Dear Camille S:
Sorry to hear about your symptoms. Whether you have a mitochondrial cytopathy is questionable. We usually see an increase in lactic acid, or an abnormal urine organic acid (often 2-glutaric acid increases) and/or abnormal serum amino acid levels (alanine to lysine ratio in usually increased). As all of your studies have been normal, I would put a mitochondrial cytopathy lower on the list of possibilities. What we usually see in mitochondrial cytopathy driven GI problems is pseudo-obstruction, diarrhea, or constipation. These can be seen isolated or in phases between the various symptoms.
We usually diagnosis a mitochondrial cytopathy by serum lactate, pyruvate, amino acids, carnitine and acyl carnitine; and urine organic acids, amino acids, carnitine and acyl carnitine. If these are positive, then we would do a muscle biopsy hoping to see an abnormal mitochondrial electron transport chain defect.
I hope this helps you.
Sincerely,
CCF Neuro MD
I used to know a camille s.