin an elimination diet.

This week I have avoided all gluten, and have restricted sugar and dairy too. (Based on some things me and my dietician had already discussed).

FEELING FANTASTIC! And can't believe I felt like it was okay to live with zero energy and general lethargy for so long. It just became normal...

I did have one slip up on the 4th. I ordered something and forgot to check if it was cooked with anything flour/wheat. It definitely was. I balooned up like a 9 month pregnant lady for two days with horrible stomach pains. Just now feeling normal again.

When I teach fitness classes, I am starting to feel my old energy come back as when I was new at teaching.

My plan is to retest at 1 year, and see if being gluten free for the year affects my stats. If this week is an indicator, it will most certainly be life changing! Still waiting on my additional liver bloodwork and liver ultrasound results. From the screen, things looked normal on my ultrasound, but I am not a tech, so we'll see!

Skylark Collaborator

That's great! I'm so glad you feel better.

gonnabeglutenfree Rookie

That's great! I'm so glad you feel better.

One other question....

Can OB/GYNs order celiac panels? I mean they can test your hormone levels via bloodwork, so if you had concerns about celiac and gluten, wouldn't they be able to have you tested? Because it can lead to things like infertility, migraines, etc. That a lot of women struggle with.

I really love my OB/GYN's office and have been with them for years. She would actually listen to my concerns. Especially when I tell her I stopped taking medication that she was giving me for migraines, because so far NO migraine issues at all!

The lingering migraine I had for the two weeks leading up to my GI visit (hoping for celiac testing), I gorged myself on wheat. It was AWFUL. Never doing that again unless someone will listen to me.

Skylark Collaborator

One other question....

Can OB/GYNs order celiac panels? I mean they can test your hormone levels via bloodwork, so if you had concerns about celiac and gluten, wouldn't they be able to have you tested? Because it can lead to things like infertility, migraines, etc. That a lot of women struggle with.

Sure. Any MD can order a celiac panel if it's justified.

Archived

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

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

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):





    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):




  • Recent Activity

    1. - Theresa2407 replied to Theresa2407's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      2

      Probiotics

    2. - KathyR37 replied to KathyR37's topic in Coping with Celiac Disease
      2

      New here

    3. - Scott Adams replied to KathyR37's topic in Coping with Celiac Disease
      2

      New here

    4. - KathyR37 posted a topic in Coping with Celiac Disease
      2

      New here

    5. - Scott Adams replied to Colleen H's topic in Post Diagnosis, Recovery & Treatment of Celiac Disease
      3

      Celiac attack confusion and anxiety


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):



  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      131,808
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748

    mhendy123
    Newest Member
    mhendy123
    Joined

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):


  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.4k
    • Total Posts
      1m

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):





  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):



  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Theresa2407
      thank you for your advice.   I have always taken them and I use Stonehedge because they are in a glass bottle, but don't have to be refrigerated.  I also like they are 3rd party tested and state gluten free. But you never know if something better has come alone over the years.
    • KathyR37
      Thank you for your response. I have already learned about the info you sent but i appreciate your effort. I am the only one in my family cursed by this disease. I have to cook for them too. I make sure that my utensils are free of gluten and clean after using them for other food. I use non-porous pots and pans and  gloves when cooking for them. One huge problem I have is a gag reflex out of this world and if something doesn't taste good it is not going down. Most commercially made breads and such taste like old cardboard.Pastas are about the same. I did find one flour that I like and use it regularly, but it is so expensive! All gluten free food is way more expensive. I only eat twice a day because I cannot afford to buy all that. We live on a very low income so my food purchases are quite limited.
    • Scott Adams
      What you've described—the severe weight loss, the cycle of medications making things worse, and the profound fear of eating before leaving the house—is a heavy burden to carry for 15 years. It is absolutely not your fault. While everyone's journey with celiac is different, the struggles with the learning curve, social isolation, and dietary grief are feelings many in the community know all too well. Your question about whether you should just eat what you want and manage the symptoms is a heartbreaking one, born from years of frustration. It's crucial to know that the diarrhea is a sign of ongoing damage to your small intestine from gluten, and simply managing the symptom with Imodium doesn't stop that internal harm or the risk of other complications. The fact that you are still getting sick within an hour of eating, even while trying to be gluten-free, is a huge red flag that something isn't right. This could be due to cross-contamination in your kitchen (e.g., using a shared toaster, colander, or condiment jars), hidden gluten in foods, or the possibility of another concurrent condition like refractory celiac disease. Don't give up!  This article has some detailed information on how to be 100% gluten-free, so it may be helpful (be sure to also read the comments section.):    
    • KathyR37
      I am new here but celiac disease is not new to me. I was diagnosed with it at age 60. At the time I weighed a whopping 89 pounds. I was so ignorant to celiac so I buried myself in learning all about it and looking for food I could eat. I lost so much weight and stayed sick all the time. So to combat the sickness I was give all sorts of meds for loose bowels and vomiting. All that just made me sicker. Eventually I chucked it all and went back to eating like I had all my life. Now I am from the south and biscuits and gravy are a big part of our food, as are breaded foods, pasta, and sandwich bread. Through the years I would try to do the gluten free thing again and am doing it now. It has not helped any. Within and hour of eating I have to run to the bathroom. I am now 75 and am wondering if I should just forget it and eat what I like, take Immodium and live the best I can. I cannot eat before going anywhere for fear of embarrassing myself. Family and church dinners are out of the question unless I eat and run straight home. I am so frustrated I just want to sit down and cry or throw something. Does everyone go through all this?
    • Scott Adams
      This article, and the comments below it, may be helpful:    
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.