Have you ever noticed a yellowish tint to your skin or eyes? Yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes is a telltale sign of jaundice, which itself is a sign of liver problems. So, is jaundice connected to primary biliary cholangitis (PBC)?

Primary biliary cholangitis, previously called primary biliary cirrhosis, is an autoimmune disease that causes inflammation and damage to bile ducts in the liver. PBC progression, or worsening, usually happens slowly. Many people don’t have symptoms until later in the disease. Jaundice is one symptom that tends to show up in the later stages.

Continue reading to learn more about what jaundice is, why people with PBC get it, and how it can be managed. While jaundice can be alarming, it’s a useful sign that it’s time to talk with your doctor about your liver health.

What Is Jaundice?

Jaundice is a health condition that causes yellowing of the skin, mucus membranes (such as those inside the nose and mouth), and the white part of the eyes. The scientific term for jaundice is “hyperbilirubinemia” — too much bilirubin in the blood. Jaundice is a later symptom of PBC and may be a sign of more severe disease.

Yellowing of the skin and eyes isn’t always noticeable. For example, the yellowish tint can be harder to spot on black or brown skin, but it will be noticeable in the whites of the eyes. Jaundice can also happen so gradually that you don’t notice it for a while or until other people point it out.

Other symptoms of jaundice can include:

• Dark pee
• Pale-colored poop
• Abdominal pain
• Fever or chills
• Confusion or tiredness
• Unexplained weight loss
• Flu-like symptoms
• Itchiness

While they waited to hear back about a potential diagnosis of autoimmune hepatitis and PBC, one myPBCteam member shared, “Itching is not bad, comes and goes, but not horrible. I am told that I look jaundiced.”

What Causes Jaundice?

One of the liver’s many important jobs is to help the body break down and get rid of bilirubin, a component in bile. Jaundice happens when the liver can’t remove enough bilirubin from the bloodstream or is unable to smoothly push bilirubin through the bile channels into the space in the digestive tract. This can be a sign of liver failure.

Jaundice can be caused by autoimmune conditions, like PBC, and other liver diseases. In PBC, jaundice may be a sign of advanced disease progression rather than a temporary PBC flare-up.

How Does Jaundice Relate to the Liver?

Bilirubin gets moved through the liver via bile ducts and is eventually removed from the body. When the liver is unable to either process or release all the bilirubin the body makes, it leads to a buildup of bilirubin in the blood. Bilirubin, which is yellow, then leaks into tissues in the body and turns the skin and the whites of the eyes yellow.

Why Do People With PBC Get Jaundice?

PBC is a liver disease that causes the bile ducts to become inflamed and damaged over time. Chronic inflammation of bile ducts due to PBC can cause blockages, restricting the flow of bilirubin out of the liver. Yellowing of the eyes or skin is a sign of bilirubin buildup in the bloodstream.

Chronically inflamed bile ducts can also lead to the destruction of liver cells and fibrosis (scarring) and cirrhosis of liver tissue that worsens over time.

Skin issues are a common symptom of PBC, with about 40 percent of people with PBC experiencing skin symptoms such as jaundice, dry skin, darkening of the skin, and fungal infections. According to Mayo Clinic, PBC mostly affects women. Researchers note that middle-aged women who have jaundice and pruritus (itchy skin) should be evaluated by a doctor to see if PBC is at play.

One myPBCteam member who was asked what symptoms they experience listed these: “Fatigue, joint pain, dizziness, mood changes, stomach pain, stomach swelling, and, once in a while, a yellow tint to my skin, nausea, and varicose veins.”

“I have fatigue and yellow and dry eyes and mouth,” another member shared. “They have staged me at stage 3.”

How Can You Manage Jaundice With PBC?

There’s no treatment for jaundice specifically, but this condition can be managed by treating the underlying cause. For people with PBC, managing jaundice means helping the liver get rid of bile to prevent the buildup of bilirubin.

Ursodiol

Ursodiol, also known as ursodeoxycholic acid or UDCA, helps move bile out of the liver, which can improve liver function. Ursodiol reduces toxic levels of bile acids and works for more than 50 percent of people with PBC, but up to 40 percent don’t get enough of a reduction, and 5 percent to 10 percent can’t tolerate the treatment.

For those who respond well and start taking it early enough, ursodiol may delay or even prevent the need for a liver transplant. People who start to use ursodiol usually take it for the rest of their lives.

Obeticholic acid (Ocaliva) was approved to treat PBC in 2016. However, it was withdrawn from the market by its manufacturer on September 2025, at the request of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This drug was used with ursodiol or by itself if someone couldn’t take ursodiol. Since it was pulled from the market, it’s no longer available as a treatment option for PBC and associated jaundice.

Elafibranor

Elafibranor (Iqirvo) may help people with PBC and jaundice as it both decreases bile acid production and makes bile acids less harmful to the liver. Elafibranor may be prescribed together with ursodiol for people with PBC who don’t respond well to ursodiol or by itself for those whose bodies don’t tolerate ursodiol.

When To Talk to a Doctor

Since jaundice is a clear sign of liver problems, yellowing of the skin and eyes is an important signal that it’s time to talk to your doctor. You may need to add or change treatments to help your liver better manage the flow of bile and slow liver damage. Your doctor may do a blood test to check your bilirubin levels, which are a good indicator of prognosis (outlook) with PBC.

Your doctor may also order imaging tests or a liver biopsy to better understand how your liver is doing.

Yellowing of the skin and eyes may be worrying, but it can be addressed. Talk with your doctor about ways to manage symptoms of PBC, including jaundice, to help you feel better and help your liver function the best it can.

Talk With Others Who Understand

On myPBCteam, people share their experiences with primary biliary cholangitis, get advice, and find support from others who understand.

Have you had jaundice with PBC? What helped you manage it? Let others know in the comments below.