When Does The Bilirubin Levels Stabilise After ERCP?

Posted on Sun, 10 Aug 2014

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Sun, 10 Aug 2014 Answered on

Tue, 2 Sep 2014 Last reviewed on

Question : I had an ERCP to remove gallstones causing bile duct obstruction. I had to go to the ER after and spent 2 days due to increased pancreas enzymes and pain. All of my numbers have come down nicely. My question is regarding the bilirubin. It was 8 when this began and shot up to 14 in the hospital after the ERCP. It is now 5.3. It has been 9 days since the ERCP. I still have dark urine and itchy skin. How long does it take for the bilirubin level to normalize?

Answered by Dr. T Chandrakant (-5 hours later)

Brief Answer:
1 to 3 weeks in a normal course.

Detailed Answer:
It takes about 1 to 3 weeks for bilirubin to get normalized.
It took so much time in your case as the edema caused by the ERCP and Changes in Pancreas. So the bilirubin shot up. Now it is 5.3 from 8 within 9 days in spite of
the problems you faced. This is a good sign.
If the other liver function tests are also coming down it will settle with time.

Color of the urine never matches the actual bilirubin levels and itching will be reduced as the excess bilirubin in the tissues will get reabsorbed into the blood stream.
This takes time to settle.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar