Gilbert's Syndrome

I also have this condition. I get fatigued and also suffer nausea at times. I read somewhere that Milk Thistle helps by helping liver function so I have some Milk Thistle tablets that I take when I feel rough. They do seem to work though whether by placebo, I don't know. Overall, it can be a bit frustrating especially if you're training hard or racing on days when you feel rough, but it's not horrendous. Good luck with it. I find hydration is important as is making sure that I eat little and often and avoid really fatty foods.

Male

Age 37

I was also diagnosed as having Gilbert's syndrome. It was more of a preliminary diagnosis after several rounds of panel tests. I haven't been reevaluated in a couple of years. As far as training goes, it's hit or miss. Had two cups of coffee and half a bag of potato chips for breakfast today, and I nearly vomited after a short easy run. Normally, I can eat drink whatever, whenever before a run. Maybe it's time to change my dieting philosophy.

I appreciate the responses. I run 70+ miles a week, two workouts a week plus a long run. I get up to 100+ in the summers, so I guess I just need to focus on my diet and hydration. I'll try to Milk Thistle as well. Thank you!

Hi,

I am now a runner and triathlete that has Gilbert's syndrome. I have been aware of it for about 14 years now and it's not great. I was a professional football player and didn't understand why i was having episodes of sickness and fatigue, headaches, nausea and more. I was getting blood tests each time i had an episode and every time the only thing to come up was my very elevated bilirubin. Each doctor told me that it was nothing. I was sent to a gastroenterologist, an endocrinologist and an immunologist. Each of them couldn't really identify anything. I now know that GS is definitely not nothing. I can't drink alcohol. Fatty foods make me very ill, especially deep fried food, i have to be very careful with caffeine. I realised that when i began training harder and consequently drinking more coffee, the GS came on hard. Get plenty of sleep, it's really important especially for GS sufferers. Reduce carbohydrates and sugars - again, hard to do for athletes. I struggled with the training requirement of professional sport without triggering my GS, but funnily enough i always had better natural fitness than the other players. Perhaps because of the cardiovascular benefit of bilirubin? Don't overtrain. Also, niacin (vitamin B3) is bad for us. Be very careful if you take supplements or protein powder. It can be quite toxic on kidneys.

I also suffer from bad inflammation during an episode. Does anyone else experience this. There needs to be more research into this. Doctor's awareness is poor and it can be quite debilitating.

I have Gilbet's Syndrome, and I don't think I have any unusual symptoms associated with it. I have blood work done twice year and always have high biliruben levels. I can't say that I have any increased levels of fatigue or digestive issues (or any more than any other some-what fast endurance athlete).

Just out of curiosity, is Gilbert's Syndrome the opposite of jaundice?

in fact, it may be protective against coronary artery disease.