liver enzymes elevated, sluggish thyroid

[dessie111]

Hi my name is Desiree, I have a sluggish thyroid so I am on syn and cytomel which my T3 is still on the low side of normal, I have really weird symptoms and don't know whether I should see a Gastro Doc or should assume it is all related to thyroid?  I get very constipated--I usually have to do an enema of some sort once a week, have had colonics done on amonthly basis, and tend to retain water?  I have always thought this is because my T3 is low?  But just had labs done recently and realized that my liver enzymes are running in the 70's, which I can usually tell because my right leg will swell up with water and have tingling sensations, my enzymes usually go up when I drink coffee??  Have never been a drinker??  When I eat sugar or alot of carbs my body retains alot of water, I start sweating profusely and I feel like I have a hangover from drinking--I feel really bad--What could be going wrong with me??  My digestion system is sluggish due to thyroid, or something with my liver, right now my liver enzymes are high normal, Because I stoppped coffee!  I just want to be able to eat like normal people, I use to be able to eat whatever I want and now my body acts up,unless I just eat meat and veggies but I can't eat like that forever?  I only weigh like 109, not over weight or anything, but do have issues with weight if I eat carbs??  Can you help??  

[Kevin Pho, MD]

A low thyroid level can indeed cause some of the GI symptoms you are describing, including the constipation.  

Regarding the elevated enzymes, I'm not sure it is associated with the thyroid.  I would image the liver to exclude a mass, anatomic change, or fatty liver.  And if they continue to rise, say, past three times the upper limit of normal, then a liver biopsy would need to be considered.  

If the constipation continues despite correcting for the thyroid, a colonoscopy would be a reasonable diagnostic step.

This answer is not intended as and does not substitute for medical advice - the information presented is for patient education only. Please see your personal physician for further evaluation of your individual case.

Kevin Pho, M.D.
www.kevinmd.com
www.twitter.com/kevinmd

[dessie111]

Great advice from both of you thanks so much for response, I did have candida in the past and did the whole candida diet, what a pain, I thought I had it beat but maybe I have relapsed, it does sound like all the symptoms right??  Did the whole low carb thing, but did not do high fat, so I got really skinny and weak, felt great, but I am a runner and workout pretty hard and I had to stop all of that??  So I don't know, now Candida does attach the liver as well??   HMMM I did not know that??  It makes since I guess since everything we eat pretty much goes thru there--maybe I run so much and kinda stress my body out that is why I relapsed, hmmm, Gosh the low carb thing again??  The problem is last time I had to stop exercising and I love to exercise??  Don't think I can run on 40 carbs, well I guess if I am taking in the fats???  How do I juggle it all??  Do you eat high carbs at all??  I will miss them, Did miss them!!  The wierd thing is with candida don't you crave sugar??  Cause I don't crave sugar or carbs I just love to eat them??

[katikates]

I used to also have a sluggish Thyroid and felt sick when I ate too many carbohydrates.... so I started on a low carb diet. I feel 100 percent better and don't have a low T3 anymore... without any medication! The diet can also help you with your weight. People think that it is a fad diet but that is not true at all. All you have to do is try it out for a few weeks and if you don't like it no harm no foul. It might also help out your liver enzymes because it is much better for your digestive system than carbohydrate, something that many people struggle to process properly and effectively (makes since because we evolved to live without ANY). If you think that it is a fad and not healthy, please read the book Good Calories Bad Calories by Gary Taubes (it is not a diet book it is a science book so be warned about the scientific lingo but it saved my life) or the Protein Power Lifeplan by The Dr. Eades'... You also don't have to survive on vegetables and meat, there are lots of ways to eat healthy and the way you want without consuming over about 40g of carbs a day (just check out one of the healthy recipes in one of the Eades' books, go to proteinpower.com or (my favorite) healthyindulgences.blogspot.com) I hope you feel better. I have been in your shoes, trust me... just a complete stranger wanting to help (we do still exist).

[marymagdeline]

Hi Desiree, I agree with eveything the doc said.  I also think that you should look into candida.  You can only eat the things that people with candida can eat without reacting.  People with candida often have low thyroids, and sluggish livers.  Also, simple sugars and refined carbs (while rice, white bread, white flour) will cause the same symptoms in people with candida that you have when you eat those things.  In fact, I have a candida problem and feel like I have a hang over when I eat those things..or a baked potato.  Candida alone can also cause constipation.  Get the book, "The Body Ecology Diet," by Donna Gates.  Ignore the chapter on eating according to your blood type.  As she says, this is just a theory.  She agrees with most (but not all) of it.  I agree with none of it, and neither do clinical nutritionist.  You can also ignore most of what she says about eating things that are expansive and balancing them with things that are contractive.  Again, that's just a therory.  The MOST important thing is that you do these things...Avoid eating the foods that feed candida.  Take an excellent probiotic on a daily basis for months to come, such as Primal Defense Ultra by Garden of Life (get the capsules).  And eat raw cultured vegatables.  In the book she talks about making them yourself.  Don't.  It's too hard.  Buy them from your health food store (if they don't carry them, they will order them for you.)  They are made by a company called, Rejuvenative Foods.  Try the Vegi-Delite.  Always get the salt-free ones regardless of what flavor you get.  In addition, you should take an herb called, Milk Thistle for your liver.  Read the information written about this herb in the book, Miracle Cures, by Jean Carper.  She tells how this herb is used extensively in Europe to cure liver problems.  She tells all about it and how to use it.  She is a very famous and very respected nutritionist.  In additon to the book I just told you about you might also get these 2 little, tiny books.  They are easy to read and written by Dr. Don Colbert.  One is called, The Bible Cure for Candida and Yeast Infections.  The other one is called, The Bible Cure, Recipes for Overcoming Candida.  You can probably order them from his web site.  Last, traditional doctors know very little about candia.  Most are not even sure that such a problem exisits.  But I assure you, it does.  A holistic doctor can help you if you feel this behind your problems.  Good luck!