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Suggest Treatment For Symptoms Of Chromhidrosis

Posted on Sat, 24 Dec 2016

Question: Qmy husband has recently started to sweat orange. He has not done this for many years. When we were first married he did this most of the time. I always thought that maybe it had something to do with his time in the army in Viet Nam?

Answered by Dr. Mohammed Taher Ali (7 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Suggestive of Chromhidrosis

Detailed Answer:
Dear Madam, Hi & Welcome.
Thanks for approaching healthcare magic for your query.

Based on the history your husband seems to be suffering from a condition of sweat gland called Chromhidrosis.

It is a rare condition characterized by the secretion of colored sweat.
There are two types of sweat gland that produce sweat.

Eccrine glands secrete a clear, odorless fluid that serves to regulate body temperature whereas apocrine glands secrete a thick, milky sweat that, once broken down by bacteria, is the main cause of body odor.

Chromhidrosis is apocrine in origin. Apocrine glands are found in the genital, axillary, areolar, and facial skin. Lipofuscin pigment is responsible for the colored sweat. This pigment is produced in the apocrine gland, and its various oxidative states account for the characteristic yellow, orange, green, blue, or black secretions observed in apocrine chromhidrosis.

Kindly provide the following details for more evaluation:

1. Is he having any other medical problems?
2. Is he taking any medication? if yes, give the name and its purpose?
3. Is he taking any particular food, spices, etc.

Awaiting your reply.

Thanks and regards.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Prasad

Follow up: Dr. Mohammed Taher Ali (2 days later)

3) turmeric for pain. (This is the right color--do you think this was the cause?)
1 & 2) pain: tramadol, tylenol, tumeric
Prostate: tamsulosin.
Glaucoma: brimonidine, dorzolamide, landonadore.
Heart: baby aspirin.

Please tell me, do you think it is the turmeric? If so, how long do you think this will go on after turmeric is stopped?

This is the third time i sent this and i can find no record of my sending? Am i doing something wrong?

Thanks! XXXX

Answered by Dr. Mohammed Taher Ali (7 hours later)

Brief Answer:
It could be due to turmeric consumption.

Detailed Answer:
Dear Madam, Hi & Welcome back.

Thanks for your reply (the only one) which I could received a couple of hours ago but due to my busy schedule I could not reply to is soon.

None of the prescribed medications is known to cause the discoloration of the sweat.

Yes, when taken in extra doses turmeric can cause the discoloration of the sweat and other biological secretions like saliva, sputum, urine, stool, etc.
In fact yellow or orange discoloration of the sweat can stain the bed sheets, towels, etc.

This may subside if the dose of turmeric is reduced and it may take at least two weeks time to go off after discontinuing the turmeric.

Besides this other causes like disease of the liver should be ruled out by doing liver function tests.

Hope these answer your query.

Best wishes.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Nagamani Ng