Does anyone know or have a lovely tan all year, yet not have abnormal bilirubin levels?

[littlemo]

I have a lovely "tan" all year round yet I'm Irish, usually very fair skinned and my bilirubin is normal. Can anyone out there enlighten me as to how this is possible?

[kosy2]

You could have iron overload.

Symptoms

•Abdominal pain

•Fatigue

•Generalized darkening of skin color (often referred to as bronzing)

•Joint pain

•Lack of energy

•Loss of body hair

•Loss of sexual desire

•Weight loss

•Weakness

You may want to Google Hemochromatosis to learn more.

[catherine69]

Hi littlemo

Ive been like that for years, friends would often ask if I had been to a sunbed.

when I worked, one day me and my co workers were discussing different nationalities when one of them asked where my family originated from, they were quite suprised to find out (going through the generations of my family) we are from scotland, they thought that my sallow skin was due to family genes.

Ive often been asked if Im just back from holiday!!!

oh and everything fine medical wise

[littlemo]

Hi catherine69 thanks for replying do you have pbc or any liver conditions ?

[catherine69 in reply to littlemo]

yes I have pbc (diagnosed 2008) I use to be really pale when I was younger and often doc sent me for anemic test which always came back ok, i dont mind the "tanned" look, however, it can be frustrating when your feeling really unwell and people say .....are you sure your unwell you've got lovely coloring lol suppose you gotta laff

[littlemo in reply to catherine69]

Haha I know, I do love my "tan" its just people look at you like your nuts when you feel rubbish but look fab! Pbc can cause confusion though not documented so, doh !, apologies re the stupid question reif you have pbc you obviously do being that you found the website through the foundation as did I I used to call my silly questions my blonde moments but now as my pbc moments!

[nearlyThere]

Hi littlemo, as Kosy2 suggested, it might be worth having blood tests for Haemochromatosis .

I was diagnosed with PBC and Haemochromatosis at the same but still maintain a pasty, freckly complexion.. Seemingly there is a high incidence of Haemochromatosis in the Irish population and both my parents were Irish. Blame it on the parents!

[littlemo in reply to nearlyThere]

Hi nearlyThere I'm seeing my own GP on mon so will ask her re possible haemochromotosis thanks. And yes blame it on the parents specially now the latest research is saying pbc is genetic! Poor parents get blamed for eveything I should know am one myself! lol!

[dizee]

My uncle is on meds for heart and kidneys and side affect of some medication is tan. Could be Aratac drug.

[littlemo in reply to dizee]

Thanks dizzee only meds I take are urso, omeprazole, questran light, thyroxine and butrans patches and have been on all for quite a while, bar the patches but the tan was there before stated those. I think this might all stem back to when I was pregnant nearly 6years ago, my bilirubin went very high 120 think it was but eventually went back to normal. As say don't mind the tanned look its just people always asking if am just back from hols and saying how well I look when lot of time feel bloody awful that gets me! Then again people lot worse off so now I usually just smile and say thanks this is my usual colour and giggle to myself specially if its someone who knew me years ago and know I was always the colour of milk! Gives them something to talk about!Ha ha!

[Hidden]

I have since the sun came out earlier this yr (March for a spell) and a few times in-between (given the lovely (not!) British weather, rain and more rain....still!) got my normal browning of my skin but this time it's not fading as it used to do. I do seem to be keeping my 'tan' a bit.

Apparently people with PBC and other liver disorders can have a bronzed appearance. I think it is something to do with how your skin layers burn in the sun and they are shed.

I have normal bilirubin levels and do not have anything like hemochromatosis. My ferratin levels, etc are slightly under the normal but nothing alarming. I only have itching and that in itself can cause your skin to bronze in the places that you itch frequently as I have noticed with myself at the backs of my knees on my calves. I don't suffer from any of the other symptons that was mentioned by kosy2.

Saying all this, I've always gone a tanned shade in the sun, never really go lobster red but then again, I've never been that much of a sun-lover. I only now utilise the sun more due to the medical profession going on about how people with PBC can lack Vitamin D and should do this!

[Tumbleweed41 in reply to Hidden]

And yet the Drs. will turn right around and tell you to stay out of the sun and if you must be out in it to wear plenty of sunscreen (50+) and or long sleeves and sun hat.!!

However, this year I have ignored their advice and have a darker tan than ever have. Course it could be the 80 degrees at 7am when I'm out in the garden has something to do with it. - It is 3:15pm Central USA time and is 105 degrees!! and I am INside.

Seriously - I noticed that I am taning more this year and have a lot more freckles (I'm 1/4 Irish. lol and was dx with PBC 5yr ago).

Does anyone else just "go on" like this??LoL Please tell me it is the "nature of the beast". lol - or the heat - blame it on the heat. lol

[Hidden in reply to Tumbleweed41]

I live in England, the North West where we get probably these days more rain than sun!

BUT as you say Tumbleweed41 the 'experts' do say to keep covered up in the sun, wear a hat, etc., etc and now here in England it was on the news beginning of this yr that a lot of children were being diagnosed with rickets due to parents/carers heeding this advice (well they did try to fob us off saying computers and the like were to blame, the fact children stay indoors more these days).

Altho' I've never been a sun-bather, I have spent summers walking out and about in the sun but I wouldn't go out with vest-like tops on, normally short-sleeved tops. Since being diagnosed with PBC I really don't give a damn!!! (Tho' I would say I don't still overdo it,I just don't think about it anymore.)

I also know that as we get older we do get more freckles and once reach a certain age liver spots, part of the 'natural ageing process' apparently so I take no notice. (I'm only 48 but do know a lot of retired ladies who often go on about things like this.)

I think at the end of the day we should do what WE think is best for ourselves. Yes doctors and the medical profession can and do get things right but they also don't as I know from past experience (not with myself).

I try to get up every day even after a bit of an itchy night and think 'Today is another day' and try get on.

[Tumbleweed41 in reply to Hidden]

A positive attitude does go a lonnnng ways. -

[kosy2]

There are many forms of anemia, and it is possible for a person to have both anemia and hemochromatosis.

[hopepbc]

Check your ferritin levels, they must have jumped up as a secondary response to PBC, my ferritin levels hit 1258 then 2 weeks on urso they dropped to 710, normal is 12-320 in males, lower in females

[littlemo in reply to hopepbc]

Funny enough I had my ferritin levels done not so long ago as part of other investigations and was told they were normal. I think it could be some sort of hyperpigmentation. I went on hols to Spain in summer of 2010 got a lovely tan but definately haven't seen much sun since then yet I still look as if have been on holidays recently! Not that am complaining, just curious if others have experienced this too. Thanks hopepbc and everyone else who has answered my question. Bfn.

[Mary48]

Just today I had the comment "did you enjoy your Holiday, you've got a really dark tan". Now smile and nod or tell then they too could have such a tan if they had bile problems. At least it's not painful

[Treewade]

Does PBC effect your alcaline phosphate levels as mine are low and i have an enlarged fatty liver was trying to find out ehy i just never get rid of my sun tan as not many people got one yhis year you d think i d be happy but not sure if its causing rashes and my hair to fall out lol.