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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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Can Dehydration Cause High Bilirubin Levels?

I went 15 hours without drinking water and eating food before I took my wellness exam. My doctor said I was supposed to drink water but I misunderstood so when I took my blood tests, I was dehydrated. Would dehydration cause my bilirubin levels to appear slightly high? My liver tests were all good.
Wed, 2 Nov 2016
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General & Family Physician,  's  Response
Hi there,

It is unlikely that dehydration caused the bilirubin to be high, but it is possible that the prolonged fasting from food did, possibly because bile is released from the gallbladder only with food intake.

If it is just slightly high and you are well with no liver problems, I would not worry about the result at all. It is quite common, and I usually do not proceed with further investigations when my patients show a mildly elevated bilirubin as a solitary finding.

Hope this helps.

Regards,
Dr. Teh
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Can Dehydration Cause High Bilirubin Levels?

Hi there, It is unlikely that dehydration caused the bilirubin to be high, but it is possible that the prolonged fasting from food did, possibly because bile is released from the gallbladder only with food intake. If it is just slightly high and you are well with no liver problems, I would not worry about the result at all. It is quite common, and I usually do not proceed with further investigations when my patients show a mildly elevated bilirubin as a solitary finding. Hope this helps. Regards, Dr. Teh