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Crystal, Pseudo Cushing’s Bio

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I was first diagnosed with psudo cushings at Duke University and was told that if I wasn’t better in a year to come back. I was on crutches for three months because of the weakness of my bones and I had fallen and cracked my pubic bone.

I suffered for a year and went back. I had high blood pressure, swollen legs and ankels, bruised easily, had gained 50 lbs., depression, my hair texture changed, it was like straw. My mid section was hugh, my face was huge . I had swelling around my neck. My toenails on one foot were crumbling. I had blurred vision, weakness in the legs and fatigue. I have probably left something out. I had MRI’s and CT scans and they couldn’t find a thing.

Thank God they referred me to the National Institite of Health in Bethesda, Md. In June of ’07 they ran every kind of test they could and could not find a tumor. I have been put in the catagory of one in two million. They first put me on a study drug called RU486. It was an abortion drug used in Europe in the 80’s which caused much controversy. It was supposed to keep the cortisol from attaching to the red blood cells. I took it for 3 months but it did not work. I just got worse. My potassium would drop and my feet would swell so big I felt like they could pop. I was given 20 bags of potassium intraveniously in one week at the NIH. Oh yes, I was also anemic and had to have a blood transfusion.

As a result from weak bones, I have also developed Avascular Necrosis. My right shoulder has deteriorated which causes much pain and I have to live on pain medicine. I stopped the study drug and am now taking the max dose of Ketoconazole and am also taking Mitotane.

I stayed at the NIH from Sept. to Nov. , 8 weeks altogether. I lost 35 lbs in one month. I felt almost like my old self again. I have a paraesophageal hernia and was taking Protonix. The doctors discontinued Protonix because one must have acid in order for the Ketoconazole to be absorbed.

Eventually I was in great pain. I had to sip my drinks and couldn’t eat sometimes without throwing up. Jan. 6 of ’08 I returned to the NIH and they did MRI’s, Ct’s, Octreoscans, etc. and still fould nothing. They think the tumor might be behind my hernia but with Cushing’s it is too risky to have the surgery for my hernia I am told. I got home Jan. 24 and was in more pain. I could hardly eat or drink.

On Jan. 30 I broke out in a cold sweat and started vomiting and then I had what I thought was diarrhea turned out to be fresh blood. My husband call for an ambulance. It turns out that I had developed an ulcer and it had a blood vessel in it that ruptured. I lost 1/3 of the blood in my body. The doctors told me I could have died easily. They were able to correct it with an endoscopy. I stayed in ICU for 2 days. I was discharged from the hospital just this past Mon. The idea here is to drink Coke with my medicine in hopes that it will produce enough acid to absorb since I must now take Protonix.

Tonight my ankels started swelling some and my arms are bruising. I am very frightened. If this medicine doesn’t work, and they can’t find the tumor, all that is left is an adrenalectomy. I hear that one never feels the same. Please someone, let me know.

Oh, I will be 48 on Feb. 12 and have always been healthy. I had never even heard of Cushing’s until I got it.

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Rita (Rita), Steroid-Induced Bio

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Hello to those who are frustrated & suffering!

My real search for a diagnosis began vigilantly just over 2 years ago. I was extremely hot,exhausted,weight gain (unexplained) and not sleeping well and sleeping all the time but extremely fatigued!!! My face became very round and my facial & body skin was a nightmare.

My husband kept saying that he thought it was systemic but I wasn’t sure. And, this sounds so sill but completely true, I was watching an episode of Doc Martin (UK series) where a woman was having trouble and he told her she had Cushings. Well, I had never heard of this disease so I looked it up on the internet and told my husband that’s what I have. Of course, he said that I was being silly.

I had very upset stomach most of the time to I had an endoscopy & colonoscopy where large cysts had developed. I also had burning and nagging pain in my upper thigh area thinking it was my Lymph nodes. Many more cysts were discovered on my ovaries and all the doctors cold focus on were the cysts and telling me that my blood pressure was too high and that I needed to lose weight.

I few months later I noticed small purple striations on my abdomen and just knew I had Cushings. So, I asked my doctor if he could run cortisol test on me and he said no problem. I had also told him at this time that I was using a steroid cream to control my eczema and he said that would not cause not effect me in such a way to cause such problems.

I had beeen to the emergency room, had 4 CT scans, atleast 7 ultrasounds, 2 MRI’s and so many blood tests that I had lost count.

Another doctor had recommended that I see an Oncologist so I saw 2 of them…..still no idea and 2 more visits to the emergency room.

I sent all my files and tests to the best Endocrinologist I could find and still had to wait 6 months for an initial appointment.

During the 6 months of waiting to see my Endocrinologist, my body had taken a severe turn for the worse. I could barely step up onto a curb and would spend 3 weeks straight in a bed.

I was extremely depressed and felt like I was dying!!!

April of 2014 my long awaited appointment to see THE BEST ENDOCRINOLOGIST in the state finally came!!!!! He took one look at me and said you have Cushings without a doubt!!!! he saw all the other files and tests that the other doctors had done and said they all did the same exact tests and have absolutley no idea what they are doing.

This is the best doctor I have ever been to see in my entire life, he spent over 1 hour with my during my first evaluation. (Please know,that he is not even covered by my insurance but I didn’t care……shelled out $510 and it saved my life.)

He would stop asking me questions until he got to the root of what was causing the Cushings. And it was the cream that I was using to control my eczema!!!!!!! Yes, please know that Cobetasol Proprionate will cause Cushings if used on a long term basis.

I had no warnings or instructions from my Dermatologist. He just said use this on your eczema.

Dr. Neil Breit saved my life!!!! He said that I was hands down, the worse case he had ever seen!!! And he said that I would have definitely been dead in 1 or 2years at best.

If you live in the Northeast, please seek out this doctor. He is the best and very passionate & loves his work. He truly cares and brings lots of smiles with his treatment!!!!j

Dr. Breit still spends 1 hour with me on every office there. And I still pay full price but do not mind, because he saved my life!!!

Also, right before my diagnosis, I discovered GERSON THERAPY. Regardless of whatever is wrong or just being healthy, juicing helps me immensely with energy and just feeling better as a whole!!!

Thank you for enduring my long story!!!!! Keep fighting for your diagnosis and don’t stop till you get one!!!

Thank you kindly for reading my story,
Rita in New Jersey

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Dana E (Dana), Undiagnosed Bio

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Hello, my name is Dana. I am a 43 year old female. I live near Dallas, TX. I attend college and spend allot of my time taking care of my crazy family, whom I love very much. After reading posts on this site I decided to document my symptoms and experiences.

A couple of days ago I was discussing my endoscopy and colonoscopy results with my mother-in-law. They showed I have GERD, esophagitis, stomach erythema, duodenitis, hiatal hernia, hemorrhoids, nine polyps, and IBS. Wow. After all that she asked me if I was checked for goiter. GOITER? I told her I was just fat. Over the last several years I have gained weight. I did the Atkins diet in 2000 and lost 70 lbs, but gained back 100. Most of my weight is in my abdomen, face and neck. I have relatively small legs, hips and rear. I have had several people think I was pregnant and told how disproportionate my body is. Recently my kids and even my 4 year old grandson have commented on my weight and health. I have noticed that my neck is getting larger, despite being the same weight for a while now.  I have poor eating habits, which I am trying to change. I only eat once or twice a day and I am an active person. I do not exercise except for walking. After my mother-in-laws comment I decided to do some research.

I have almost every symptom of Cushing’s. Central obesity, thinning skin and bruising, especially on my hands. Oral candidiasis, axillary and cervical skin tags, round, fat, red face and neck, oily skin and hair with recent increased acne, headaches, fat pad on back of neck, blurry vision, fatigue, back pain, arm weakness, heat intolerance, pain in joints and swelling in hands and feet, thirst, facial hair, and increased heart rate at weird times. I have been treated for depression/bi-polar for several years now. It took two and a half years of experimenting to find something that would keep me stable. I still have emotional instability, depression, cognitive difficulties, and mood swings. I have many stretch marks but only a few are red. I have very fair skin so my coloring is not the same as others. The only symptoms I do not have are irregular periods. I do have what feels like a soft mass under my chin fat. There are lymph nodes under the area, so this could be the cause.

I pray I am able to find a doctor who will not dismiss my symptoms as some of you have experienced. My first appointment will be next week with my primary care physician and we will go from there. Wish me luck and I will update regularly.

Does anyone know of a good endocrinologist in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area?

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