Yellowing Of Eyes???
 

I've been on Atkins since Mid to End of July..

Over the last week I've noticed that the whites of my eyes have been turning yellow..

Some days they are darker yellow then others...Some they are normal...And it's nothing that Eye drops can fix..


My parents have been on and off Atkins before but are worried for my health after seeing a show with Dr. Atkins and a opposing Dr. argue about the ill effects on the Liver from to much protein...Which could be causing my eyes to yellow...

Kinda like when a baby is first born and they have Jaundice...yellowing of the skin and eyes because of the liver not being able to completly fuction right for the first few days....

If anyone has any suggestions..or answer's please write back..Thank you much..


~Jolyne~

Hi Jolyne,

What does your doctor say about this?

If you have not seen your doctor, please do so. Yellowing of the eyes does indicate jaundice of some type. Your doctor will need to do some tests to find out exactly what is happening.

I have never heard of LC causing this - it could well be something that has nothing whatever to do with your current WOE.

I hope you get this sorted out quickly and easily. :there:

:rose:Rosebud:rose:

I've heard an excess of beta-carotene can also yellow/orange up the skin. But as Rosebud says, a quick trip to the Dr to get his/her professional opinion is best.

The dreaded food pyramid recommends 12 to 15 percent of the diet to be protein. Atkin's recommends 20 to 30 percent protein. Which is not that far off.

I am a little unsure where people get the fact that all *this* protein ruins the liver and kidneys.

I would agree with Rosebud to see a doctor. It could be you have an underlying medical condition causing the yellowing of the eyes, but I highly doubt it was brought on by Atkin's unless you were having 50 to 60 percent of your diet in protein.

You don't have to answer these outloud but:

Any of your co workers or close friends been exposed to, or have had Hepatitis A,B or C? Do you drink alcohol in excess (females 21 units/males 28 units per week)(unit is a glass of wine or a half pint of beer)

There are many things that effect the liver. Go to a doctor for tests. :)

I don't work right now so no Co-workers...And all of my family are healthy as horses..

I dont drink hardly at all...maybe once a month if that..and even then it's only one drink..

I'm going to watch it for afew more days and if there isn't any changes ..I will be heading to the Doc.

Thanx For all your input..

Mom

I've been a nurse for over 25 years....this is nothing to fool around with!

I agree with what's already said....go see your doc ! Don't wait! Call and get an appointment as soon as possible ! (Make sure you tell the person making the appointment that you have jaundice!!!!!) Even if you're eyes look better, get the appointment.
Liver failure is not something to fool around with! And some fairly simple tests can tell you of there's anything to worry about.

Atkins, et all are not really high-protein diets. And high protein in itself shouldn't cause liver (or kidney) damage....but if there is a problem, you might have to restrict protein intake even more!

Jaundice is definitely something that should be checked out ASAP!!!! It could be gall bladder, it could be liver....but it is abnormal and should not be ignored! It could, like Talon said indicate Hepatitis. But, whatever the cause, it is abnormal and should be checked out as soon as possible! (Carrots can cause the skin to yellow, but should NOT affect the eyes!) It could be caused by a medication you're taking. (One fairly unknown side effect...to the general public anyway...of too much acetaminophen...ie tylenol...is liver damage. If you take this you should NEVER take more than the recomended dosage!!!!)

(Just a FYI....jaunice in newborns in not caused by inefficient liver function, it's from the breakdown of blood cells. A baby is born with too many blood cells, pretty much because of the way the blood circulates before birth. After birth, the body breaks down the extra blood cells and that releases bilirubin. It's very normal, but some kids either can't handle the overload of bile or have more than normal cells to get rid of....and that's what causes the jaundice.)

PLEASE see your doc as soon as possible...better to be safe than sorry!

A quick question too..


When I started noticing the yellow..I had just done one of those 48 hour diet drinks for two days...So I had nothing but this bright orange drink four times a day and water..and the 3rd day after I was done is when they were really yellow...Could it have been from the drink and no food for 2 days????..because since then they have gotten more and more white...But my B/f.. was concerned since I blacked out on the 3rd day as well...I'm guessing from lack of food...But since then I've been fine..No black out's..and eyes getting clearer??????

Mom

why worry about it? Go see your doc! Like I said, some fairly simple tests can tell if there's anything to worry about!

I've never heard of carrots or food coloring causing the EYES to turn....but not knowing what is in the drink, it's hard to say....so why not just go see your doc and get it over with! Worry isn't good for you either!!!!!

And please, keep us posted!

Cindy

Ok, I'm a 18 year old college boy and Im not on a low carb diet or anything, but I was eating lunch today and a couple of my friends asked if I felt ok because my eyes were yellow. I said i felt fine and went to my dorm to check it out. I actually had noticed something weird about my eyes when i woke up but i couldn't pinpoint it in the mirror so i shrugged it off. Anyways, when i checked after lunch, the whites of my eyes were yellow when you looked at them close but just looked dark from a distance. So I went on the internet to see if i could find some answers because one of my lunch friends said it could be a sign of liver problems. About three to four weeks back, I had pain in the right side of my lower back and wasn't sure if it was a kidney problem or a pulled muscle because i run and play a lot of sports, since then that has gotten better, but now I wonder if that may be linked. Also this morning when I urinated I noticed It was a dark shade of yellow, nothing like the shade of coffee but just dark enough to where I actually took a second thought about it while i was peeing. I am going home next weekend to see the doctor for a sports related foot problem, do you believe i can wait till then to have this checked. Oh and I have never drank in my life, but last night I did take three IB Profen (sp?) for a headache, which is one more than i usually take. I have been getting a consistent 6 to 6.5 hours of sleep a night as well, perks of college homework. Any suggestions or comments you might have would be a serious help. thanks

Jaundice (skin and corneas turning yellow) is a symptom that can indicate a lot of things. It can be nothing serious like taking too many beta carotene supplements, drinking too much carrot juice, or it can be very serious, like liver cancer. See your doctor.

When that happened to me and my roommate in college it was mononucleosis, which occurs most frequently in teenagers. That's a viral infection that slows you down significantly but there's nothing you do for it but rest and sleep a lot for months.

Tylenol is the one you have to watch out for, especially if you drink alcohol.

Wow, liver damage is nothing to fool with. Get to a doctor right away.

This is not normal. You have jaundice, which is not something to trifle with.

Please, see your doctor as soon as possible.

And just for the record, an excess of beta carotene can indeed turn the skin yellow, but it does not cause actual jaundice, ie yellowing of eyes and dark urine.

Jaundice due to liver or gall bladder disease (gall stones).