01/26/2026
...and if they don't, you should ask for it.
If your total bile acids come back elevated during pregnancy, this can be scary, especially with all the talk about pregnancy complications associated with high levels.
What many people don't realize is that there is more than one type of bile acid, and the type elevated in the bloodstream can make a big difference in the cause and treatment.
A Fractioned Bile Acids test looks deeper than a standard total bile acids test. Instead of giving one number (a total of all types), it breaks bile acids into specific types, which can help your provider understand where the elevation is coming from and tweak your treatment to reduce levels.
True ICP tends to show a pattern with higher primary bile acids and lower secondary/conjugated forms
If bile acids are elevated mainly due to secondary factors, this may be more of a microbiome/gut issue than a liver issue.
This difference matters because the cause influences management, monitoring, and responses to treatments.
In other words, the same "high" number can mean very different causes.
Over the next few posts, I'll break down ICP so you feel informed, supported, and confident in understanding its physiology.
