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turning yellow

V99

Senior Member
Messages
1,471
Location
UK
Over the years, people have noticed that my skin and sometimes my eyes go yellow. It tends to be when I am at my worst.

I was wondering if this happens to anyone else? :)
 

leelaplay

member
Messages
1,576
Hi V99. It doesn't happen to me that I know of. People tell me I look grey and/or pasty when at my worst.

I always think of yellow as being hepatitis. Have you been checked for it and/or for liver function?

islandfinn:)
 

V99

Senior Member
Messages
1,471
Location
UK
They have checked. Nothing found.

I go very pale and grey too, but the yellow thing is kind of weird. It's not a new symptom either.
 

Hysterical Woman

Senior Member
Messages
857
Location
East Coast
Gall Bladder?

They have checked. Nothing found.

I go very pale and grey too, but the yellow thing is kind of weird. It's not a new symptom either.


Sigh, who knows all the things that this fricking disease does to us?? I had problems with yellow skin until I had my gall bladder removed. I hated having it done, but it had been giving me lots of pain for years. In any case, you might want to check out the gall bladder angle.

Maxine
 

Jenny

Senior Member
Messages
1,388
Location
Dorset
Hi Vi99

In my early years of illness I went yellow too. Was too ill to be able to go anywhere to get my liver checked though!

I haven't been yellow for 25 years - now I'm grey.

Jenny
 

V99

Senior Member
Messages
1,471
Location
UK
Thanks for the replies.

I don't eat much turmeric or beta carotene. Also it comes and goes, usually for only a couple of hours.

I have tended to think that my liver occasionally finds the ME a little too much to handle, and slows down. Or that too much of something has built up in my system.

At least I don't mind looking yellow. :)
 
K

_Kim_

Guest
Thanks for the replies.

I don't eat much turmeric or beta carotene. Also it comes and goes, usually for only a couple of hours.

I have tended to think that my liver occasionally finds the ME a little too much to handle, and slows down. Or that too much of something has built up in my system.

At least I don't mind looking yellow. :)

V99, In 1985, when I contracted Mono, I also developed hepatitis and jaundice. I remember laying on the sofa, and my then 5 year old brother coming in the front door, taking one look at me with my very yellow skin and eyes and visibly shuddering. I am fair skinned, so the yellow was extreme. I would venture to guess that liver &/or gallbladder inflammation is causing your sunny glow.
 

calzy

Senior Member
Messages
113
Location
Naples Florida
Thanks for the replies.

I don't eat much turmeric or beta carotene. Also it comes and goes, usually for only a couple of hours.

I have tended to think that my liver occasionally finds the ME a little too much to handle, and slows down. Or that too much of something has built up in my system.

At least I don't mind looking yellow. :)

happened to me when i first got sick, went to the ER and the doc asked me how much I drank! I DONT DRINK!!! Just another story of the s@#t we all have have gone through with Dr's. btw..I told him I didnt drink, and I had cfs...but he insisted nothing wrong with me, blood tests were normal:mad:
 

flybro

Senior Member
Messages
706
Location
pluto
Same here

I've had my skin look yellow, only in the last few months though, and only for a few hrs at a time.

My eyes looked whiter a bit like 'Ross's teeth from Friends'.

The only thing thats changed is that I've been taking more meds this year than ever before.

Normally I'm grey.
 

Lily

*Believe*
Messages
677
I'm grey too......

and although I believe that happened gradually, I'd say it became most noticeable around the 7 year mark and has become more so since then....my once radiant skin and vibrant eyes dimmed and no amount of make-up could bring back even a fake healthy glow. Not to mention I also became allergic to most anything I attempted to put on my skin - all of the same stuff I'd used for years. And it is not the grey that I associate with someone with cardiac or lung problems. Like most of our symptoms, it has it's own unique quality about it (IMO).
 

Victoria

Senior Member
Messages
1,377
Location
Melbourne, Australia
Being in tune with your body is one of the most important aspects of chronic illness.

Every morning (like for 25 years), I check my eyes when I put my eyemakeup on in the morning before going to work.

Always have done this, even before chronic health problems. For those older members of this forum, the original photo I had as my avatar was taken about 18 years ago. In it I look incredibly healthy (& I was). I didn't have a recent photo, so figured an old photo was better than nothing.

The faint yellow rim around the outside (apart from my poor liver blood tests - which have improved enormously recently) is my first sign of toxic liver or problems.

Dark circles under my eyes are another.

Crepey skin on the backs of my hands are another sign (of dehydration).

When I have to fast (for surgery), the first thing I notice is how dehydrated I get.

Pick up the skin on the back of your hand (no matter what your age) between two fingers & drop it. It should spring back flat fairly quickly. If it doesn't, you need to re-hydrate & get more oil (or healthy fats) in your diet.

If you can tolerate it, make sure you have some olive oil each day. I know many of you can't tolerate olive oil, perhaps apricot kernel oil or one of the other nut oils is a possibility. (keep in fridge in small quantities, apricot or avocado oil goes rancid fairly quicky).

Check your finger nails. Shiny, moist fingernails are good. Dry, brittle nails with ridges are often a sign of some deficiency in your diet.

Radom white spots may indicate an injury.

After surgery or serious illness, as your fingernails grow, you will notice a line or change across the finger nails appearance (from the time of your surgery).

Colour of skin is another (& texture).

I look like death warmed up (without makeup) because I never expose my face to the sun. Well, not since I had the last lot of severe sunburn & sunstroke about 20 years ago. I am fair & burn in the sun in about 9 minutes.

So much skin cancer & melanoma in our family. (of course I have to take a vitamin D supplement, but I would rather take that than encounter skin cancer).

Australians living in the southern island state of Tasmania nearly always have beautiful skin. They aren't exposed to the harsh drying sun of the northern states.

(Statistics have changed in Australia. It used to be that 1 in 3 people would get some form of skin cancer in their lives. The statistics now say 4 in 5 people will get some form of skin cancer. I think we have the highest incidence in the World).

You would have to eat alot of carrots to get that orangey tinge to your skin, but I have heard of it happening. Normal serves of carrots & fresh daily carrot juice should not make your skin go orange.

Too much coffee & tea are detrimental to your skin & organ function, but 1-2 cups a day should be ok.

Like everything in life, moderation is the key.

But for us chronic ill health sufferers, we need to pay greater attention to our diet, supplements, drugs etc. Observation of our appearance & listening to our "body talk" is a good first indication of how our organs & general health is.

Take a little time to read & understand some of these signs.
 

Marylib

Senior Member
Messages
1,153
Grey eyeballs!

Thanks for that Victoria.

When I am in a prolonged relapse -- bedridden -- losing hope -- pain -- well you know the story... my husband says the white of my eyes go grey. Normally it is just my skin and lips...wonder what that is?
 
Messages
27
Location
brisbane, Australia
Turning Yellow hands & feet - help

Hi all,

I have now had CFS for about 6 months. I would put myself in the mild to moderately affected however this level is still devastating and has pretty much taken away my life.

I feel partly responsible for my fall into CFS as I pushed my body to the extremes through a mild fatigue state that I had experienced for a month ( I had experienced this state at least 3 - 6 times since first acquiring a bad case of mono about 9 years ago.) Finally through ignorance and stupidity I snapped something in my body due to late nights out drinking and partying, playing sport, continuing full time work and uni while not really feeling all that crash hot. Now though what I'm experiencing is a completely different story - Almost over night fatigue, achiness, brain fog and insomnia appeared.

Questions I have though is could I have done some damage to my liver or could I have pushed my immune system so far that EBV has been able to get a hold of my liver?? Since CFS started 6 months ago - my hands and feet have turned and orange yellow colour, I have huge black rings around my eyes and really bad B.O. I have also had a liver function test done and it has come back saying phase 1 filtration happens to quickly then phase 2 filtration it barely happening at all. So it would be evident that i'm getting a big build of toxins that are then moved into my body.

I'm treating with certain amino acids and other things that have been advised to help support the liver and get it back into shape.

Has anyone experienced liver problems with their CFS. Does it sound like my liver could be what is causing my CFS? I know someone who had CFS for 10 years had this same test done showed him what he needed to take regarding amino acids and was right after 2 years. Now works full time and rides to work every day etc.

I have also been on Famvir now for about 10 days and have noticed and improvement in symptoms but of course they are still there.

Any help appreciated.
 

Jody

Senior Member
Messages
4,636
Location
Canada
Hi da_foles,

Welcome to the forums. :)

Sorry to hear about the troubling symptoms. You have my sympathy.

I don't think I can offer much in the way of advice. Other than, if you have a liver that is overloaded with toxins, there are foods and natural supplements that can help there. I recommend doing a google search on this because ... well, because I only know of a few of them off the top of my head.:rolleyes:

Beets are supposed to be good for your liver. And milk thistle can be a good supplement. Check it out online though as there are some things that would contraindicate taking this. Take heart, though, because there are things you can do for this.
 
Messages
27
Location
brisbane, Australia
Hey Jody,

Thanks for the welcome and the information. I was going to get some milk thistle might stay on these amino acids etc first that the dr has prescribed for me to try help the liver. See how they go.

Will probably look into milk thistle further down the track.
 

Jody

Senior Member
Messages
4,636
Location
Canada
da_foles,

Couple other things you could consider, they can't hurt and might help.

You can help an overloaded liver by helping your skin get rid of the toxins. You can do this by taking epsom salt baths, making sure to rinse off afterwards, so the salts and toxins don't remain on your skin. And you can try dry skin brushing, using a loofah over your whole body. Make sure to brush towards the heart. So, brush from the fingertips, upward to the shoulders, from the neck down, downward to the heart. And from the toes (including bottoms of feet) upward, and lower torso direct the brushing strokes upward toward the heart.

Each of these things can help. Like so many natural methods, they are not a quick fix but done over time, they can make some difference.
 

m1she11e

Senior Member
Messages
333
Location
Florida
Hey,
I get the Liver issues off and on. My tests always show my liver is fine but I get pain around the liver area and the palms of my hands will turn yellow. It comes and goes. I will say that Famvir brought it on and so have some antibiotics. Ive done most all of the liver supplements and also agree that beet is very good for the liver.

Im curious what aminos you are taking to help the liver?
 

Kati

Patient in training
Messages
5,497
Da_foles, I am a nurse and know a bit about liver but do not understand phase and 2 fitration and what it means. Here in canada we measure liver function by AST alkaline phosphatase and ALT. Bilirubin is the test that you need to see if you are jaundiced. Usually the sclera (whte of your eyes) will become yellow when you are jaundiced. Some people also have pain to their livers when this happens.

I would recommend you visit your doctor with these concerns. A simple blood test, sometimes an ultrasound will be able to tell quickly if there is something wrong with your liver. Also some medication and herbal medecine can be hard on the liver, especially if you mix traditional and alternative medecines. They can add up and tax your organs. (I am saying this with my experience with chemotherapy patients, the doctors were well aware that some mushroom extracts can interact with the chemotherapy, etc...)

Sometimes also some viruses can attack your liver (hepatitis) and again it would be wise to go visit your doctor.

As for hands and fingers being yellow, mine usually turn even more yellow when I eat too many carrots (on my diet days)

I hope it helps, good luck.

ETA: The yellow color to your hands and feet could also be due to lower blood volume that PWC seem to have. It means that the body retains the blood for the mjor organs and not as much for the feet and hands.

I have alos checked out Famvir's side effects, it says it can be hard on your kidneys so be sure to drink lots of water/ liquids with it everyday.

Kati