‘My belly was literally black’: ChatGPT helped identify the deadly disease behind woman’s holiday tan

What began as a sunny family vacation in Spain quickly turned into a frightening medical mystery for one British mother. Instead of returning home with a healthy glow, Poppy Guy noticed her skin had turned an unusually dark shade while she battled constant sickness and exhaustion.

For months, the 29-year-old had been told anxiety was behind her worsening health. Yet her symptoms refused to improve. It took a conversation with ChatGPT to point her toward a rare disease that doctors later confirmed had nearly cost her life.

According to LADbible, ChatGPT suggested Addison’s disease after Poppy described her symptoms. The AI did not diagnose her condition. It simply gave her a possibility that encouraged her to seek urgent medical care. A week later, she suffered a life-threatening adrenal crisis.

You’d never expect a holiday tan to end like this

Poppy traveled to Malaga, Spain, on May 25 with her family. While everyone joked about a tanning competition, she noticed something was seriously wrong. Instead of developing her usual bronze glow, her stomach became an unusually dark shade. “My belly was literally black,” she recalled.

The teaching assistant from Fowey in Cornwall said she was vomiting every day during the trip. She also struggled with dizziness, breathlessness and severe fatigue. She could barely stand upright. Even the journey home ended with her becoming violently sick at the airport.

Poppy explained that she had already been dealing with unexplained illness since July 2025. She noticed unusual dark patches appearing on her arms around the same time she developed daily nausea. Despite repeated GP visits, she claims she was repeatedly told anxiety was responsible and received anxiety medication.

Concerned by her darkening skin and worsening condition, she entered her symptoms into ChatGPT. “Addison’s disease was one of the options,” she said.

After researching the condition, she returned to her GP and specifically mentioned Addison’s disease. The doctor arranged an urgent hospital referral.

Only one week later, while preparing dinner, Poppy collapsed at home. Her mother found her unresponsive. Doctors later confirmed she was suffering from an adrenal crisis, the most dangerous complication of Addison’s disease. “I’d probably be dead,” she said doctors warned.

Poppy spent two weeks in hospital receiving continuous IV treatment before beginning long-term medication. She now takes 11 tablets daily and uses a wheelchair and walking frame. She can currently walk about 60 feet before needing to stop and is undergoing physiotherapy.

Poppy’s ordeal also reflects the unexpected ways technology has become intertwined with health emergencies. In another recent case, a personalized smart fridge advertisement reportedly preceded a medical emergency that left a woman hospitalized. 

In a statement, OpenAI stressed that ChatGPT should never replace professional medical care. A spokesperson said AI can help people organize symptoms and prepare for discussions with healthcare professionals, but “ChatGPT is not a doctor” and should never be used as a substitute for diagnosis or treatment.

The company’s warning comes amid other recent cases involving ChatGPT and medical advice, including a lawsuit filed by a Florida pastor who alleged the chatbot repeatedly dismissed warning signs before he was hospitalized with life-threatening blood clots. 

According to the NHS, Addison’s disease, also called primary adrenal insufficiency, is a rare disorder where the adrenal glands fail to produce enough hormones. The condition is treatable with lifelong medication. The NHS also warns that an adrenal crisis is a medical emergency. Symptoms include severe tiredness, darkening skin, weight loss, dizziness, stomach pain, headaches, joint pain and muscle weakness.