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Paul M (Paul), Pituitary Bio

July 28, 2017

MaryO Male, Pituitary, Pituitary Surgery, Treatments , , , , , , , , , , , 1 Comment

 

Hi All,
I was diagnosed 4 years ago. I had extreme weight gain despite a very physically active life style. I would require less than 2 hours a night of sleep. Eat less than 1,000 calories per day and exercise 3-5 hours a day. I had the emotional swings as well. I would bruise or cut very easily. Doctor suspected Cushings after I displaced my knee cap for the second time due to Patella Tendonitis.

Months of testing resulted in what the doctors considered a low likelihood for positive outcome, the surgeon (supposed to be one of the best) agreed to remove the tumor either way. It was filling the Sella to the point it was pushing on my pituitary. It was wrapped around my optical nerve and would probably cause problems with my eyesight.

I was told that I would be back to work in 3 weeks.

Post Surgery my Cortisol levels never rebounded. The doc gave me 10mg of cortisol with no affect. Then they gave me 40mg and I could get up to go to the bathroom. Within an hour levels were back down to 3 (whatever).

They put me on 80/40mg of Cortisol for morning and noon each day. I still was basically unable to move. After 1 year. I was off cortisol and passed the suppression test. And still wasn’t losing weight, felt sick all the time.

It appears my anterior pituitary gland has not recovered. I don’t make enough TSH or the hormone to induce Testosterone. I took the Gel for testosterone with poor results. My thyroid tests are considered inconclusive. I try to feel out my thyroid dosage. Now I get testosterone implants. They seem better.

Basically put, four years later I feel almost as bad most days as before the surgery. Weight gain is still an issue. The major differences are, I sleep really well. I don’t bleed at the touch. My feet are very week, I could sleep 15 hours a day.

 

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Crystal (Crystal), Pituitary Bio

July 25, 2017

MaryO Pituitary, Pituitary Surgery, Treatments , , , , , , , 3 Comments

 

Hi, my name is Crystal and I’m new. I’m a 35 yr.old mother of a 5 yr. old with more energy in her little pinky than I have in an entire day and I’m married to an amazing man, who makes living with this possible.

I was finally diagnosed with Cushing’s Disease (excreting pituitary tumor). In April 2017. I had the typical doctor who didn’t believe me so I took it into my own hands and figured out what I thought was going on….Cushings without a doubt in my mind.

So I went to a naturopath and asked her to order me a 24 hr. urine test and when she got it she said I need to go to an endo asap. I had already made appointments with two, one being at OHSU in Oregon with one of the best pit. teams in the US. I only live 2 hrs. away and am sooo lucky for that. I know many people have to travel much further to get the best healthcare for this.

Anyways, the endo I saw in Portland looked at me and immediately and said I had a very cushoid appearance and that we needed to do about 6 tests in the next two weeks. I did the tests, then had to do an MRI, which showed a 5×4 tumor in my pituitary gland, next was an IPSS to make sure it was 100% pituitary and not ectopic coming from somewhere else in my body. Once this was all confirmed I was scheduled for surgery in June.

As my surgery date approached, my symptoms got significantly worse and I finally called my endo to tell them. The nurse told me I had to deal with it until surgery and that there was nothing tI could do about my symptoms. Within 5 minutes of hanging up the assistant to the neurosurgeon called and told me surgery was being moved to the following week which was four days away. I had the transsphenoidal surgery about 6 weeks ago and my cortisol dropped to 0.6 in less than 24 hours after surgery. The neurosurgeon said I was technically in remission and although I’m happy, it seems to good to be true after the last couple years I’ve had. I came to this site looking for information on recovery. I know everyone is different and I was warned a little bit about it, but I’m pretty miserable and very curious how others recoveries are going.

Thanks, glad to be here. Crystal

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Mary S (ladysslipper), Adrenal Bio

July 23, 2017

MaryO Adrenal, Golden Oldies , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 1 Comment

 

Originally from December 28, 2007

I recently completed a clinical trial at NIH because of an adrenal nodule. I also have hyperplasia of both adrenals.

Turns out I have primary hyperaldosteronism (which had previously been diagnosed) as well as elevated cortisol. I was told I don’t have Cushings but could develop it. Yet I do have unbelievably excessive sweating and have just begun to develop what I assume to be a buffalo hump–a lump at the top of my spine between my shoulders that is hard to the touch and painful.

My ability to handle stress is nearly nil; I sleep upward of twelve hours and more a day and yet get exhausted doing the littlest things. I’ve lost a lot of weight over the past two years because of nearly daily diarrhea–which I now believe may be caused by a deteriorating liver as I also have Heptatis C–and yet I have a fatty paunch which is beginning to show stretch marks I didn’t know I had.

My skin heals poorly and bruises very easily. I have splotchy skin, i..e, dark patches and totally pigment-less patches on my face. I was told my hypothalamus produces too much CRH which, in turn, triggers the ACTH to produce too much cortisol.

With two, possibly three, chronic conditions, I am beginning to worry about returning to work after my medical leave of absence ends this January.

I was on the pheochromocytoma support board until my diagnosis, and I know how helpful it was to have a group to turn to. I’m glad to see this one looks like a similarly supportive and informative group.

 

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Suzanne (Suzanna), Undiagnosed Bio

July 16, 2017

MaryO Undiagnosed , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 1 Comment

Hi all,
Looking for some knowledge as I feel like my GP had been really unhelpful over this.

So I went to see him for some infected bites a few weeks ago. It’s really difficult to get an appointment with him so while I was there I figured I would mention my water retention. I’ve suffered with this on and off all my life (I’m 35) but lately it’s been a lot worse. I suspect my contraceptive pill, it’s called Yasmin (Yaz) and I’ve only been taking this particular one for about 18 months.

He sent me for a full blood MOT (vintamns, full blood count, liver function, thyroid, iron, etc etc, there were about 10 altogether).
The results of these came back and all were fine except the Cortisol level. I knew what this was because I’m a dog trainer/behaviourist and in dogs, Cortisol is referred to as the stress hormone. GP said a normal morning level was between about 166-507….mine came back as 1023!

He ordered a repeat Cortisol blood test and a 24 hour urine test. I’m still waiting on the results of the urine test but the second bloods came back yesterday at a level of 798. Obviously still very high, although lower than the first time. He says it’s likely I have Cushings. Cue massive panic as Cushings is very common in dogd and I have cared for a lot with it and it really isn’t very pleasant in dogs 🙁

GP says it’s caused by a tumour and I will have to have medication and/or an MRI scan and possibly brain surgery. I seriously do not fancy this when my only complaint is water retention!!

I do have quite a busy life, I work as a dog trainer and also run around after a five year old. I’m a naturally stressy person too, and worry excessively about things that don’t really need to be worried about.

My GP, when asked whether this could be caused by my pill, said no. But the other symptoms I get with this pill are occasional heart palpitations, mood swings, a feeling of buzzing sometimes, like adrenaline is coursing through me (I’ve always thought it was the estrogen?!) and increased appetite for sweet things and wanting to eat junk all the time.

My Herbalist is almost certain this pill is causing my hormone problems and is responsible for the high Cortisol levels. So I’ve decided to stop taking it for a couple of months and ask for a repeat test and see if it has made any difference. My Herbalist has also recommended Hemaplex and something called Ashwanganda.

My GP’s current plan of action is ‘wait for the 24 hour urine test results and then refer to one hormone specialist or another’.
Does anyone have a similar experience that could help me? Many thanks in advance 🙂

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Maria, Pituitary Bio

July 15, 2017

MaryO Golden Oldies, Pituitary, Pituitary Surgery, Recurrence, Treatments , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

 

Originally from December 29, 2007

 

Hi there, I am 26 but I was diagnosed at the age of 16 with a pituitary tumor, 17 when I had removed the first time and 19 the seconded time.

Here is the story. I was pregnant at 15 and gave birth at 16. My son was born in June (I was 135 lbs) by December I was 240lbs. I had all the classis symptoms. Weight gain, thin skin, upper back hump, moon face, lack of a menstrual cycle, high cholesterol and the strata (all over stretch marks).

I was diagnosed in March in July (1999) since I live near Pittsburgh I had surgery with one of the doctors who developed the use of the Endoscope for removal of pituitary tumors. I had been told that the tumor would not come back. It was fine to have more kids. There was one in a billion chance that it would be a tumor that grows like cancer, and then there was a one in a million chance that there would be any of the tumor left behind that could grow back. A

fter words I lost most of the weight and the moon face. I had no need for hormones, because they only remove part of my pituitary, I also graduated high school and was married.

I felt very good when I gave birth to my 2nd son 22 months later (April 01). I was 160lbs. Well, I tried to ignore the weight gain, the lack of menstrual cycle, but when my hump started to come back and when in infant’s finger nail scratched me and I bleed, I self diagnosed this time and went to the doctor for confirmation.

I was 280lbs when I went in for the second time in November (2001). Now I am 90% sure there is a tumor up there I do not know I do not want to have a M I R to see. My husband and I will not have any more kids.

I still have a fear that it will come back on its on or if I suffer a body troma that causes the pituitary to enlarge that it will cause the tumor to grow and I will have to go through this again. I am still struggling to lose this weight. I am now 230

 

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Nicole, Undiagnosed Bio

July 13, 2017

MaryO Hashimoto's, Other Diagnosis, Thyroid, Undiagnosed , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 7 Comments

My name is Nicole, currently 19 years old. I’m a student at The Juilliard School in New York studying Dance. I don’t know why it’s taken me so long to reach out to this community, I have certainly been stalking and researching this disease for months now… I guess I’m ready now to share my own story, especially since I feel more hopeless and alone than ever before.

July 2015— It all started about two years ago. I was only 17 and very much in peak-performance shape. I looked and felt like an athlete training to be a professional ballet dancer. I prided myself for my toned body, which is very very important in the dance world. I think I weighed about 103 lbs at a height of 5’4″.

But that summer I noticed it became increasingly difficult for me to fall sleep at night. I would sometimes stay up until 3 or 4 AM when I knew I had to be up at 6 or 7 AM for a full 8 hour day of dancing. I started to stress eat a lot as well and by the end of summer I blamed myself when I had gained back all the weight I had worked to lose the previous year, plus some. I think I was about 114 lbs by the end of August.

Around this time I also sought out a Naturopathic doctor for the first time at the suggestion from a friend to help me treat an underlying anxiety disorder. I was given supplements, and for a while my health improved considerably. I felt more calm and sane than ever before in my entire life. But that didn’t last long. I continued to steadily gain weight during my senior year, always going on extreme fad diets to try to maintain. Sometimes it worked, sometimes not.

March 2016– By the time Spring rolled around I was really starting to notice a difference in my appearance. My face had begun to swell and I began to wonder if maybe my weight was out of my control. Maybe there was an explanation for my struggles and failed efforts. So I began researching hypothyroidism, since it runs in my family, and I went to my primary care doctor to ask for the first tests. Little did I know this would be the beginning of a long and defeating marathon.

My doctor initially treated me like I was crazy. Saying that if anything I was still underweight and that I should be concerned about my primary amenorrhea (I had still never had a period). But he did the tests and the results came back suggesting hyperthyroidism. I was confused because all my symptoms suggested otherwise. Nevertheless I was shipped off to an endocrinologist who was of little help to me throughout the summer while I continued to dance and went away for a summer intensive in Chicago.

June 2016– While in Chicago my weight just ballooned even more. I admit I did gain muscle but that was thanks to the rigorous amount of training I was doing at the time. I definitely didn’t look right though. My muscles were buried under a layer of fat, no tone was visible, and my puffy face made me look like a stranger to friends when I returned home. I tried various thyroid replacement hormones at low doses, desperate to get my body back.

August 2016– I had returned to my Naturopath in the hopes she could finally diagnose me with hypothyroidism. She did, and in fact she discovered I have Hashimoto’s, which explained the fluctuating levels. She put me on NaturThroid before saying goodbye as I departed for my Freshman year of college at The Juilliard School.

September 2016– My health improved a short while. I lost some of the puffiness on my face, dropped some weight, but settled around 117 lbs. This only lasted about a month.

October 2016– By October things turned for the worst. I felt only weaker the more I pushed myself each day. My muscles weren’t allowing me to dance at the same capacity as I once had, I was embarrassed by my short comings, especially being surrounded by so many talented individuals. My weight started rapidly increasing now. I regained the puffiness around my face and neck, and my weight went from 117 to 126 in a matter of a month.

I was referred to a Reproductive Endocrinologist who thought I had PCOS and put me on metformin. To her credit, I did fit the profile. I complained of rapid weight gain, I had slightly elevated testosterone, and I had a few small cysts on my ovaries. But there were also things that didn’t fit the bill. Like my apparent lack of Estrogen, which is usually elevated in PCOS. And that I had never had a period before. I also showed no signs of pre-diabetes.

January 2017– After winter break I really could no longer put a stop to my weight gain. No matter what, it just went up. I tried cutting carbs, sugar, and calories to below 1,200 a day, all while dancing 6-8 hours a day and my weight only went up.
Metformin didn’t work. Repro. Endo. put me on estrogen and progesterone for a while, but I stopped seeing her eventually because she didn’t listen to me and ignored my qualms about weight.

I also grew very very depressed around this time and began to wonder if this was the end of my dance career. I was starting to look like a joke in classes. I mourned my body. I didn’t recognize myself in the mirror.

May 2017– After months of research I began to wonder if I might have Cushing’s disease. I had the stretch marks on my butt and thighs, the filling in of fat around the collar bone, neck and jawline. Rapid weight gain, fatigue, depression, angry outbursts, and flushed cheeks. I do not have central obesity, but my weight has always tended to go to my butt and thighs. Though for the first time ever I begin to form a muffin top and fat on my arms. Cellulite appeared everywhere when I stretched my skin even a little bit, very odd to see cellulite on your knees! I had swollen legs too.
I now weighed 135+ lbs.

June 2017– When I got home for summer break my mom and I saw Neuro Endocrinologist Dr. Kevin Yuen at Swedish Pituitary Center. He listens to me, the first doctor to really listen! And he began testing.
Four 24/hr urine, 4 midnight salivary cortisol, 1 dexamethasone suppression test, 1 dex-CRH test, 1 Pituitary MRI.

July 2017– (current weight = 147 lbs) After a visit with Dr. Yuen and weeks of speculation he concludes there is only a 50/50 chance I have Cushing’s. Test results are as follows:
-2 mildly elevated 24/hr urines
-2 normal 24/hr urines
-3 elevated midnight salivary cortisols
-1 completely normal midnight salivary cortisol
-normal response (suppressed) after low dose dexamethasone
-normal response to Dex-CRH
-normal MRI

I’m disappointed to say the least that there is not more resounding evidence that I have this disease. I feel so certain that I have it. My body and mind are changing so rapidly I just want to cry every day. It’s so bad I don’t think I can return to school in the fall. I may have to take a year off of dance if I don’t get my body back in shape by the fall. And a year off of training could ruin me!!

Dr. Yuen suggests doing a hospital stay at Swedish to conduct further testing, particularly midnight serum cortisol, to see if more positive results might outweigh the normal results. I guess he wonders if I did something to mess up the cortisol response in some of the tests, though I don’t see how I could have! I’ve barely done anything this summer, definitely nothing exciting. I’m home-bound because I feel so depressed.

I don’t go to ballet classes anymore because it’s too painful to see myself in the mirror and try to dance in a fat suit. None of my clothes fit anymore. I just don’t feel like a young attractive woman like I used to. Not to mention my energy is out the window.

I haven’t quite given up yet! I eat a very limited paleo diet that omits grains and sugar (except those naturally occurring). I try to swim at least every other day and keep up with my pilates and stretching. It’s not the same though.

I might give up if after the hospital stay, the tests come back normal and I’m told I do not have Cushing’s, when I don’t see how it could be anything else!

I just want my life back.

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Renee (rmaxwell), Undiagnosed Bio

July 8, 2017

MaryO Golden Oldies, Insulin Resistance, Other Diagnosis, Undiagnosed , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Originally posted December 5, 2008

My symptoms began when I was about 21 years old. At the time I worked as a Martial Art instructor so I was very physical and in good shape, weighing about 120lbs. Suddenly, and I do mean SUDDENLY, I gained about 60lbs or so. It was as if my clothes fit one night and then didn’t fit in the morning. The weight is mostly in the middle area. My face shape changed and I developed a second chin almost.

I also started getting some whiskers on my chin and neck. Not a lot, just a few, but it was strange.

I was under great stress at the time because I had lost both of my parents in the same year, to two different medical things. So as you can imagine, it was very difficult for me. I developed extreme fatigue, and anxiety attacks. Friends were sure all my physical and mental symptoms must be from depression over losing my folks. One friend advised I see a psychiatrist, so considering everything it sounded reasonable, and I did.

I was placed on Paxil, which caused me to gain even more weight. Since then I’ve tried so many antidepressants I can’t even begin to name them. I went through many SSRI’s, then SNRI’s, then tricyclic, and most recently as a last resort an MAOI.
But in spite of this, over the years my depression has only gotten worse. I’ve had two suicide attempts and been hospitialized a few times. My depression seems to follow a pattern or cycle, two weeks of barely being able to function, followed by a week of doing a little better, then a day or two of feeling good, then back to two weeks of misery, etc. I am not bipolar or anything like that.

I continued to gain weight, developed stretch marks on my belly and arms, got a lot of dark hair all over my belly, and the few whiskers that appeared on my chin and neck have become like a beard. I developed insulin-resistance, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure. I can seldom sleep at night. I experience such deep depression and fatigue that I haven’t been able to keep a job or finish collage, I barely function.

For many years I just thought I had really bad depression and continued trying whatever psych meds I was prescribed. I thought all my physical symptoms were my fault for being so depressed and not getting enough excercise, etc. And most of the time, I was on so much medication I didn’t really care, I was so out of it.

Finally I found a great psychiatrist who truly cares about me and wants to see me happy. After having little or no success treating my depression, fatigue, and panic attacks, she did some research and told me not long ago that she felt I must have something biological going on with me that wasn’t any type of clinical depression. She said she had tried hitting all the different receptors in my brain (seretonin, norephinepherine, dopamine, etc..) and I should have responded to something. She suggested I might have Cushing’s Syndrome. I went online to find out about Cushing’s and I was like “Wow I really match a LOT of these things!”

Now I am on quest for getting tested. It’s difficult as I do not have any health insurance. But I am making a little progress and hope I start to get some answers soon.

I either have Cushing’s syndrome, some other endocrine problem, or the most treatment-resistant depression ever.

That’s my story, thanks for reading. I’m open to any comments or advice.

-Renee

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Alex C (Alex C), Undiagnosed Bio

July 7, 2017

MaryO Diabetes, Male, Other Diagnosis, Undiagnosed , , , , , , , , , , 4 Comments

Hi, My name is alex and i honestly have no idea what’s wrong with me.

about 5 years ago i became ill, all of a sudden went from a healthy strong active person, to feeling weak, tired, i gained weight, my hair started thinning, among other symptoms, i was diagnosed with diabetes, my sugars were in the 500’s then one day about 6 months later, my diabetes went away, no change in diet, no change in lifestyle, just up and went away…but it was replaced with excruciating pain, throughout my body mainly in my legs and arms, they said its pribably neuropathy… but i had only been diabetic for 6 months, they tested and found no neuropathy…they said it might be MS, they tested nope not MS….they said it might be fibromyalgia…i don’t have trigger points no not fibromyalgia,,,i started getting infections….gum disease…eye infections… bites and scratches on my legs which used to heal quickly no longer healed and when they did they left scars and marks on my skin….the pain was so unbearable… they tried all the neurological meds, cymbalta, lyrica, etc….. nothing helped…

finally they gave me fentanyl patches and norco and i was able to manage the pain… but still no diagnosis… i saw hemotologists, oncologist, because at one point they thought i had luekemia which i dont… i saw a rheumotologist and nothing…my pain management doctor said i had a bulging disc in my back and wanted to give me steroid injections in my spine…he said that’s whats causing the pain….but the pain was in my legs and arms a bulging disc in my lower spine would cause pain in my legs and lower back only so i disagreed with his assesment…still i got 1 injection and it didnt help… he said oh it could take up to 3 for you to feel relief i refused the injections and he stopped giving me pain meds, he said since i wasn’t cooperating he couldn’t treat me anymore… so i suffered

one day on an emergency room visit i saw a doctor and told him my symptoms… (i would tell any doctor that would listen to try to find something.. i know something is wrong with me) he said have your pcp test your cortisol levels….well my corisol levels were 5 times the normal count.. they did the test twice…and both times they showed 5 times the normal level…now i don’t have the moon face or the buffalo hump but i do have every other symptom of cushings…i went to and endocronologist who right away said… you don’t have cushings…this was over the course of the first 2 years… now 3 years after that and 5 years from the start i’m still suffering the pain i’ve gotten used too for the most part but sometimes it;’s sooo bad i have to go to ER and get morphine and dilauded to help…last week i was in the ER and they gave me 3 shots of IV morphine within two hours and it only lasted about 20 minutes..each time… finally a shot of dilaudid helped and i was able to come home and rest ….. still no difinitive diagnosis other than chronic pain…and my diabetes has come back recently…i no longer see doctors because i have never gotten help from them…i’m lost and don’t know what to do anymore…if it wasn’t for my kids.. i have 3 i don’t think i could go on…invisible illnesses are real and devestating…

 

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Crystal T, Undiagnosed Bio

July 3, 2017

MaryO Undiagnosed , Leave a comment

Hi everyone,

I am undiagnosed currently but been having Cushing’s symptoms now over 3 years.

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