A diet rich in sushi and Chinese herbs is believed to have caused the elevated levels of mercury that promped Jeremy Piven to abruptly withdraw from his hit Broadway show, Speed-the-Plow.

Dr. Carlon Colker, a doctor who has been treating the Emmy award-winner, says Jeremy is suffering from extreme mercury toxicity, adding that the Entourage star had the highest level of mercury in his system that he has ever seen.

Jeremy first began experiencing extreme fatigue late last week, which led to extreme difficulty in lifting his arms and legs. By Sunday, the 43-year-old actor was suffering dizzy spells.

Jeremy is reportedly disappointed Speed-the-Plow producers have accused him of fudging the illness and jumping ship on the production without just cause. Playwright David Mamet even joked that Jeremy was leaving show business to “pursue a career as a thermometer.”

“I pulled Jeremy from the show,” says Dr. Colker. “I’m an unpopular character right now.”

“He’s disappointed that I had to pull the plug. But I think he’s hurt more by the comments that he’s not trying or that he walked away. He’s been working straight for 30 years. He doesn’t walk away; I tore him away from it.”

Mercury poisoning can be fatal. We hope Jeremy feels better soon.