A Louisiana man has been labeled a medical mystery after his skin color began changing from white to brown after taking antidepressant medication. Tyler Monk, a 34-year-old pest control field inspector, decided to see a psychiatrist for anxiety and depression. He was prescribed Prozac, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor. Unfortunately, not only did the medication fail to change Monk’s mood for the better, after several months the father of two’s complexion became visibly darker, until part of his skin was brown. Even though it’s been more than a year since he began seeing changes in his skin color, no one really knows what's causing it. Doctors first thought it was photosensitivity, but even after Monk covered himself, he continued getting darker. At first, he found himself in denial about the skin color changes, but after being told by several friends that they could see a difference, he decided to accept it. Despite having been examined by several dermatologists, none have been able to offer a clear diagnosis. After posting a video to TikTok, asking for help in diagnosing the condition, theories began rolling in. One person wrote: “It’s because fluoxetine has an ingredient that increases melatonin, which is why parts of his body exposed to sunlight are the ones being affected.” Whether that’s true or not remains to be confirmed by the experts. Tyler has now been referred to a team of specialists and hopes to have a definitive diagnosis and treatment plan in the near future.
