A high level of Bilirubin

hi to all well this is my first time posting a question in here, well here it goes,
so i went to my doctor for the first time in over a year, and turns out that when he got
the results of my blood test, it came out with a high level of bilirubin. Then he didnt think it was
anything major, so he ordered me to take the test again, and when he got the results back from the second test,
the bilirubin was higher than the last test. So, what i want to know is: WHAT CAUSES HIGH LEVELS OF BILIRUBIN?
PS: im 19, 5' 7", 125lbs, im very athletic. Lately i was taking whey protein to bulk up, could that be the source of my problem?
Any information would be greatly appreciated, thanks.

[Thomas D Schiano, MD]

you probably have gilbert's disease which is a benign enzyme defect in the liver which affects about 12 % of the general population.  the bilirubin is elevated in isolation and is almost all indirect in nature.  if this is the case, then there is nothing to worry about.

[MaryMary5456]

Stop taking the whey protein. High Bilirubin is telling you that your liver is in distress of some sort. A person cannot live without a liver. Your liver is the largest organ in your body (next to the skin). It is responsible for over 2000 jobs. Your liver is your best friend. You do whatever is necessary to protect your liver. There are many things that can cause a high bilirubin count. All of them involve your liver. If a liver is enlarged due to irritation of any kind, it can be felt by a doctor during an exam. Have your doctor run a blood test to find out your blood protein level and tell  him to include a test for Alpha-1.

When your liver starts to have problems doing its job, your protein level in your blood drops. If there is cancer somewhere in your body your protein level rises. A disease that is quite common but very rarely checked for is Alpha-1. A test for Alpha-1 in your blood will determine if you have it.

You are only 19 so hopefully your bilirubin count is up because of too much excerise.
Be wise. Read up on the liver and the functions it performs. Almost everything you put in your mouth has to go through your liver. Give your liver a rest and eat like a vegetarian for a few days. This will give your liver a rest. If your healthy, eat properly and exercise regularly (not over exercise) you have no need to take anything including vitamins or medication of any kind. Is bulking up worth the possiblilty of damaging your liver and dieing. Be smart. Don't let the high bilirubin count fall by the wayside. Find out exactly what it is from. Your life depends on it. If the doctors says its nothing to worrying about tell him thats not good enough you want to know why.

Good luck and read up on the liver.