Gilbert's Syndrome

The Basics

Written by the doctors and editors at UpToDate пїЅ пїЅ

What is Gilberts syndrome? " пїЅ Gilbert's syndrome is a condition that causes a substance called "bilirubin " пїЅ to build up in the blood. пїЅ пїЅ

Gilbert's syndrome is caused by an abnormal gene that runs in families. People who have Gilbert's syndrome were born with it. пїЅ пїЅ

What are the symptoms of Gilbert's syndrome? " пїЅ Often, Gilbert's syndrome does not cause any symptoms. If it does, the most common symptom is jaundice. Jaundice makes the skin or whites of the eyes look yellow. пїЅ пїЅ

Jaundice is common in newborn babies. Babies with Gilbert's syndrome might have jaundice longer or worse than other babies, but doctors can treat it. In people with Gilbert's syndrome, jaundice can be triggered by a fever, physical effort such as hard exercise, stress, or not eating. пїЅ пїЅ

Is there a test for Gilbert's syndrome? " пїЅ Yes. Your doctor or nurse can do different blood tests to see if you have Gilbert's syndrome. If the doctor or nurse is not sure whether you have Gilbert's syndrome, he or she can order a test to check whether you have the gene that causes Gilbert's syndrome. But the gene test is not usually needed. пїЅ пїЅ

How is Gilbert's syndrome treated? " пїЅ Gilbert's syndrome does not need treatment. The jaundice goes away on its own, and does not usually cause health problems. пїЅ пїЅ

If you have Gilbert's syndrome, tell all your doctors and nurses that you have it. Also tell them about all the medicines you take, including over-the-counter and herbal medicines. Your healthcare team needs to know about your condition when deciding on medicines for you, because people with Gilbert's syndrome can have worse side effects from certain medicines than other people. пїЅ пїЅ

All topics are updated as new evidence becomes available and our peer review process is complete. пїЅ пїЅ

This topic retrieved from UpToDate on: Nov 04, 2014. пїЅ пїЅ

Topic 17219 Version 2.0 пїЅ пїЅ

Release: 22.8 - C22.208 пїЅ пїЅ

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Gilbert's Syndrome

The Basics

Consumer Information Use and Disclaimer

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