Does anyone here have elevated serum bile acid levels and itchiness (pruritus)? This is normally associated with intrahepatic (obstetric) cholestasis in pregnant women and extrahepatic cholestasis where you have gallstones or blockage in the bile ducts.
I had an MRCP which indicates that I don't have extrahepatic cholestasis. I do have severe Bile Acid Malabsorption which is mainly associated with bile acid seeping into the colon rather than the blood stream.
In pregnant women, the problem appears to be linked with elevated oestrogen and progesterone levels, though there is a hormone called FGF19 which appears to be deficient in pregnant women as well as people with BAM; unfortunately the FGF19 blood test is only available in a research setting.
If anyone else here has elevated serum bile acid levels and itchiness and is not pregnant, I would be interested in hearing from them.
