My Journey
sllm1
Posts: 2,130 Member
I wanted to share a little about my recent health journey. I went gluten free 6 months ago. I had some blood work come back with high liver enzymes. Around the same time, I was starting CrossFit and had some swelling in my arms. When I talked to the coach about it, he told me to increase my protein macro percentage to 30%. So, I did. Inadvertently, I also cut WAY down on wheat/gluten. I changed my lunch from frozen pizza to grilled chicken nachos (which happen to be gluten free). Dinner was more chicken - just trying to get in enough protein for my muscles to heal properly. Having focused so much on getting in protein, I had "accidentally" cut back on wheat (which, at the time, I did not know was affecting me).
About a week later, I was out of town one day for lunch, so I went by a drive through and got a chicken sandwich. Within 10 minutes, I was exhausted. Literally fatigued to the bone. I thought, "Something is wrong with me." Coincidentally, I had had that feeling about a week before and I remembered texting my husband. I looked up the text on my phone. I researched with MFP what I had eaten for lunch that day - that was the last day I had had wheat (pizza) for lunch.
So, I had an epiphany. I was excited to know that my fatigue and exhaustion daily after lunch could be linked to gluten. I had literally been taking caffeine pills at lunch to try to get through the afternoon at work. I started researching. I stopped eating gluten.
My fatigue went away. My sore muscles went away. My aching joints that had kept me awake at night went away. My constant bathroom issues went away. My nausea went away.
I read that gluten could be linked to increased liver enzymes in individuals with celiac disease or a gluten intolerance/allergy. I just knew I had figured it out.
My enzymes went from 170+ to 60 in just a couple of weeks. I was excited to share my "accidental" discovery with my doctor. My liver doctor declared that I was wrong. He literally shut me down like I was some sort of moron. He said that I might have an allergy to wheat and I might feel better not eating it, but it was completely unrelated to my liver. He sent me for a liver biopsy.
Liver biopsy came back normal. I asked him about celiac disease again. He had done a blood test and it came back negative, but I read that 25% of celiacs get a negative blood test. Again, he dismissed me completely with, "You're not celiac."
I continued to learn how to eat gluten free, because I knew it was making me feel better and I knew I was onto something. I have learned over the last six months that I am EXTREMELY sensitive. Cross contamination in a restaurant will make me sick even if I order gluten free.
So, why am I sharing all of this today, you may ask? I got my bloodwork back yesterday. Six months into this gluten free diet. Guess what?
My liver enzymes were COMPLETELY NORMAL. In fact, I've gone from 170+ to single freakin' digits.
I clearly need a new liver doctor, one that understands the role of nutrition on the liver. I see my GP in a couple of weeks, and I hope he understands and/or believes that gluten was the culprit. I am ecstatic. All of the tears and withdrawals and frustration with not being able to eat my favorite things has been SO worth it.
About a week later, I was out of town one day for lunch, so I went by a drive through and got a chicken sandwich. Within 10 minutes, I was exhausted. Literally fatigued to the bone. I thought, "Something is wrong with me." Coincidentally, I had had that feeling about a week before and I remembered texting my husband. I looked up the text on my phone. I researched with MFP what I had eaten for lunch that day - that was the last day I had had wheat (pizza) for lunch.
So, I had an epiphany. I was excited to know that my fatigue and exhaustion daily after lunch could be linked to gluten. I had literally been taking caffeine pills at lunch to try to get through the afternoon at work. I started researching. I stopped eating gluten.
My fatigue went away. My sore muscles went away. My aching joints that had kept me awake at night went away. My constant bathroom issues went away. My nausea went away.
I read that gluten could be linked to increased liver enzymes in individuals with celiac disease or a gluten intolerance/allergy. I just knew I had figured it out.
My enzymes went from 170+ to 60 in just a couple of weeks. I was excited to share my "accidental" discovery with my doctor. My liver doctor declared that I was wrong. He literally shut me down like I was some sort of moron. He said that I might have an allergy to wheat and I might feel better not eating it, but it was completely unrelated to my liver. He sent me for a liver biopsy.
Liver biopsy came back normal. I asked him about celiac disease again. He had done a blood test and it came back negative, but I read that 25% of celiacs get a negative blood test. Again, he dismissed me completely with, "You're not celiac."
I continued to learn how to eat gluten free, because I knew it was making me feel better and I knew I was onto something. I have learned over the last six months that I am EXTREMELY sensitive. Cross contamination in a restaurant will make me sick even if I order gluten free.
So, why am I sharing all of this today, you may ask? I got my bloodwork back yesterday. Six months into this gluten free diet. Guess what?
My liver enzymes were COMPLETELY NORMAL. In fact, I've gone from 170+ to single freakin' digits.
I clearly need a new liver doctor, one that understands the role of nutrition on the liver. I see my GP in a couple of weeks, and I hope he understands and/or believes that gluten was the culprit. I am ecstatic. All of the tears and withdrawals and frustration with not being able to eat my favorite things has been SO worth it.
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Replies
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Good going girl! You seriously need to doctor shop. Liver is responsible for detoxing our systems and helping with digestion. If you have leaky gut syndrome (part of celiac disease too) incompletely digested proteins will be leaking into your system. And the liver has to deal with that. For more information from Medscape (Medical Professionals Continuing Ed website) check out the thread I post in this group. Lots of the newest peer reviewed studies on Gluten/Celiac Disease/NCGS.0
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Awesome!!! You should be really proud of yourself. My husband has Celiac so GF isn't an option for him. I am using my son as my excuse not to go GF - If I won't eat his leftovers, a lot of food will go to waste, and being a headstrong teen, he won't go GF. He eats little enough that I can't cut it out for him.....0
