Had irretractable itch for the last year.. it’s broken me.. was blessed enough to be given the Glimmer study trial at Birmingham queen Elizabeth after being referred there from my consultant in aintree. I started the drugs on Tuesday after a visit and they took a load of bloods etc.
I received a phone call tonight to say that my billirubin has shot up from 29 to 44 and if it goes to 45 then I will have to stop the trial
My billirubin has always been good at around 21 since I was diagnosed 18 months ago but in the past 2 months it gone from 26to 29 to 44
I have another fibre scan next Friday
Written by
Melwoods
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I'm so sorry. Maybe Ocaliva will be the next step. I don't know if it will stop the itching. Why haven't they figured out anything for that??? Have you tried changing your diet? Is what your eating triggering something in your liver that makes it secrete something that's causing the itch? I just don't know. I know others have suffered, and are suffering with this. They say showers and baths help but you can't live in the shower!!! Whatever it is, it's coming from the inside out. So maybe what you put in the body (diet wise/food etc., has something to do with the intensity of the itch. What have you heard? What do your doctors say? You need some sort of relief. There has to be something. I'm so sorry.
I quickly did a search through some threads here on Healthunlocked... found this.... Apparently the person who posted found some relief through rifampicim. But someone else posted back to her what you see below.
"Thank you for sharing this. I found through searching the threads. I definitely hope that everything is still working for you hun. Is it still working? I did find a new drug in clinical trials (phase 2) that might help the itching called LUM001 I believe."
Please for all you itching sufferers like I was please ask your doctors to give you CHOLESTYRAMINE powder . 1+ had severe case of itching and after 2wks Gone Please find relief for your selves and demand this.
As I think you may be aware from contact through a different forum I am on a cocktail of cholestyramine, rifampicin and sertraline to control the itch which I am concious of only at night now.
I am sorry to read that your billirubin is jumping around and hope that your fibro scan on Friday will give you some heart.
I also use a 2% menthol cream which confuses the skin for a short while and gives some relief, this was recommended by my hepatologist and is prescribed through my local surgery.
sending you best wishes and hope that you can stay on the trial in the hope it can help you.
I have read that here in the USA, that intractable itch along with elevated numbers is enough to get you on the transplant list. I’m not how the NHS works in regards to that, but would think it would be similar. I’m sorry you are suffering, that is awful. To be honest, that bilirubin number is not looking real good.
I had the insane itching for three years before dx and another three years afterwards. Nothing helped much except sunshine or the tanning booth. My doctor always said it has nothing to do with the progress of the disease. The itch won't kill you, but some meds can.
British Liver Trust States itching may be due to livers inability to rid the bile acid. But, most probable cause of itch is because body cannot rid itself of other chemicals from bloodstream.
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High Cholestrol
Alpha gal, Urso, and high cholesterol and blood sugar.
High ast 
High dosage of urso 
PBC - high Amylase level
