Blood work-elevated liver enzymes

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CathyMe.
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Blood work-elevated liver enzymes

Post by CathyMe. »

Hi everyone,
It's been awhile since I've posted. I've been having Normans every day for the past 6-7 months, am off all medications and am feeling great. My GI ordered some blood work 5-6 months ago and my inflammatory markers were quite high. She sent me back to my PCP who had me re-tested and they were even higher (this was 3 months ago). I just had them re-checked and they are now within the normal range-which I attribute to accupuncture and the fact that I've finally got my MC under control with diet. (I was 1st diagnosed in Feb. 2012).

Now to the point of my post! My Liver enzymes are extremely high and my White blood cell count is very low. I did a search and it seems as though this is a common thing amongst us. I don't drink, I am fit and if anything, a little underweight. My PCP is not sure what's going on but could it be that all of the inflammation in my body has damaged my liver?? Anyone have any thoughts on this? She wants me to re-test in 2 weeks.
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Post by jgivens »

My first thought about that is that your liver may just be responding to the stress on your body. The inflammation seems to be down and maybe your liver hasn't caught up? What does your acupuncturist think? IOW, I don't think I'd be too worried yet,especially if you are feeling better.

Im sure better people than I, have much greater ideas. Good luck to you!
Jane
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CathyMe.
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Post by CathyMe. »

Hi Jane,
That's what I'm thinking as well. I see my accupuncurist on Wed. and will share the results with her then. Thanks for your thoughts!
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tex
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Post by tex »

Cathy,

We know that MC (especially in combination with gluten sensitivity) can affect virtually any organ in the body. And we know that the damage is typically very slow to heal (whether the damage is in the intestines, pancreas, central nervous system, or wherever), so I would agree that there is a good chance that your liver enzyme issues are simply a holdover from what you've been through in resolving your MC symptoms.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver is a non-inflammatory liver disorder that closely resembles fatty liver disease, but it seems to be associated with gluten sensitivity. Once gluten is withdrawn from the diet, liver enzymes typically return to normal in about 6 months. Since that hasn't happened, I would suggest that your doctor might need to check for autoimmune hepatitis, just to be on the safe side.

Autoimmune Hepatitis and Celiac Disease: Case Report Showing an Entero-Hepatic Link

Tex
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It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
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Post by CathyMe. »

Thanks for that Tex and I will pass this onto my PCP.
Cathy
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Post by jmayk8 »

I am a person with elevated liver enzymes and low wbc.
what are your numbers?
Jenny
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Post by CathyMe. »

Hi Jenny,
The nurse didn't give me specific numbers but I have a call into the doctor to get those and will post them when I find out. Is your colitis in remission? and have they found a cause for the abnormalities?
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Post by jmayk8 »

I am not in remission. I haven't had my blood tested since last year though...
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Post by Leah »

Kathy,It's great to heart that you are doing so well when it comes to MC! What foods have you given up?
Hoping that the liver thing is just temporary :)

Leah
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Post by CathyMe. »

Leah wrote:Kathy,It's great to heart that you are doing so well when it comes to MC! What foods have you given up?
Hoping that the liver thing is just temporary :)

Leah
Hi Leah
I am currently g/f, d/f, soy free and pretty much sugar free. I don't eat chicken, beef or salmon (due to MRT results) and stick with a great deal of veggies and seafood, like haddock, cod and some tuna. I have been able to add back salads and raw veggies which I'm so happy about!

Also, just heard from the nurse again...my AST level was 193 (should be 0-35) and my ALT was 219 (should be 0-40). Interestingly enough they were much more normal in Feb. of this year. Tex, I brought up the autoimmune hepatitis question and the nurse is going to have the doctor call me back about that. The more I research it the more concerned I get so I told the nurse, I'd rather go back in and have my blood drawn again sooner rather than later. I have several of the symptoms...the biggest being a lack of a period for close to 2 years and the fatigue is still an issue. Thanks for everyone's help!
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Post by tex »

Cathy,

I thought I remembered this being discussed before, and I finally had some time to track down the thread that I remembered. Actually it has been discussed numerous times, but most threads don't contain any info that would be particularly relevant for you. Your doctor will probably want to check your Anti-Smooth Muscle Antibody (ASMA) level. As you will read in this thread, Marliss has a daughter who was diagnosed with AIH a little over a year ago. Here's a link to the thread.

http://www.perskyfarms.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=15425

Tex
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It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
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Post by CathyMe. »

Thank you so much Tex!! I so appreciate your help and knowledge! I will pass this onto my doctor today.
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tex
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Post by tex »

You're most welcome. Hopefully your doctor will be able to rule this out, and it will turn out to be just a minor problem.

Best of luck to you, and please keep us updated.

Tex
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It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
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Post by Zizzle »

Cathy,
If they drew enough blood, your doc may be able to order the ASMA test from the lab. They should probably test you for all the viral forms of hepatitis too, to rule them out.
1987 Mononucleosis (EBV)
2004 Hypomyopathic Dermatomyositis
2009 Lymphocytic Colitis
2010 GF/DF/SF Diet
2014 Low Dose Naltrexone
CathyMe.
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Post by CathyMe. »

Zizzle wrote:Cathy,
If they drew enough blood, your doc may be able to order the ASMA test from the lab. They should probably test you for all the viral forms of hepatitis too, to rule them out.
Thanks for this. I'm awaiting a call back from my doctor right now to see if she looked @ this piece or not.
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