# Anyone suspect they may have Cushing's Syndrome?



## Paaroska (Mar 16, 2006)

Cushing's syndrome is a hormonal disorder caused by prolonged exposure of the body's tissues to high levels of the hormone cortisol. Sometimes called "hypercortisolism," it is relatively rare and most commonly affects adults aged 20 to 50. An estimated 10 to 15 of every million people are affected each year. 

Cushing's syndrome occurs when the body's tissues are exposed to excessive levels of cortisol for long periods of time. Many people suffer the symptoms of Cushing's syndrome because they take glucocorticoid hormones such as prednisone for asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus and other inflammatory diseases, or for immunosuppression after transplantation.

Others develop Cushing's syndrome because of overproduction of cortisol by the body. Normally, the production of cortisol follows a precise chain of events. First, the hypothalamus, a part of the brain which is about the size of a small sugar cube, sends corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH) to the pituitary gland. CRH causes the pituitary to secrete ACTH (adrenocorticotropin), a hormone that stimulates the adrenal glands. When the adrenals, which are located just above the kidneys, receive the ACTH, they respond by releasing cortisol into the bloodstream.

Cortisol performs vital tasks in the body. It helps maintain blood pressure and cardiovascular function, reduces the immune system's inflammatory response, balances the effects of insulin in breaking down sugar for energy, and regulates the metabolism of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. One of cortisol's most important jobs is to help the body respond to stress. For this reason, women in their last 3 months of pregnancy and highly trained athletes normally have high levels of the hormone. People suffering from depression, alcoholism, malnutrition and panic disorders also have increased cortisol levels.


Symptoms vary, but most people have upper body obesity, rounded face, increased fat around the neck, and thinning arms and legs. Children tend to be obese with slowed growth rates.

Other symptoms appear in the skin, which becomes fragile and thin. It bruises easily and heals poorly. Purplish pink stretch marks may appear on the abdomen, thighs, buttocks, arms and breasts. The bones are weakened, and routine activities such as bending, lifting or rising from a chair may lead to backaches, rib and spinal column fractures.

Most people have severe fatigue, weak muscles, high blood pressure and high blood sugar. Irritability, anxiety and depression are common.


----------



## korey (Apr 25, 2006)

It would probably be a good idea for me to look into this. I've taken medication for my asthma since I was in 1st or 2nd grade. I do seem to have upper-body obesity. My face is round. My arms and legs are both thin for my weight. My skin is very fragile (I had mild eczema as a child and have acne now as a young adult). I have literally hundreds of stretch marks, many of which continue to grow every week. I can tell they're growing because the ends continue to split and grow longer, leaving a pinkish/purpleish scar behind. I don't do much physical activity because of my asthma (and social anxiety), but when I am forced to do things like lifting and carrying (like when I worked in my school's library this past semester of high school), I would develop very bad backaches. I'm always fatigued. My muscles are weak, but that's probably because I don't do a lot of physical activity. I'm usually very irritable. Finally, I suffer from anxity and major depression.

Is there a proof-positive test for this condition? What about treatment?


----------



## Paaroska (Mar 16, 2006)

I was just bouncing around the internet and came across it, its extremely rare, but it was kinda interesting.

http://endocrine.niddk.nih.gov/pubs/cushings/cushings.htm#diagnosed


----------



## Caedmon (Dec 14, 2003)

Korey, what do you take for asthma?


----------



## Nae (Nov 10, 2003)

How odd to see a thread on this, I had asked my doctor just a bit ago about Cushing's and he said a person suffering from Cushing's is glaringly obvious due to the physical symptoms but i've heard that you don't need to suffer from *all* of the commonly listed symptoms. Was told I should make an appointment with an endocrinologist if I wanted to look into it further. He was suprised I had heard of it because it is so rare, but I had found out about it via another doctor explaining cortisol to me & a handy internet search. 

There is a support website at http://www.cushings-help.com/ which has lots of info on the syndrome/disease if you're interested.


----------



## korey (Apr 25, 2006)

Caedmon said:


> Korey, what do you take for asthma?


Primatene


----------



## Caedmon (Dec 14, 2003)

I don't know if Primatene is implicated in Cushing's. It contains epinephrine (adrenaline), and I suppose it theoretically could contribute if it got into the bloodstream enough. I think it is more associated with systemic corticosteroids like Prednisone. Have you ever tried a Rx inhaler? I use Flovent (fluticasone) and albuterol for my asthma.


----------



## korey (Apr 25, 2006)

Caedmon said:


> I don't know if Primatene is implicated in Cushing's. It contains epinephrine (adrenaline), and I suppose it theoretically could contribute if it got into the bloodstream enough. I think it is more associated with systemic corticosteroids like Prednisone. Have you ever tried a Rx inhaler? I use Flovent (fluticasone) and albuterol for my asthma.


I used albuterol from the time I was diagnosed with asthma up until around 8th grade, then I switched to Primatene. Albuterol required continual doctor visits/prescriptions. Primatene is over the counter, not to mention cheaper and more effective. (It also destroys the ozone and is supposedly much worse for my health in the long run. :stu Oh well.)


----------



## jane (Jan 30, 2006)

Nae said:


> a person suffering from Cushing's is glaringly obvious due to the physical symptoms


I hate to use emoticons, but how apt: :dito


----------



## ShesKrayZ (May 9, 2006)

Been tested. Have very elevated levels of cortisol but not Cushings. They tested once and it showed elevated Cortisol, then I had to take some pills, I think two of them, maybe more it's been a while and a page of instruction that I don't remember now came with them. Anyway supposedly the second test showed I don't have Cushings. I'm sure it was all throughly explained to me at the time but I don't remember things well.


----------



## Elleire (Jul 24, 2011)

Wow, weird coincidence. 

I did a 24 hr. urine cortisol test and a dexamethasone suppression test in '09 that came back "inconclusively." I just did another one 2 weeks ago, the results were flagged but still not high enough to warrant a diagnosis or start fishing around for adenomas. 

I have another blood test tomorrow.


----------



## Elleire (Jul 24, 2011)

Thanks. Yeah, I finally mustered up enough courage to bag my last doctor and seek out a second opinion (not so easy to do with SA! :b). She insisted it was "just PCOS" and I was fine, despite all the issues that were not going away by treating the PCOS alone -- some of which continued to get worse. 

This doctor is not so convinced I don't have it, and she's very, very thorough. Which is great. I just hope everything turns out all right. 

I'm sorry you've had to go through it. Have you already had/do you need to have surgery to remove the tumor (if you don't mind my asking) ?


----------



## SayYouDontWantIt (Aug 16, 2011)

I suffered a traumatic brain injury - I had pituitary apoplexy, and so I now have hypopituitarism (like Esther from 'Orphan'). My SA is directly linked to this, I am convinced of it. I have spoken with other people with hypopituitarism and they agree. Unstable & uncontrollable mood swings = extreme social problems. Probably doesn't help that I want to punch everyone in the face.


----------



## nicky1701 (Nov 15, 2012)

*Just PCOS ??*

AS someone who was diagnosed with pcos about 3 years ago it is not something to take lightly. after 3 years of treatment I have continued to put on weight and still have all the symptoms accept now there are new ones and it look more like I have CS. I am going to my doctor next week to get the testing started.


----------

