Undiagnosed for 4 years!

[mhaotstk]

Hi, I have been ill for 4 years this summer. It all started back in August 2006 where I was in my town shopping when I collapsed with a sudden chronic feeling of nausea, this stayed for many weeks. I of course visited my Doctor who did a liver function test which came back abnormal and I got told I have Gilberts syndrome, which I understand is harmless. With this life draining nausea I have severe abdominal pain in my upper abdomen around my liver, which I can only describe as a feeling like I am being stabbed. These symptoms continued and I had many other tests to see if I have any alergies, food intolerence and such like of which all came back negative. Several ultrasounds of my liver detected a fatty liver. I find it increasingly hard to concentrate in class and focus as a whole and find myself just drifting off into space at times which is worrying. I must say at this point that I am a healthy 21 year old male from the United Kingdom who isn't overweight, nor do I drink or smoke and I excercise regularly. Jumping 3 and a half years in time to the start of 2010 where my symptoms still continue it was noticed that I now have severely high blood pressure of 190/120 or there abouts when measured ( of which there is no family history of any heart or liver problems) about 2 weeks ago a medical student friend of mine having done a paper on certain diseases suggested to me that I should ask to be tested for Wilson's disease and to check my eyes for k-f rings. Having looked at my eyes under light I can clearly see these several light rings around the edge of my brown eyes and with searching the internet I found a picture that is almost identical to what my eyes look like:
http://www.bmj.com/content/vol322/issue7281/images/large/livabc5.f2.jpeg
I hope that whoever reads this can see the picture and my eyes look the same with golden like rings around the edge of my eyes. Is my friend right in suggesting that it could be Wilson's disease therefore or is there anything else that could be the cause? I am seeing my Doctor soon and will tell him this and to get tested, but I appreciate anyones help as I am on tablets for nausea everyday and need to take pain medication regularly and even more dissapointingly I am about to start medication for my hypertension which I may be on for the forseable future.
Thank you, long post I know sorry.

[mhaotstk]

I have had an ultrasound of my kidneys recently to find reasons of my hypertension, I will hear from my doctor soon, but was told my right kidney is slightly large. Also with a urinalysis there, it is clear to see how cloudy the urine looks aswell as the large amount of sediment that settles very quickly. With this I was told it is excess protein, Does anyone know if all of this aswell as my previous symptoms can add up to Wilson's disease?

[mhaotstk]

Thank you both for replying. I will let you know what my doctor thinks, says and the results of any tests for this disease. As I understand it can cause a fatty liver and with the liver it can be miss diagnosed for Gilbert's syndrome, but with my many other symptoms it could make sense in being Wilson's disease. Rings around the edge of the eye is a sign and high blood pressure from it affecting my kidneys. I will let you know more soon.

[Dr. Kokil Mathur]

Hi
Welcome to the MedHelp forum!
Yes, it could be Wilson’s disease. High copper in blood is seen in Wilson’s disease. Zinc deficiency too causes high copper in blood. Excess copper in blood can also occur from eating acid food that has been cooked in copper utensils. Exposure to excess copper in drinking water or other environmental sources can also be a cause. Depending on where the excess copper is getting deposited you can have problems in the eye, liver and brain or kidney. Problems of kidney can cause high blood pressure. If your life involves excessive stress or if you have adrenal glands insufficiency then also you are more likely to develop high copper levels. This occurs because stress dramatically decreases levels of zinc which is copper's primary antagonist and helps release excess copper from body, and it also weakens adrenal function. So maybe if this is the case, then taking zinc supplements will help. Hope this helps. Please let me know if there is any thing else and do keep me posted. Take care!

[mandylynn0621]

I only have heard of Wilson's disease from HOUSE MD, the show. I don't know much of the symptoms and trust me have researched so many diseases they are all jumbled in my head, for i have many gross symptoms of disease. I hope a doctor will be open minded and i hope you can be persistent enough to ask for further testing. Now is this the disease when too much copper builds up in your system? It's worth looking into. Have you been tested for parasites. I ask because they accompany fatty livers. take care and good luck message me when you find out anything. I myself are always looking for the cure.