The Nurse Lady » Syndromes http://www.thenurselady.com Tips and stories from a health professional. Mon, 06 Jun 2011 20:01:38 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Gilbert’s Syndrome http://www.thenurselady.com/2006/gilbert%e2%80%99s-syndrome/ http://www.thenurselady.com/2006/gilbert%e2%80%99s-syndrome/#comments Thu, 02 Nov 2006 01:35:27 +0000 info http://www.thenurselady.com/2006/gilbert%e2%80%99s-syndrome/ About four years ago my middle son, at the age of 21, was working down at the shore over the summer between his junior and senior year in college.  He became ill and called me to come get him.

When I picked him up I noticed immediately that he was jaundiced. He complained of feeling nauseated and very tired. He also had a mild fever of 100 degrees.

When we arrived home I called our family doctor to get my son in to be seen as fast as possible. I began to put the pieces of the puzzle together (you know how us nurses try to diagnose even when we know it is not our job) and decided it might be hepatitis.  The doctor did blood work and the results were negative for hepatitis but his liver enzymes were elevated. Upon examination his liver was enlarged. Of course at this point I was ready to sign the papers for a liver transplant to donate part of my liver whether I matched or not.  The doctor kept his head (unlike me) and said he wanted him seen by a gastroenterologist.

We immediately contacted a specialist and after a thorough medical history and exam he said he believed my son had Gilbert’s Syndrome. They believe Gilbert’s Syndrome to be hereditary  (maybe that explains why I always have elevated liver enzymes but always test negative for hepatitis).   The syndrome is caused by glucuronyl-transferase deficiency which causes an elevation of unconjugated bilirubin resulting in jaundice.  My son had exacerbated the condition because he was working long hours and not eating regularly. There is no treatment. With rest and a good diet he started feeling like himself again and was able to go back to college in August.

]]> http://www.thenurselady.com/2006/gilbert%e2%80%99s-syndrome/feed/ 7 Chronic Fatigue Syndrome http://www.thenurselady.com/2006/chronic-fatigue-syndrome/ http://www.thenurselady.com/2006/chronic-fatigue-syndrome/#comments Tue, 15 Aug 2006 17:02:55 +0000 info http://www.thenurselady.com/2006/chronic-fatigue-syndrome/ I have been working with a student with chronic fatigue syndrome for over a year.  This is a rather new phenomenon in the medical field.  The person experiences extreme fatigue to the point of being immobilized. Symptoms include weakness, muscle aches and pains, confusion, impaired short-term memory, difficulty sleeping, sore throat and headaches.

Since the cause of CFS is still unknown, treatment consists of treating the presenting symptoms.  If a patient is complaining of a headache they may be given a pain reliever or if muscle pains are the problem an anti-inflammatory may be given.  Depression is often a secondary symptom due to lack of energy and the ability to maintain a normal lifestyle. Thus, many patients are medicated with antidepressants.

The family I have been working with is becoming very frustrated in the fact that there is very little improvement and to some extent the child is getting worse.  Hopefully more studies will reveal an answer.

For more information contact:

National Center for Infectious Diseases
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Mailstop A15
Atlanta, GA 30333
CDC at http://cdc.gov/netinfo.htm

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
National Institutes of Health
Bethesda, MD 20892
NIAID internet site: www.niaid.nih.gov/publications/cfs.htm

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