My partner has turned yellow and I am scared

[bloodywhitecat]

Over the last couple of weeks his skin and eye whites have turned yellow, he also has dark urine which has not improved despite upping his fluid intake by at least an extra 2 litres a day, he is more tired than usual too. I don't want to scare myself witless and Google. He has called the GP and is having blood tests tonight.

[Charlieiscool]

You are doing the right thing. There will be more tests to come and I hope all goes well.

[hotstepper4]

Oh sounds like a liver issue?

I'm sorry to hear. It could be something like a gallstone blocking his bile duct which although sore is not life threatening. Is he in pain?

[FlibbertyGiblets]

And you are sensible to not google. Very best wishes for test results. And have a shoulder squeeze too.

[MrsMoastyToasty]

It could be jaundice. Dsis had it as a child and the description sounds very similar.

[bloodywhitecat]

No, no pain as far as I know. Although thinking back he did a few weeks ago before the yellowness. Thank you, shoulder squeezes are greatly appreciated, I could do with coffee and a catch up with friends but everyone is working.

[JosephineDeBeauharnais]

This happened to my DH after what appeared to be a bout of flu. He was very very seriously ill, spent two weeks in hospital and it was six months before his liver enzymes were back to normal. He had HepA. We were told that if he’d waited another week for treatment the only thing that could have saved him would have been a transplant.
Good luck to your OH with the blood tests.

[AllsortsofAwkward]

Looking at the symptoms you described it would indicate that this liver function has been affected. You've done the right thing to contact the gp.

[edwinbear]

The liver is very resilient and can heal itself quickly, so you are doing exactly the right thing in getting him looked at quickly. Is he a big drinker?

[IStandByJKR]

Does sound like a liver issue. Glad he's getting blood tests. Lots and lots of different things can cause the liver to go awry but the liver had a wonderful ability to heal (alongside appropriate medical intervention obviously). Doctors might well say scary words to you like HIV and hepatitis. That's only because they need to rule them out, so try not to panic. Xxx

[AllyBamma]

Classic symptoms of liver dysfunction I’m afraid. If his conscious state continues to deteriorate then take him straight to A+E. No judgment at all (there’s plenty of other causes of liver dysfunction) but is he a drinker?

[DahliaGardener]

I'm afraid you should take this very seriously. Don't be afraid to go to A&E. They won't think you are wasting their time--far from it.

[bloodywhitecat]

No, not a big drinker now. Before we started living together three years ago he could finish a bottle of red on a Friday and Saturday night but has cut back a lot, maybe has 4-5 units a week.

[Roomba]

It could be a few things. My grandmother turned yellow very quickly - it turned out to be her gallbladder that was causing it (I was a child, so can't recall the exact specifics, sorry). She had no pain or anything, so we were all very alarmed. Low fat diet and she was back to normal very quickly.

Absolutely see a GP or A&E as a matter of urgency.

[SeaToSki]

Do let the doctors know if he has travelled overseas in the last year or so, particularly to Asia or Africa. They have liver flukes that can get into you and then can grow very slowly until it gets to a point where they impact liver function. Its not an obvious thing for a UK doctor to consider and so might get overlooked

[StarryStrawberry]

Yes, liver.
I had the same symptoms last year and went to the GP for blood tests. They actually called my phone in the middle of the night when results came through, as liver enzymes were so high.
In my case it was due to a drug allergy. Has he started any new medication recently?Liver completely back to normal within a couple of weeks, after I stopped the medication.

[bloodywhitecat]

He had steroid treatment for diverticulitis a couple of months ago, no overseas travel for about 5 years and none to Asia or Africa ever.

[panda3019]

I am a nurse. It sounds like jaundice which is generally caused by a build up of bilirubin (a waste product that usually comes out in your poo) could be due to liver problems so avoid any alcohol or paracetamol. If it was my DH i'd be dragging him to A and E as it could be very serious.
good luck and hopefully he is sorted soon.

[TARSCOUT]

Gallstones.most likely. His urine will be very dark and stools very light?

[TARSCOUT]

Sorry meant to say gallstone with blocked bile duct. Will normally affect liver. I would go to a&e.

[bloodywhitecat]

He's spoken to his GP today who is doing blood tests at 5pm, would the GP have told him to go to A&E if he thought urgent? OH is at work at the moment I will ask him about A&E once he gets home but I am pretty sure he will decline.

[AllyBamma]

Yeah lots of other causes, usually various medications including herbal remedies, exposure to certain chemicals or recent illness. The dark urine could be due to the presence of bilirubin in his wee which can occur in liver dysfunction too (as opposed to the dark wee being due to dehydration). The worry for me (I’m an ICU nurse) is the tiredness. It could just be due to the fact he’s feeling unwell but liver dysfunction can also affect your brain as well. Might just be worth going straight to the hospital. If he is indeed yellow he should be seen quite quickly.

[bluefoxmug]

another handhold
as pp say there are sooo many things that can cause the liver to function less, but many are treatable.
hep e is another one. quite common as well, but not as well known.
good luck, hopefully it's something that resolves itself quickly.

[Branleuse]

Good luck. Def sounds like liver issues

[Ginfordinner]

I'm concerned that he has gone to work. It could be hepatitis A which is contagious.

[gavisconismyfriend]

You are very wise not to google, much better to do as you have done and contacted GP.