Yellowish skin

[KatieEV]

I have noticed in the last month that my skin has a slight yellow tinge to it, but then some days i am pale as a ghost, anyone know whats up with that? And i also get pins and needles a lot too, whenever i hold something in the same position i get pins and needles even in my fingers hmm maybe i should tell my Psycologist when they actually call me back :/

[Girlinterruptedallthetime]

Abnormal liver functioning can be one of the complications of eating disorders. When the liver isn’t working properly, there is a build up of a yellow pigment called bilirubin, which can be the cause of the yellow skin you describe. The medical term for this is jaundice. This can occur with bulimia as a result of pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas). These are serious medical issues.

A less serious cause of yellow skin color (not limited to disordered eaters) can be from consuming too much beta-carotene. Beta-carotene is a pigment found in many fruits and vegetables, such as carrots, dark leafy greens, winter squash, sweet potatoes, and cantaloupe. The body converts beta-carotene to Vitamin A. An excessive intake of beta-carotene supplements—not foods—is almost always the cause of skin color changes. The result is a yellow skin tone, especially on the hands, palms and soles of the feet, but also on the face to a lesser degree. This discoloration fades when the supplements are stopped. There are other rare side effects of overdosing on beta-carotene that include joint pain, dizziness, unusual bleeding or bruising, and diarrhea.

Any person with a yellow tinge to their skin should call there doctor ASAP to get tests done. Please call your doctor and let them know what is going on.

[InternalDialogue]

I definitely second the suggestion of seeing a doctor. It might just be anemia- that's a common cause of yellowing skin- but you can't be sure until you see a doctor and have tests done. You don't want to risk it being something more serious.

[Girlinterruptedallthetime]

I definitely second the suggestion of seeing a doctor. It might just be anemia- that's a common cause of yellowing skin- but you can't be sure until you see a doctor and have tests done. You don't want to risk it being something more serious.

Your right you can't be sure because there are over 400 different types of Anemia out there. The most common kinds are iron deficiency and sickle cell though and those are easy to test for.

I would also try and think back to when you started to see your skin change did you notice anything else happening? Even if you think it might not have to do with this I would write it down because it will help to figure out what is you have. But please call your GP doctor as your psychologist won't be able to help you much with this as you will need testing done to figure out what is wrong with you.