Symptoms of primary biliary cholangitis

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Causes

In the early stages of primary biliary cholangitis (PBC), you may not have any symptoms at all. This is very common, as PBC is such a slowly developing condition. Sometimes it can be diagnosed when people have tests for something else.

You may feel a bit run down, or under the weather. It’s this type of vague symptom that can take people to the GP for the first time.

You may also have vague symptoms such as:

• feeling very tired
• sleeping more than usual
• having itchy skin for no apparent reason
• pain or discomfort in the tummy (abdomen)

As many as 4 out of 5 people with PBC are troubled by itching at some point. Developing itching doesn’t mean your PBC is getting worse. In fact itching sometimes gets better as the disease continues. People sometimes describe feeling an itch deep under the skin. Scratching the itch can cause surface damage to your skin. Early on, you and your doctor may think you have a skin condition causing the itch.

Some people develop yellow spots on the eyelids or around their eyes. These are harmless in themselves. They are caused by fatty cholesterol deposits under the skin. You may also have dry eyes and a dry mouth.