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Autoimmune hepatitis: the signs, the tests, treatment, and living with it
For anyone told a blood test shows high liver enzymes; for anyone whose eyes or skin have turned yellow; for anyone just told they have autoimmune hepatitis, or taking steroids or azathioprine for it; and for the people who love them. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK, part of the NIH) says autoimmune hepatitis is a chronic disease in which the immune system attacks the liver; that without treatment it may lead to cirrhosis and liver failure; and that with treatment many people go into remission. This page passes on, by name, what NIDDK says: the signs and when it cannot wait, the two types and who gets it, the tests, the medicines, remission, relapse and side effects, and vaccines, food, bones and the liver over time. It builds the words to say to a doctor, and prints a card to carry.
Right now
- Someone with liver disease is vomiting blood, is confused or very hard to wake, or has fainted? NIDDK names vomiting blood and confusion among the signs of cirrhosis. Call 911 (ours). Do not drive yourself.
- New yellow eyes or skin, dark urine, or pale stools? NIDDK names them among the signs. See a doctor the same day (ours).
- You take medicines for autoimmune hepatitis and want to stop? NIDDK says stopping without your doctor’s guidance and monitoring may be very dangerous. Ask first.
- It is all too much, or you are thinking of ending your life? Call or text 988, any hour (ours).
More help
- The liver, on this site: Cirrhosis · Fatty liver disease · Viral hepatitis (A, B and C) · GI bleeding · An upset stomach: find the right page.
- Other autoimmune diseases NIDDK names: Celiac disease · Underactive thyroid · Arthritis · Diabetes · Vitiligo · Lupus.
- Side effects of the medicines: Osteoporosis.
- Day to day: My medicines list · Symptom diary · Get ready for your appointment.
- Care and costs: When you can’t afford your medicine · When you need a doctor and can’t pay · When a medical bill is too much.
- In a crisis: Help right now (988, 911). All our free tools.
An upset stomach, and not sure this is the right page? The pages on this site for throwing up, diarrhea, heartburn and constipation, on one list.
This page and its wording were written with AI (Claude) for Scarlet Beast (our AI policy). No doctor or nurse has reviewed it. The facts were read on October 17, 2026 on NIDDK’s Autoimmune Hepatitis pages (NIH): the overview, Definition & Facts, Symptoms & Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment and Eating, Diet, & Nutrition, and their Spanish versions; all were last reviewed in March 2023 and say the same things. Ours: 911 for vomiting blood, confusion, someone very hard to wake, or fainting; a doctor the same day for new yellow eyes or skin, dark urine or pale stools; calling the doctor soon for swelling, or a fever or infection on these medicines; bringing a list of everything you take and asking about alcohol; not stopping, lowering or skipping a medicine on your own; the card; 988 when it is too much; health centers when money is tight; and the order of the steps. What we left out: brand names, doses, research studies, and clinical pages for providers. This page saves nothing and loads no trackers.