Hi Will,
I would concur that this man may be suffering from some sort of vitamin toxicity. Too much Vitamin A can cause the skin (but not the eyes) to turn yellow or yellow-orange. As well, too much Vitamin B can induce a variation of hydrocephalus, causing neurological deficits. Self-medicating with herbs can also cause unusual side effects. If he is taking mega doses, he should talk to either a well-informed pharmacist or his neurologist to see if he is taking too much and/or if the vitamins (and/or herbs) are interacting with his current medication.
I had another usual thought - he might have been infected with leptospirosis, which can cause unusual symptoms, including yellow skin. In that case, a visit to an infectious disease specialist is warranted.
BTW, I worked as medical technologist for 15 years, and ran across some unusual variations of diseases, and I've gotten used to looking for zebras instead of horses.
Let us know how this turns out.
Connie
There is a young onset PD man in our support group who has had PD for about
10 years for sure, probably longer (current age 51).
He has been taking Sinemet for years, and it has usually been effective. He
has taken various agonists in past years, and they produced undesired
side-effects. He had a palidotomy about 5 years ago which produced favorable
results for about 3 1/2 years.
About a year ago he took a considerable turn for the worse:
He was also taking Tasmar [and getting liver function tests from time to
time which were uniformly negative for problems] when,
over a period of about two weeks he gradually lost his ability to stand
alone or walk. The fingers on one hand curled in, and the fingers will not
extend out even with considerable force. The changes seemed much too fast
for PD, but much too slow for a stroke. He is still mentally sharp. When I
helped take him for an MRI [no problems seen in MRI pictures], his arms and
hands were yellow. [For those who can remember when oleomargerine was white
and came with a yellow-orange dye packet: The color was just like the dye
when the margerine was partly pale yellow and partly orangey - the orangey
color.] I immediately thought juandice, but his eyes were very clear and the
eyeballs were very white. {This symptom disappeared in a very few days.}.
There are deer and ticks in his yard. I thought Lyme disease. Lyme disease
is seen frequently in our area. I understand he was tested for Lyme and
test was negative. The MD's are stumped? Any ideas?
Will J.
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