I've struggled with tummy related issues for a
long time. As in 10 years, if not longer. The major stuff has
all been ruled out .... no tumors, cancer, blockages, or other structural
issues. But I still get stomach aches ALL THE TIME. And there's no rhyme or reason as to when or why I get them.
The previous September had been a particularly bad month so I made an appointment to see my primary care doc. Dr. W is wonderful and always very proactive. After discussing my pain and doing an exam, she ordered blood work. I got most of the test results back the same day and other than a slight elevation in bilirubin (which is related to your liver), everything was fine. She also ordered an ultrasound to check for inflammation.
I had a chiropractor appointment the next day and also Dr. G what was going on. I've been seeing Dr. G on a regular basis for 2 years, so he's also familiar with my history. As I was explaining to him where I was hurting and my symptoms, he had me lay down and take a deep breath. He then pressed deep into my tummy and said he could actually feel some inflammation in my liver. He recommended I start taking a couple supplements to help detox my liver and reduce the swelling.
I had an ultrasound 2 days later which confirmed my liver was inflamed, but only slightly. My kidney and gall bladder were both fine, so that was good. Dr. W didn't seem too worried and suggested I come back in a week for follow-up blood work. I also asked if she would test me for food allergies at the same time.
The second round of blood tests showed my bilirubin was back to normal. Although the allergy tests were also negative, they only tested the 3 main culprits -gluten, dairy and fish. A couple weeks later I still wasn't feeling well so I emailed Dr. W and asked if I could see an allergist. At this point, I was convinced my tummy issues were food related. She gave me a referral but the next available appointment wasn't for several weeks. In the meantime I decided to cut certain foods from my diet, namely dairy and beans.
I met with the allergist in late October and after making a list of all the foods I eat on a regular basis, he tested me for over 40 different foods. As I waited for the test results (which took another 3+ weeks), I got lazy and just didn't keep up with my self prescribed diet, or with taking the liver supplements. Then it was Thanksgiving and ... well, you know how dieting usually goes during the holiday season. Let's just say I was not a beacon of will power.
And then in the middle of December things went from bad to worse. More on that to come in a separate post.
***************
Although I essentially passed over the part about the irregularity in my bilirubin levels, at the time I was much more concerned. I had a similar panel of blood tests completed about a year ago by a naturopath and my bilirubin was slightly elevated at that time as well. After quite a bit of research, here's what I found out ....
Bilirubin is the bi-product of a destroyed red blood cell, and an excess of bilirubin can manifest as yellow pigment (most often in the skin and eye tissue). It is completely normal to have some amount of bilirubin in your blood as red cells have a 120 day life span. As they die off, new red blood cells are created.
Bilirubin is absorbed from red blood cells and excreted it in the form of bile into the stomach. Between the liver and stomach is the gall bladder, which stores the bilirubin/bile. When we eat, hormones signal the gallbladder to contract. The bilirubin/bile is then released into the stomach and used to aid in digestion.
High bilirubin levels can come from either:
1.) Damaged liver cells that aren't able to convert the bilirubin into a soluble from to become part of the bile.
2.) Blockage of the bile ducts with a stone or growth, malformation or narrowing of the ducts, or infection in the ducts.
3.) If the red blood cells die off too fast or there are too many red blood cells.
In the first scenario, the danger comes when the bilirubin/bile is blocked and can't reach the stomach. The immune system's response is inflammation, and if not treated, can cause the liver cells to die off and scar tissue to form. This is known as cirrhosis of the liver and can become an irreversible, progressive disease.
In the second scenario, again the danger is a blockage or back-up of bilirubin/bile into the liver. Stones are known to be incredibly painful and sometimes have to be surgically removed.
In the third scenario, blood test results will usually show a corresponding abnormality (increase) in red blood cells. A hematologist would then need to be consulted.
The previous September had been a particularly bad month so I made an appointment to see my primary care doc. Dr. W is wonderful and always very proactive. After discussing my pain and doing an exam, she ordered blood work. I got most of the test results back the same day and other than a slight elevation in bilirubin (which is related to your liver), everything was fine. She also ordered an ultrasound to check for inflammation.
I had a chiropractor appointment the next day and also Dr. G what was going on. I've been seeing Dr. G on a regular basis for 2 years, so he's also familiar with my history. As I was explaining to him where I was hurting and my symptoms, he had me lay down and take a deep breath. He then pressed deep into my tummy and said he could actually feel some inflammation in my liver. He recommended I start taking a couple supplements to help detox my liver and reduce the swelling.
I had an ultrasound 2 days later which confirmed my liver was inflamed, but only slightly. My kidney and gall bladder were both fine, so that was good. Dr. W didn't seem too worried and suggested I come back in a week for follow-up blood work. I also asked if she would test me for food allergies at the same time.
The second round of blood tests showed my bilirubin was back to normal. Although the allergy tests were also negative, they only tested the 3 main culprits -gluten, dairy and fish. A couple weeks later I still wasn't feeling well so I emailed Dr. W and asked if I could see an allergist. At this point, I was convinced my tummy issues were food related. She gave me a referral but the next available appointment wasn't for several weeks. In the meantime I decided to cut certain foods from my diet, namely dairy and beans.
I met with the allergist in late October and after making a list of all the foods I eat on a regular basis, he tested me for over 40 different foods. As I waited for the test results (which took another 3+ weeks), I got lazy and just didn't keep up with my self prescribed diet, or with taking the liver supplements. Then it was Thanksgiving and ... well, you know how dieting usually goes during the holiday season. Let's just say I was not a beacon of will power.
And then in the middle of December things went from bad to worse. More on that to come in a separate post.
***************
Although I essentially passed over the part about the irregularity in my bilirubin levels, at the time I was much more concerned. I had a similar panel of blood tests completed about a year ago by a naturopath and my bilirubin was slightly elevated at that time as well. After quite a bit of research, here's what I found out ....
Bilirubin is the bi-product of a destroyed red blood cell, and an excess of bilirubin can manifest as yellow pigment (most often in the skin and eye tissue). It is completely normal to have some amount of bilirubin in your blood as red cells have a 120 day life span. As they die off, new red blood cells are created.
Bilirubin is absorbed from red blood cells and excreted it in the form of bile into the stomach. Between the liver and stomach is the gall bladder, which stores the bilirubin/bile. When we eat, hormones signal the gallbladder to contract. The bilirubin/bile is then released into the stomach and used to aid in digestion.
High bilirubin levels can come from either:
1.) Damaged liver cells that aren't able to convert the bilirubin into a soluble from to become part of the bile.
2.) Blockage of the bile ducts with a stone or growth, malformation or narrowing of the ducts, or infection in the ducts.
3.) If the red blood cells die off too fast or there are too many red blood cells.
In the first scenario, the danger comes when the bilirubin/bile is blocked and can't reach the stomach. The immune system's response is inflammation, and if not treated, can cause the liver cells to die off and scar tissue to form. This is known as cirrhosis of the liver and can become an irreversible, progressive disease.
In the second scenario, again the danger is a blockage or back-up of bilirubin/bile into the liver. Stones are known to be incredibly painful and sometimes have to be surgically removed.
In the third scenario, blood test results will usually show a corresponding abnormality (increase) in red blood cells. A hematologist would then need to be consulted.
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