Free guide · Scarlet Beast En español →
Wilson disease (too much copper): the signs, the tests, treatment, and day to day
For anyone whose liver tests came back high and who has been asked about copper, who has been told they have Kayser-Fleischer rings in their eyes, who has tremors, stiff muscles or trouble speaking with no clear cause, whose parent, brother, sister or child has Wilson disease, or who takes medicine for it every day; and for the people who love them. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK, part of the NIH) says Wilson disease is a genetic disorder that keeps the body from removing extra copper, so copper builds up in the liver, brain, eyes and other organs; that the symptoms vary; and that lifelong treatment can in many cases improve or prevent symptoms and organ damage. This page passes on, by name, what NIDDK says: the signs, and when to get help; the cause, who is more likely, and what it can lead to; the eye exam, blood and urine tests, a biopsy and imaging; the medicines by kind, pregnancy and the complications; and food, your tap water, supplements and testing your family. It builds the words to say to a doctor, and prints a card for your treatment and tests.
Right now
- Vomiting blood, confusion or being very hard to wake, or fainting? Call 911 (ours). Do not drive yourself.
- Yellow eyes or skin, or dark urine with pale stool? See a doctor the same day (ours).
- Thinking of stopping your medicine, or about to run out? NIDDK says treatment is lifelong and stopping it may cause acute liver failure. Call your doctor or pharmacist first.
- It is all too much, or you are thinking of ending your life? Call or text 988, any hour (ours).
More help
- The liver, on this site: Cirrhosis · Hemochromatosis (too much iron) · An upset stomach: find the right page.
- Mood and the mind, as NIDDK names them: Anxiety · Depression · Psychosis.
- The rest of the body, as NIDDK names it: Anemia · Arthritis · Osteoporosis · Kidney stones.
- Day to day: My medicines list · Symptom diary · Get ready for your appointment · Pregnancy and a new baby.
- Care and costs: When you need a doctor and can’t pay · When a medical bill is too much.
- In a crisis: Help right now (988, 911). All our free tools.
An upset stomach, and not sure this is the right page? The pages on this site for throwing up, diarrhea, heartburn and constipation, on one list.
This page and its wording were written with AI (Claude) for Scarlet Beast (our AI policy). No doctor or nurse has reviewed it. The facts were read on October 17, 2026 on NIDDK’s Wilson Disease pages (NIH): the overview, Definition & Facts, Symptoms & Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment and Eating, Diet, & Nutrition, all last reviewed in October 2018. NIDDK has no Spanish version of these pages; our Spanish page is our own translation. NIDDK names two chelating agents and their brands; we pass on only the kinds of treatment (chelating agents, zinc, a vitamin B6 supplement). Ours: 911 for vomiting blood, confusion or being very hard to wake, or fainting; a doctor the same day for yellow eyes or skin; seeing a doctor for signs that do not go away; never stopping treatment or running out; keeping a copy of your results; the copper card; 988 when it is too much; health centers when money is tight; and the order of the steps. What we left out: medicine names, doses, target numbers, research studies, and clinical pages for providers. This page saves nothing and loads no trackers.