Poisoning Her Husband With Gold _ House M.D. _ MD TV

It was three days ago. My throat got really dry and then my tongue felt like it was blowing up like a balloon. I assume somebody checked for food allergies? The first two doctors both did. The next one said it was a panic attack. The one after that wanted to take his tonsils out. The last one had no idea, just referred us to Dr. House. It says the attack was preceded by some sort of strenuous physical activity. Yeah. What were you doing? Awesome. A sex fiend with a swollen tongue. Just think of all the places I can make for him and search. He's not a sex fiend. He's a happily married man. What's this thing? What are you doing? A new caffeine delivery system. He didn't get his beauty sleep. Wilson's moved in and apparently has unusually loud toenails. If they're into rape fantasies, S&M is on the menu as well. Neck trauma could cause vocal cord paroxysms, which could cause choking. I didn't see any sign of trauma and they were remarkably open. I asked about STDs and they admitted participating in a threesome a few months ago. A hundred bucks if they're as miserable as the next couple. Another guy or girl? Girl. His wife's college roommate. If he's not happily married, I don't know who it could be. You're looking for something. If you're happy, you've got nothing to look for. His wife arranged it for an anniversary present. And if you ask me, if two people really trust each other, a threesome once every seven years might actually help a marriage. This can wait two minutes. You don't know that. Chase thinks that food allergies should still be on the table. No. Wouldn't explain the lung scarring. Some homeopathic studies have found a connection between food allergies and autoimmune reactions, which could cause lung inflammation. Yeah, and some homeopathic studies have also found that grown-up spiders can cure cancer. Can I go now? No. Lungs, skin, skin, lungs. Sklums. Lungs, skin, throat. Heavy metal toxicity. Explains the lungs, the itching, the swelling, and his tongue and throat. I thought you didn't believe there was anything wrong with his throat. I never said I didn't believe it. I just said I had good reason to doubt it. And now? Now I have good reason to doubt those doubts. I think I need something else. This cream isn't working. We're doing everything we can. Ow! Sorry. No, no, it's not my back. It's my feet. I think I stepped in something when I went to the bathroom. Oh, it's on my socks. It's burning. I don't see anything. Please take my socks off. Wait, wait, wait, wait. Ow! Stop, stop, stop. What did you just scratch him with? If there was an allergic reaction, it would be on his back, not on his feet. Ow! It's burning. Please make it stop. There's some gabapentin in here. Excruciating pain in the lower extremities. Not a sign of a foot allergy. Means there's a neurological problem. More significantly, it's yet another classic sign of heavy metals. And I just did yet another hair and blood test for lead and everything else he could possibly have been exposed to. They're all negative. It's got to be something else. Lupus could cause it. No. Lupus progresses slower. There'd be joint pain. So it's not a typical case. We should get an A&A. It's not lupus. Symptoms don't match. And the tests don't match heavy metals. His urine has elevated proteins and red blood cells. It's lupus-induced kidney failure. If we don't start treating him... Heavy metal toxicity could cause vomiting. So would lupus nephritis, and it also causes tissue swelling. It's choking on his tongue, not his feet. The corticosteroids we gave him to control the inflammation can cause facial swelling. It's still not his throat, but you're getting closer. I'm doing an A&A and a serum complement. If you're so sure, why waste time with tests? Just start treatment. On the way, we can't do that because we already have and it's not working. Ergo, corticosteroids aren't the only treatment for lupus nephritis. We can also try cyclophosphamide or immunosuppressants. Only if we confirm the diagnosis with an A&A, serum complement, anti-DNA, IV pylogram, and kidney biopsy. So now you suddenly believe in tests? The symptoms all point to heavy metal poisoning. Yeah, we all get it. Unless you've got proof that can tell me which heavy metal it is, I'm starting treatment for lupus. Where's Mrs. Nympho? She's waiting outside. Why? Go search her. What, you mean her medical records? If I'd meant that, a good chance I'd have said that. You think she's poisoning him? His symptoms should be getting better the longer he's here. Instead, they're getting worse. So either she's poisoning him or it's not heavy metals. We've done over 10 different heavy metal tox screens. Because there's no reason to test for the other 30. They don't get into the air or food. They only get in you if someone puts them in you. And the only way we're going to find out what she's been sprinkling on his cornflakes is to search her. I am not going to accuse a woman of trying to murder her own husband based simply on some paranoid theory. It's the only explanation. We've eliminated every other possibility. We have not eliminated every other possibility. Has he responded to the latest lupus treatment? He's only been on it for a few hours. He hasn't responded because it's not lupus. It's not allergies, ALS, arthritis, or sarcoidosis. She's all that's left. Do it! She has a family history of arthritis, doesn't she? Yeah, she does. What does... Stop the interferon. Do another heavy metal screen, only this time test for gold. You don't still think that she... Don't let her go to the bathroom. Why would you care if she... Hello? Need to fix something? Then I'll go to one on another floor. Actually, they're not working there either. Every bathroom in the whole hospital is out of order? Well, they're... The water... I'm going to the bathroom. Where is she? She had to go to the bathroom. I told you not to let her... What was I supposed to do, tie her up? Why not? She likes that. What are you doing? Uh, your hand is wet. Sorry, I must be nervous. I got some bad news. What? The damage to your husband's lungs is permanent. Kidney damage is reversible. The right therapy should regain full neurological function. Other than the fact that he's not going to be running any marathons, he should be fine. But that's good news, isn't it? I'm not finished. When I was a kid, my dad was stationed in a marine base in Egypt. We were in the middle of nowhere, and there was absolutely nothing for a kid to do except look for a money's tomb. You didn't want me to go to the bathroom because you wanted to tell me my husband is going to be fine and that you used to live in Egypt? I didn't have a problem with you going to the bathroom. I just didn't want you to wash your hands. I never actually found a money, but I did learn a fair amount about the ancient Egyptians. For example, they discovered that stannous chloride is not only great for toughening ruby glass, but if it's mixed with gold, it turns bright purple. I don't either. Your fingers actually are worth their weight in gold. Or you've been sprinkling your husband's cereal with gold sodium thiamylate. It's an arthritis remedy. It's rarely used here in the U.S., but it's still popular in Mexico. I had to give you props. Never heard of anyone using gold before. It's almost poetic. It's ridiculous. Every metal-tuck scrape of gold was off the chart. Why would I... Because you were trying to kill him. I left another why behind that why. But you're not going to tell me, are you? You're wrong. I love Bob. I never said you didn't love him. How does somebody do that? Sit by someone's bedside day and night, helping them, comforting them, at the same time killing them. Maybe he was having an affair. Maybe she was having an affair. Maybe she just gets her kicks out of slowly sucking the life out of a guy watching him suffer. Must have done something to her. Yeah, he had it coming. I didn't say he deserved it. The only thing he did wrong was marry a sociopath. Or maybe she just got tired of being married. She didn't want to admit to family and friends that the marriage everyone thought was perfect.