Triggers
In this blog post, we break down the key triggers of Gilbert’s Syndrome—how they work, why they matter, and what they actually do inside your body. You might be doing something every day that’s quietly raising your bilirubin levels… let’s uncover what it is.
SYMPTOMS
10/6/20252 min read
Triggers
Triggers
Triggers
Triggers
Triggers for Gilbert’s Syndrome can vary from person to person, but here are some of the most common ones people often report.
DEHYDRATION
Not drinking enough fluids can contribute to elevated bilirubin in Gilbert’s syndrome. Reduced fluid intake may slow the clearance of bilirubin from the blood, making mild jaundice or other symptoms more likely during these periods.
FASTING OR SKIPPING MEALS
Periods of fasting or skipping meals can trigger elevated bilirubin in Gilbert’s syndrome. Reduced food intake may alter liver metabolism and bilirubin processing, increasing the likelihood of mild jaundice or other symptoms
ILNESS OR INFECTION
Acute illness or infection can trigger elevated bilirubin in Gilbert’s syndrome. The body’s response to infection can temporarily affect liver function and bilirubin processing, increasing the chance of mild jaundice or related symptoms.
MENSTRUATION
Hormonal fluctuations during the menstrual cycle can affect bilirubin processing in Gilbert’s syndrome. Changes in hormone levels may temporarily reduce the efficiency of glucuronidation pathways, leading to elevated bilirubin and a higher likelihood of mild jaundice or other symptoms.
MEDICATIONS
A lot of medications go through the glucuronidation pathways and NEED the UGT1A1 enzyme to process, since people with Gilberts Syndrome have less of this enzyme, certain medications may fight for the enzymes attention, causing worse bilirubin clearance
BEING A TEENAGER
Sadly, the teenage years come with a wave of new (and not-so-fun) hormones. YAYY! 🎉 For example, estrogen fluctuations can cause bilirubin levels to spike—making symptoms of Gilbert’s Syndrome more noticeable.
Exercise
Heavy exercise can spike your bilirubin [Exercise is good but know that heavy exercise like cardio CAN spike it]
Alcohol
Alcohol increases the workload on the liver. Not only does it need to be processed by the liver, but it can also change the way the body processes bilirubin, which may make symptoms more noticeable for some people.
Stress
Stress increases cortisol levels, which also need to be processed by the liver. This added demand can make symptoms more noticeable for some people.
Lack of sleep
Lack of sleep works in a similar way to stress, increasing cortisol levels and placing additional demand on the liver, which may make symptoms more noticeable.
Certain supplements
Some supplements are clinically known to increase bilirubin levels, which can make symptoms more noticeable in people with GS.
This blog post talks very generally about these triggers. If you’d like to learn more about how they actually work, check out this [YouTube video] for a deeper dive!
