High Bilirubin levels?

[SueC]

I have just been told that I have high bilirubin levels - 23 when 20 and under is considered normal. other liver tests were ok, so not hepatitis. The Doc said not to worry about it, but I like to know why things are the way they are. Any ideas on causes or treatment? A scan about 4 years indicated gall stones ...

 

Sue

[Lois]

Damage to the liver is caused by a large amount of toxins that have to be filtered out in your liver. Not knowing what types of toxins you may be exposed to is generally why the cause is so hard to pinpoint unless you are on meds like lipitor etc. Sure hope you can figure it out. DH is on lipitor so he takes milk thistle daily. Milkthistle is an aid that you should research.

[Snowmom]

Wow, I was just told mine was elevated too. What is on my letter is, 'C1.7.' whatever that means. Then there is a 'C 30' so I had to get blood taken again this morning.

 

Yes, I am on lipitor and have been for the past 4 - 5 years or so, can't remember just when I started taking that. But, I have blood work done every 3 months or so. The last one was in Nov. or Dec. and it was fine then.

 

I have been taking Milk thistle for some time now too.

 

Guess I'll have to wait and see what happens with this test.

 

I did have a cordizone shot last Wed and the blood work was done on Thursday. I wonder if that would make any difference.

 

Lois, you are so good with all the information.

 

[HSmom]

The 'C' on a lab report means Critical value. If your blood sugar was high at 150 it would say '150 H'. If it were critically high at 650 it would say '650 C'. Conversely, were it low at 45, the report would read '45 L', and critically low would read '23 C'.

 

Critically high total and direct bilirubin levels don't mean you need to be in the hospital, but do warrent follup. Mostly the designations are there so that the doctor's or nurse's eye is sure to see the abnormal value.

 

And sorry, I know nothing about elevated bilirubin in adults. It is what causes jaundice in newborns, so if you ever need to know about that, I'm your gal!

[PoGo]

My first child became jaundiced as a newborn. The Dr. prescribed lots of water and sunshine. I wonder if the same therapy would benefit adults with high bilirubin levels.

[HSmom]

No, it's different. Fetuses are in a hypoxic (low oxygen) environment. They have lots of red blood cells (RBC's), so they can carry around as much oxygen as possible. When the baby is born, it no long needs so many RBC;s, so some die off. The by-product of expired RBC's is bilirubin. It is a normal physiologic process.

 

The reason we sometimes treat babies with jaundice is that really high levels of bilirubin can cause brain damage. Bilirubin is excreted through the skin (when exposed to the right wavelength light) and in feces. We don't currenly recommend water for any newborn, jaundiced or not. Plenty of breastmilk or formula will promote passage of stool.

 

While sunshine might help an adult to appear less yellow, it would not address the underlying disease process that elevated the bilirubin in the first place.

[PoGo]

Thanks, HSmom! It's so interesting to me, how the common practices of medicine change over the years.

[SueC]

I think I will see if I can get the Milk thistle locally, other thought are to do a liver detox ...

 

My most frustrating thoughts are that the Doc didn't even want to know what has caused it.

 

Sue

[PoGo]

I hope you get it figured out, SueC!

[HSmom]

Originally Posted By: SueC

I think I will see if I can get the Milk thistle locally, other thought are to do a liver detox ...

My most frustrating thoughts are that the Doc didn't even want to know what has caused it.

Sue

Did they recommend any other testing or anything? Or are they just shrugging their shoulders? That seems rather odd. Doctors usually pursue disease to the death, so to speak, and offer some type of treatment.

I don't know a lot about herbals/natural treatments, but a liver detox sounds like a good idea.

[SueC]

Hi HSMom,

 

No she just made a comment that the levels were up, and when I asked why, what could have caused it, I got a 'well the other results around it are ok, so it's not hepatitis. It could be anything, but dont worry about it.' She really wasn't interested. I was a little frustrated as these tests were due to a health check, that revealed the last blood tests I had had a bad reading on my thyroid levels. That test was in November and they had never told me the results, then panic, get more tests right away. But all other test results were good, cholestrol, sugars etc.

 

Sue

[HSmom]

[Snowmom]

I just got my results for last weeks blood test yesterday. Now, the numbers are so different. The total bili is now 1.2 and normal is 0 - 1.0 . She added that the Direct is 0.26 and the indirect is 0.9 and normal is 0.2 - 0.7 . Her comments are: 'Mildly elevated, we will continue to watch this levels. No further workup required at this time. Sure wish I could understand all this stuff.

 

So, in other words, I am to go back in and have blood work done in June.

 

No, my Cholesterol is 156, broke down HDL 48, low, LDL 94 and Triglycerides 111.

 

The week before, Cholesterol was 161 HDL 59 and LDL 98 Triglycerides were 126. This was when the Bilirubin was C30. And she had in the comments, C1.7 , so I am wondering if the Cortisone shot I had the night before the first blood test could have been what made everything high. Even my blood sugar was 134 and the last one had been something like 118 or less. They didn't do another sugar test this last time. I know the dr. had said the Cortisone could make my blood suger go up, but he didn't think it would go up that fast. He had also told me it wouldn't help my arm for at least 2 or 3 days, and the next day my arm was not hurting.