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Suzanne (Suzanna), Undiagnosed Bio

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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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Erica (Ericaop), Undiagnosed Bio

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golden-oldie

 

I am 33 years old and at the age of 17 I had a sudden onset of weight gain during my senior year of high school. I was a size 8 and graduated wearing a size 18. My weight was mainly in my face and my stomach. My legs were small so my pants would be big in the leg but I needed a large waistline. I began taking birth control & thought it was a side effect from that.

I stopped having my period completely when I went to college & doctors said it was stress & I just needed to diet & excercise. I never ate alot and was a normal active teen. over the last 15 years I have been treated for blood pressure, water retention, high cholesterol and symptoms of PCOS.

In 2003 I was sent to an endocrinologist for suspected metabollic syndrome (syndrome X) that was ruled out & after an ultrasound of my thyroid I was told I had an enlarged thyroid & was treated for hypothyroidism. I quit my job & moved to another city to return to college loosing my health insurance & so I was back at the University health center. Blood tests showed my TSH levels & malehormone levels to be fine so they would not continue to treat me for the thyroid issue. Just cholesterol & sent me to a nutritionist.

After graduating & moving to GA, I went to see a new doctor and went through my history to be told the same, my levels are normal. Because my insurance does not require a referral & knowing I had a previous diagnosis of hypothyroidism I scheduled an appointment with an endocrinologist. My firstvisit wasn’t with him but with his PA in which I went over my long drawn out history. Blood work was done & upon seeing him on the second visit I was told the same, my levels are normal & I havehigh cholesterol so he treated me for that. It wasn’t until I stressed to him that I had been on cholesterol medication until the previous endocrinolgist did the ultrasound and took me off of it & said the thyroid medication would take care of it that he said he would send me for an ultrasound. The ultrasound revealed small nodules, that were not there in 2003, but he says are too smallto be concerned with & he will check them in 6 months to see if they have grown, other than that I’m fine. I know this is not the case. I watch what I eat, I excercise for 2 hours 5 to 6 days a week & cannot loose any weight. I am frustrated & am noticing increases bouts of depression where I can’t control my emotions one day & the next I’m fine. I am always exhausted, and after excercising I need a nap, I thought excercise was supposed to give you energy.

I was just about to give up & begin to reconcile that its just me & I’m crazy as the doctors want me to think until two weeks ago I saw an episode of TLC’s Mystery Diagnosis where this woman was basically telling my story of the sudden weight gain & other symptoms & how she basically self diagnosed herself with Cushing’s Syndrome & went to an endocrinologist who confirmed it & she had surgery to remove a tumor. When I heard this, I knew this had to be it, but am wondering why my endocrinologist never mentioned this disease or tested me for it. I really do not like his lack of concern and care so I called another office to schedule an appointment which I cannot get until September 1st.

After doing further research I decided I really want to see someone who is knowledgeable about Cushing’s so I found the Pituitary center at Emory University hospital in Atlanta. I called today for an appointment & was asked my diagnosis. I told her I don’t have one yet, I was seeking a consultation for a diagnosis of suspected Cushings. She asked who my doctor was and about MRI results. I told her I haven’t had an MRI and that my doctor never did a cortisol test or any urine tests just only non fasting blood work. She told me to have my labs sent to them & that they would review them & call me to schedule an appointment. I faxed both my regular doctor & my endocrinologist a request for my records to be sent to this lady’s attention. I am scared that my labs will not show anything to warrant an appointment & I don’t know where to go from here.

I don’t have the money or time I feel to continue to wait months for an appointment to get an accurate diagnosis.

Does anyone out there have any suggestions on what I should do?

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Lavane V (lvowell), Pituitary Bio

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The pituitary gland

The pituitary gland

I was diagnosed with Cushing’s Disease in September 2012.  I started my search for a diagnosis back in March.

So here is how my story goes… in January of 2012, I decided that i was going to change my diet and exercise.  I had weight to lose from a previous pregnancy.  I began working with a nutrionist and personal trainer.  I spent a lot of time working out and logging everything that went into my mouth.  I even tracked my water intake. It became very obvious that for a hard as I was working that something was wrong.  i was gaining weight instead of losing.  I was also feeling very run down.  I had also started noticing that I did not have very many patience for much of anything and I felt very uptight about silly stuff.  I decided to go have my hormones checked.

At first the doctor told me that I was extremely deficiet on vitamin D and needed to drink a lot more water.  He said we need to run more tests.  He did a salivary test and some bloodwork to check my corisol levels.  On my follow up with him he said that i had very high cortisol levels and wanted to run more test.  He then went on vacation for a few weeks.  I was unable to get answers from his nurse and then he was so behind when he came back that i could never get an appointment.

I started researching on the interenet about high cortisol levels.  Everything that I was reading sounded like me.  Weight gain (i had gained 100 lb), exhaustion, stretch marks, blurred vision, high blood pressure, water retention, etc.  I found another endocrinologist and made an appointment.  I told him all my symptoms and what I felt was wrong with me.  He asked me what i wanted him to do.  I suggested some of the tests that  I had read about because I thought i might have cushings and he said, “ok, let’s get started but, cushings is very rare and I doubt that is what is going on”.

After running blood work, 24 urine test, plus many more test, he told me that I had Cushing’s Syndrome.  He indicated that this was very rare and that he had not seen but one case before.  He ordered an MRI.  The radiologist that read my MRI said that he did not see a tumor.  However, he did say that he saw “sinus disease”.  Now I have never hear of that so i questioned it.  I was told that I would need to go to a ENT doctor for learn more about that.

The endo doc wanted to proceed with the IPSS test.  I keep studying on the interenet about the disease and all the testing.  I even watched a few pituitary surgeries.  I just felt like I need to know everything possible besides, I could not sleep so this was a great way to spend hours.   I also kept reading all that I could on this site as well. I met with a local neurosurgeon and he scheduled the IPSS test.  I asked him about how we would proceed if my test results showed positive for a pit tumor. I was basically told since no tumor was seen in my MRI that the IPSS test would help them to decided which side of my pit they would take.  I was totally not comfortable with just losing part of my master gland.  I kept my scheduled test but started to research experts in cushing’s.  Then I researched which were covered by my insurance.

In the meantime, I kept the appointment for the IPSS since I didnt want to lose any time.  I checked into the hospital and got prepped for my test only to have the doctor come in to tell me that we would not be doing the procedure because the company that made the medications used for testing no longer was making the mediation.  Now then, how do you not know this before you prep someone for the procedure?!?!  I told the doctor that there were other hospital that were treating cushing patients and were performing this test.  I had been reading about them on the boards.  He told me that there was not anyone in the US that had the meds.  That was when I really knew that I was going to have to leave my state to get treatment.

I called my endo and explained what had happend and asked for a referral to MD Anderson in Houston, TX.  I also went online and did a self referral.  I just kept following up with them.  They have a pituitary tumor board that reviews cases.  My case was approved and I had my first appointment in Sept 2011.  I spent on day running tests, having an MRI and meeting with the a new endo.

Within 48 hours, he confirmed that I did have cushing’s disease and showed me the tumor on my pituitary.  In November 2011, I underwent transphenoidal pit surgery.  An 8mm tumor was removed.  There was some concern because the tumor was right up against my cavernous sinus cavity.  This is where your carotid artery is and the surgeon did not want to get close to this artery.

Unfortunalely, I did not experince a “crash” after surgery.  My levels did indicate they were in the normal range so the doctors sent me home with a perscription of hydrocortisone.

English: Cavernous sinus

English: Cavernous sinus (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

for me.  He is going to confer with my endocrinologist and then I will go from there.

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