Question by Joseph S: Has anyone heard of or experienced elevated Vitamin A levels along with celiac disease?
Friend has had string of higher and higher “A” levels along with other symptoms of celiac (Gluten sensitive) disease. Has anyone ever heard of these symptoms occurring simultaneously?
Best answer:
Answer by versantly
this question is best answered by the GI doctor who requested the blood test.
Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!
Your question raises more questions.
The first question your question raises: is her diagnosis correct?
The second question is: did she have a basline?
The most important question is: high compared to what?
And that question does have to go back to the person who gave her the test results. What was the first level? How does it relate to the last? Could it signify a recovery? Something else? What are the other levels in comparison – Vitamin D for example?
The answer to your question is No, I haven’t heard or read about the symptoms occuring simultaneously. It is unusual for someone with Celiac disease to have higher and higher Vitamin A counts because of the difficulty in digesting, absorbing or metabolizing vitamins with this disease. Vitamin A deficiency is not unusual.
http://www.glutenfreeworks.com/article_display.php?article_id=213&id=83
In this article you will see that your friend should talk to her doctor about adding more Vitamin D – especially D3 to her diet to allow her to process calcium. (Although actually a hormone, Vitamin D functions as a vitamin.) She is actually more at risk for bone density loss and osteoporosis as it is. Whether or not she has gluten sensitivity, Celiac disease or not.
Elevated levels of A can cause liver problems as well as osteoporosis. Except in the cases of retinitis pigmentosa, it is possible to develop Vitamin a toxicity. Has your friend’s doctor discussed this with her?
Or are her levels higher than they were because she is treating the gluten sensitivity successfully and the higher levels are simply a return to normalcy? If she has been on a gluten free diet, she may be getting better.
http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/vitamina.asp
“Vitamin A toxicity can occur with long-term consumption of 20 mg of retinol or more per day. The symptoms of vitamin A overdosing include accumulation of water in the brain (hydrocephalus), vomiting, tiredness, constipation, bone pain, and severe headaches. The skin may acquire a rough and dry appearance, with hair loss and brittle nails. Vitamin A toxicity is a special issue during pregnancy. Expectant mothers who take 10 mg vitamin A or more on a daily basis may have an infant with birth defects. These birth defects include abnormalities of the face, nervous system, heart, and thymus gland. It is possible to take in toxic levels of vitamin A by eating large quantities of certain foods. For example, about 30 grams of beef liver, 500 grams of eggs, or 2,500 grams of mackerel would supply 10 mg of retinol. The livers of polar bears and other arctic animals may contain especially high levels of vitamin A.”
http://www.answers.com/topic/vitamin-toxicity-causes-and-symptoms
note: apparently only one person has been known to die of this toxicity and that person lived (and died) on a diet of polar bear liver.
Here is a link to a Celiac disease check list which you can send to your friend.
http://www.celiaccentral.org/About-Celiac-Disease/Diagnosis-Treatment/Celiac-Symptoms-Checklist/138/
“Gluten intolerance can decrease if gluten is eliminated for long periods of time. The damaged intestine can heal and it may not be necessary to eliminate all gluten forever”
http://www.easy-immune-health.com/Gluten-Intolerance-Diet.html
Some of the most common signs and symptoms of vitamin A toxicity, which usually fall under the condition of hypervitaminosis A, include fatigue; headaches; muscle, joint and bone pain; dry, flaking skin; alopecia; amenorrhea; gastrointestinal problems, including nausea and vomiting; pruritus; and weight loss. Other problems that vitamin A overdose can cause include hepatomegaly, splenomegaly, liver damage, and a condition known as pseudotumor cerebri.