Re: The thyroid and gilbert's syndrome

[Guest guest]

HI

Dr P once told me " you will have high bilrubin levels - hypothyroids always do " .

I'd been diagnosed with possible Gilberts Syndrome by an

arrogant little training GP who was 'adamant' she had found the cause of my

problems - Hyperventilation and Gilberts! ad that I must go to a chest physio to

learn how to breathe. It was at this stage I fell out with her big style.

Dr P announced that " you've been breathing for 40 years - I think you'd know how

to do it " and the above about gilberts.

So, I wouldn't worry - it's all connected - they just haven't a clue.

Hope that helps.

J

[Guest guest]

Thanks for your reply .

My doctor confirmed again yesterday that I was jaundiced, this keeps happening

to me. I'm really worried about it but the doctors don't seem concerned and

keep falling back on the gilberts syndrome diagnosis. I recently had problems

which were thought to be liver or gallbladder related and I'm worried that I may

have a bigger problem that is being overlooked because it is assumed to be

caused by the gilberts syndrome. Both of my parents have checked their medical

records and, despite numerous liver function tests, have never been shown to

have this syndrome. I have been told that it is hereditary. I wonder if one of

my parents could be a carrier but has never displayed symptoms? I think this

could be an issue on here for several people because according to a google

search 1 in 20 people in the UK have gilbert's syndrome.

I'm convinced that the gilbert's syndrome has a bigger part to play in all of

this. I'm sure it either interferes with my body's ability to convert t4 to t3,

or it allows spare t4 to build up in my blood as a result of the impaired

glucuronidation process, or perhaps both.

Would free t4/free t3/ reverse t3 tests confirm this? Does a build up of t4 in

the blood cause reverse t3 issues?

>

> HI

> Dr P once told me " you will have high bilrubin levels - hypothyroids always

do " .

>

[Guest guest]

I am also interested in this connection between Gilberts Syndrome and

Hypothyroidism. My son and I both have long-term problems with small red blood

cells, and he has high bilirubin levels, but this is not hereditary.

I asked Dr Myhill about Gilbert's syndrome and this is what she said in her

reply.

" One diagnoses Gilbert's syndrome on the basis of a raised bilirubin. Bilirubin

is partly excreted by glucuronidation, which is a major route of detoxing. in

Gilbert's syndrome this pathway is blocked, which means that bilirubin has to

find another route of detoxification. The upshot is that levels of bilirubin

tend to run towards the top end of the reference range, or sometimes above, or

if there is some other stress on the liver, even higher. Sometimes this is

noted clinically when patients get stressed by virus, toxin, or whatever because

they go slightly yellow because of the mild jaundice which a high bilirubin

shows up with.

" The point here is that there is not an obvious cut off as to who does, or who

does not have Gilbert's syndrome, but if over some months or years, repeat liver

function tests showed bilirubins consistently high or above normal, then one

would infer from that that this is Gilbert's syndrome.

" The point about Gilbert's is that one route of detoxification is blocked,

therefore others are more easily overloaded, therefore that patient is at

greater risk of toxic stress than the rest of the population. What this means

in practice is that one has to be especially careful with exposures to any

chemicals, including prescription medication. Having said that, having good

micronutrient status is highly protective against toxic stress because the liver

is dependant on these for its enzyme systems to work. "

So my question is - if there is a connection with hypothyroidism, will adequate

treatment with thyroid hormone ameliorate the problem?

Miriam

> Dr P once told me " you will have high bilrubin levels - hypothyroids always

do " . I'd been diagnosed with possible Gilberts Syndrome by an

> arrogant little training GP who was 'adamant' she had found the cause of my

problems - Hyperventilation and Gilberts! ad that I must go to a chest physio to

learn how to breathe. It was at this stage I fell out with her big style.

> Dr P announced that " you've been breathing for 40 years - I think you'd know

how to do it " and the above about gilberts.