I’m wondering about my situation. I haven’t been diagnosed with Cushing’s but I had my thyroid removed (Hashimoto’s with goiter, family history of thyroid cancer), concluded menopause, had two car accidents (rear-ended)…all in the space of a few years, around 2003-2006. Up until 2003 (the first car accident,) I was a very energetic, upbeat, even-tempered, fit, active, mother of two, and holder of three part-time jobs including teaching high school. I was 50.
Following the car accidents, I developed chronic disabling low back pain. Following the thyroidectomy I developed all kinds of symptoms involving almost all body systems. I’m now bedridden to housebound for great swaths of time. Up until now I’ve been haunting thyroid and adrenal boards, and plowing my way through endocrinologists, MDs and naturopaths looking for answers.
Starting in 2006, I began experiences episodes I call “tizzies” which have baffled all concerned. They last from 6-8 months, building up, reaching a peak, slowly subsiding. They are extremely debilitating and involve many, many symptoms mental and physical. After six or seven of these, I’m convinced they are episodes of extremely high cortisol and I do have some labs to support that, though they are from alternative type laboratories. The saliva ones take four samples spread throughout the day and the 24-hour urine ones are as they sound.
During a trough I have a saliva lab showing mostly low cortisol values. During a different trough I have 24-hour urine results from which the ND pronounced I had Addison’s-like adrenal function. During a recent peak I have both a saliva and 24-hour urine showing off-the-charts high levels of cortisol. Coming down from that peak, I have saliva results showing cortisol low in the morning moving up to extremely high at night.
What do you think?
Jennifer in Puget Sound
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