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18 year old son has yellow eyes....

Posted , 6 users are following.

jesset1977
jesset1977

They have progressively been getting worse over the past 4 months. I should have gotten him to a doctor the second he came home and said his friends were telling him his eyes were yellow. I thought just a bunch of kids being paranoid. Long story shortened...i saw last week his eyes were yellowing. His bilirubin total is at 3.1 with no other symptoms other than jaundice. No signs of liver damage. He goes in for an US next week to check out his insides. She mentioned the possibility of gilberts today and of course i had to research this. She said sometimes the levels increase due to stress but he hardly stresses and if he did it surely wouldnt be for 4 or 5 months straight. Heres my question to you all. Does your jaundice last that long? And have you undergone other test (ie pancreas and gall) before they diagnosed you with gilberts? Im nervous as hell with my sons eyes yellow...especially after almost losing my dad recently to pancreatic cancer. I want to stay on the safe side with him without dragging him through the mud.

0 likes, 8 replies

8 Replies

  • andree777
    andree777 jesset1977

    Posted

    Hello

    Sorry to hear your son has been jaundice for so long.

    People with GS will have yellowing of the eyes when their bilirubin levels are up.

    However, this discolouring usually only lasts a few days & I've found the onset of the jaundice doesn't appear until half way through the elevated bilirubin.

    I'm sure the Doctor will do full blood tests - full liver function blood tests & with the jaundice check for Hepatitis A as well as jaundice for this does last a while. If he had Hepatitis A he would have other symptoms as well.  My gastroenterologist diagnosed me with GS; but the first gastroenterologist who removed my gallbladder didn't.  Does your son feel exhausted?  Exhaustion is the main symptom of elevated bilirubin.  A person with GS doesn't need to have blood tests each time they have elevated bilirubin - they know due to the exhaustion.  I've never had tests of my pancreas and no specialist has ever mentioned this needs to be done.  If you're not satisfied with the results of this doctor, see another.  But with full blood tests they will be able to get to the bottom of it.  If they do say your son has GS, the doctor will purely say it will have no effect on him.  People with GS need to make sure they limit alcohol and don't overdo it.

    All the best.  I know it's stressful worrying about our children's health.

    • jesset1977
      jesset1977 andree777

      Posted

      He has been exhausted from time to time but he works sooooo many hours and school ontop of that so it's hard to say where it's coming from. Cant wait to get this US done so we can be referred out. Not comfortable at all with them telling me it might be GS without knowing for sure. Same thing happened not long ago to my dad and was due to a bile blockage (tumor) leading to his pancreas. He was life flighted to a trauma unit..almost died. Needless to say...im taking this very serious.

  • jesset1977
    jesset1977

    Posted

    They have done a series of 7 tests on his liver and 6 of the 7 came back normal. Bilirubin was only thing off. They mentioned the gs but yes

    ..its strange his eyes have been yellow sooo long. Thanks for your reaponse.

    • dan78451
      dan78451 jesset1977

      Posted

      Hi, I got rid of the yellow eyes with homeopathics. I went to a homeopathic doctor and my eyes were back to normal pretty quickly. It also helped some other symptoms. Your son can try it. Nothing to lose by doing that.
    • trice83
      trice83 dan78451

      Posted

      What are you taking? My eyes are yellow all the time. I'm surprised to see so many say it's only occasional. My eyes have pretty much been yellow (sometimes worse than others) since I was diagnosed 19 years ago.

  • reece77
    reece77 jesset1977

    Posted

    Hello Jesset,

    I know that someone has already mentioned this in a previous reply, but as your son is now 18 he may have started consuming alcohol. For someone with GS, alcohol is very difficult to tolerate or for the body to process. Even though the medical doctors will inform you that there is nothing to worry about with GS and that it is a benign condition, we really do know that this is not the case. Among doctors in the scientific research community, it is known that GS can be quite debilitating at times. I was diagnosed with GS when i was around 16 or 17, in my final years of school and attempting to play sport at a high level. It was exhausting. Doctors thought that i had Glandular Fever (mononucleosis) but it was GS. My mother also has GS but she is not nearly as badly affected by it as i am. I am now 40 and it has been a difficult condition to live with at times. It comes in waves and you never know when a bout will hit. There are a lot of resources and information out there for you but the two links below are some of the best with stories from other GS sufferers.

    What i would say is that your son will have to watch what he eats and drinks (basicly whatever he consumes) carefully. it is a pain, other people don't understand, but that is what i have had to do now for more than 22 years. Also, GS is a very broad term for the expression of elevated bilirubin levels. This is only really the marker of what is going on underneath, which could be more complex. And therefore, GS sufferers can vary greatly across the spectrum because the underlying genetics may differ. It also means that your son may not experience many or any of the symptoms others experience. I hope that this is the case for your son and you as a family. I wish you the best.

    Reece

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    • jesset1977
      jesset1977 reece77

      Posted

      Thank you for your response. He has had the occasional drink...but nothing major. Went to see the gastroenterologist today. She said they arent that concerned with his billirubins being at 3.2. If they go over 5 theyd be more concerned. Did more blood work today and tested the levels again and for hepatits a b and c. Not sure if its related at all but his US came back abnormal with what they call an abnormality with an abdominal lymph node. He goes in on the 14th for an mri...with and without contrast. I have a very open relationship with my kids and allow them an occasional drink here and there with dinner. I am positive he would never drink behind my back...because i allow him to drink. Might sound awful to some i know...but i feel if youre old enough to die and fight for your country, vote, pay taxes...you're old enough to have a few drinks. He does understand the dangers and until we get down to the bottom of this i told him i dont want him drinking a drop of alcohol. I feel we are on the right path.

    • reece77
      reece77 jesset1977

      Posted

      I am glad to hear that you are positive about discovering what is really going on with your son. I wish you all the best and hope that his MRI test come back good for you all. And yes, you are right - the occasional drink should be okay for people. As they say, everything in moderation is good for you. I agree.

      I too underwent gastroenterology tests, endocrinology tests and immunology tests. Nearly all came back totally clear and healthy apart from slightly elevated immune function and a few minor allergies. It can be quite frustrating at times, given that the medical community see GS as being totally benign and group all GS sufferers with elevated UCB together. But, it is still possible that your son does not even have GS, so you will find out when all the test results are returned. 

      Again, i wish your son all the best and hope that it turns out to be nothing.

       

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