Autoimmune Hepatitis Symptoms

Early autoimmune hepatitis symptoms can include fatigue, diarrhea, muscle pain, and mild stomach pain (or abdominal pain). In the early stages of autoimmune hepatitis, a person may also develop jaundice, along with arthritis, itching, light-colored stool, and a lack of menstrual bleeding, among other symptoms. There are a number of more serious symptoms that can occur if a person with autoimmune hepatitis also develops cirrhosis. A few of these symptoms include weakness, weight loss, and exhaustion.

 

An Overview of Autoimmune Hepatitis Symptoms

Autoimmune hepatitis can affect people differently. This applies not only to how the condition progresses but also what symptoms occur. Autoimmune hepatitis symptoms can range from mild to severe. They may start out slowly or abruptly. They may also come and go (this is known as having spontaneous remissions and exacerbations).
 

Early Symptoms of Autoimmune Hepatitis

For a person with autoimmune hepatitis, symptoms (especially early symptoms) may include one or several of the following:
 
 
  • Fatigue
  • Excessive tiredness
  • Not feeling very hungry
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Diarrhea
  • Low-grade fever
  • Muscle pain
  • Joint pain
  • Sore throat
  • Mild stomach pain (or abdominal pain).
     
Jaundice (yellowing of the skin or the whites of the eyes) may also occur along with:
 
  • Dark urine
  • Abdominal pain (or stomach pain) on the right side
  • Light-colored stool
  • Itching
  • Acne
  • Arthritis
  • A lack of menstrual bleeding.
     
Not everyone with autoimmune hepatitis will have these early symptoms.
 
(Autoimmune Hepatitis Symptoms Continued: Page 2)
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Written by/reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD