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Cushing's Disease

Hi, Just noticed an article in Woman's Day Magazine about Cushing's Disease and wanted to find out from someone what test to request when I go to a Dr to see if maybe this is my problem. I was diagnosed with post traumatic stress about 8 years ago after being sexually abused by a doctor. within about the first 3 years after this happened to me I began to gain a lot of weight. From 110 to now 172. My eye sight fluctuates and I was diagnosed recently with pre-diabetes and just figured that was the culprit. but after reading the article in Woman's Day 3/9/2004 magazine I began to realize that I too may have cushing's disease. I have the large stomach area that at time bloats to where I look more than pregnant. I have what is called a camel hump on the back of my neck too, just like the woman in the article. I am always anxious and am going all the time at full speed. I take Celexa for anxiety and also Nexium for my stomach. My stomach is always bloated until I take a Nexium and it seems to take the bloat down for awhile. When I go to bed exhausted and feel I am going to go to sleep real fast, it doesn't happen, within 20 minutes of being in bed my stomach feels like there is acid in it and I am wide awake until the wee hours of the morning. Sometimes I just get up and clean house until its time to go to work. I don't know if Cushing's is my problem or not, but I am beginning to really wonder after reading that article. any help will be appreciated Thank you. -Kim Artesia
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The following sites will enlighten you well on this disorder. Basically, the adrenal glands are putting out too much of the hormone cortisol as and possibly androgen (that's why some women begin to lose head hair and grow facial hair or hair on their back). The adrenal glands are being overactive.

The test to take for excess cortisol is a 24 hour urine test. See sites below and get a better understanding.

www.cushings.homestead.com

www.pituitarysociety.org/cush1.htm

However, some of the other signs that you are talking about, about feeling exhausted and not being able to go to sleep...also sounds like an underactive adrenal. When you extend your tongue out as far as it can go, does it tremble? Are you waking up frequently at night (possibly to urinate).

You could also have "excess liver fire". This causes bloating as well as nervous energy in the evening.

If you can have an experienced holistic person examine you and guide you that would be great. Chinese medicine practitioners also are very helpful. I would highly suggest you seek these people out as well. Best wishes. -Lourdes Martinez
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Hi, Ok, you have been diagnosed with ptsd and all of the other symptoms you have now occurred AFTER the sexual abuse? We can look at only the physical symptoms here, but I believe Holistic Health involves the mind, body and spirit. Many times, dis-ease occurs after a traumatic/emotional event in a person's life. In the book "Feelings Buried Alive Never Die" by Karol Truman, if you look up adrenal problems, the probable emotions are: "feels like a victim" "feelings of being defeated" "feelings of anxiety" "unresolved jealousies or fears" "don't care what happens to me attitude" Do ANY of these ring a bell for you? Your mind can make you sick and your mind can make you better. Putting on weight around the abdomen usually is the body's defense for adding protection. It can be caused by emotions and stress as well as diet. The subconscious mind tells the body to protect itself from further abuse; it hasn't gotten "over it", because the emotions are still repeating the event through a disruption in your body's energy cycle/system. If you go to this website: www.emofree.com and you can see how this happens and what to do about it. You can contact me if you want a private session with a trained facilitator, but many times you can do it yourself. What kinds of thoughts do you go around with on a daily basis? Since you can be your best friend or your worst enemy, become aware of how you talk to yourself. Cancel any negative self talk and replace it with loving and kind thoughts.

ok, next - nutritionally speaking, the medicines you are on are treating the SYMPTOMS, and not getting to the root cause. Let's just say that you don't have a celexa or nexium deficiency! Do you use probiotics to help replenish the good bacteria in the intestines which helps get rid of the types of things that can cause bloating? Nervines to help soothe and nourish the nervous system? Have you cut out all sugar and refined carbohydrates? When you feed the body systems the right stuff, the body can begin to heal itself. I would recommend a nutritional program that helps support the WHOLE body to help bring it back into balance. You can contact me if you want to discuss it further. Yours In Health, Nancy Coulter

Endocrine disorder 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. When the amount of cortisol in the blood is adequate, the hypothalamus and pituitary release less CRH and ACTH. This ensures that the amount of cortisol released by the adrenal glands is precisely balanced to meet the body's daily needs. However, if something goes wrong with the adrenals or their regulating switches in the pituitary gland or the hypothalamus, cortisol production can go awry. Pituitary Adenomas Pituitary adenomas cause most cases of Cushing's syndrome. They are benign, or non-cancerous, tumors of the pituitary gland which secrete increased amounts of ACTH. Most patients have a single adenoma. This form of the syndrome, known as "Cushing's disease," affects women five times more frequently than men. Ectopic ACTH Syndrome Some benign or malignant (cancerous) tumors that arise outside the pituitary can produce ACTH. This condition is known as ectopic ACTH syndrome. Lung tumors cause over 50 percent of these cases. Men are affected 3 times more frequently than women. The most common forms of ACTH- producing tumors are oat cell, or small cell lung cancer, which accounts for about 25 percent of all lung cancer cases, and carcinoid tumors. Other less common types of tumors that can produce ACTH are thymomas, pancreatic islet cell tumors, and medullary carcinomas of the thyroid. Adrenal Tumors Sometimes, an abnormality of the adrenal glands, most often an adrenal tumor, causes Cushing's syndrome. The average age of onset is about 40 years. Most of these cases involve non-cancerous tumors of adrenal tissue, called adrenal adenomas, which release excess cortisol into the blood. Adrenocortical carcinomas, or adrenal cancers, are the least common cause of Cushing's syndrome. Cancer cells secrete excess levels of several adrenal cortical hormones, including cortisol and adrenal androgens. Adrenocortical carcinomas usually cause very high hormone levels and rapid development of symptoms. Familial Cushing's Syndrome Most cases of Cushing's syndrome are not inherited. Rarely, however, some individuals have special causes of Cushing's syndrome due to an inherited tendency to develop tumors of one or more endocrine glands. In Primary Pigmented Micronodular Adrenal Disease, children or young adults develop small cortisol-producing tumors of the adrenal glands. In Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type I (MEN I), hormone secreting tumors of the parathyroid glands, pancreas and pituitary occur. Cushing's syndrome in MEN I may be due to pituitary, ectopic or adrenal tumors. Treatment depends on the specific reason for cortisol excess and may include surgery, radiation, chemotherapy or the use of cortisol-inhibiting drugs. If the cause is long-term use of glucocorticoid hormones to treat another disorder, the doctor will gradually reduce the dosage to the lowest dose adequate for control of that disorder. Once control is established, the daily dose of glucocorticoid hormones may be doubled and given on alternate days to lessen side effects. ***Learn More About Endocrine Disorders

http://www.pituitary.org/disorders/cushings_disease.aspx

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Q: I'm looking for help with this. I have this info from Recipes for Success but don't know why each product would be helpful. This will be for a 15lb dog diagnosed with it.

Results from hyperactive pituitary, usually caused by excessive use of steroids.

Master Gland
Alfalfa
Target Endurance for muscle wasting
Chinese Kidney Activator for the kidneys
Combination Potassium in large quantities for potassium levels -Nicole Bandes
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Endocrine disorder 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.

When the amount of cortisol in the blood is adequate, the hypothalamus and pituitary release less CRH and ACTH. This ensures that the amount of cortisol released by the adrenal glands is precisely balanced to meet the body's daily needs. However, if something goes wrong with the adrenals or their regulating switches in the pituitary gland or the hypothalamus, cortisol production can go awry.

Pituitary Adenomas Pituitary adenomas cause most cases of Cushing's syndrome. They are benign, or non-cancerous, tumors of the pituitary gland which secrete increased amounts of ACTH. Most patients have a single adenoma. This form of the syndrome, known as "Cushing's disease," affects women five times more frequently than men.

Ectopic ACTH Syndrome Some benign or malignant (cancerous) tumors that arise outside the pituitary can produce ACTH. This condition is known as ectopic ACTH syndrome. Lung tumors cause over 50 percent of these cases. Men are affected 3 times more frequently than women. The most common forms of ACTH-producing tumors are oat cell, or small cell lung cancer, which accounts for about 25 percent of all lung cancer cases, and carcinoid tumors. Other less common types of tumors that can produce ACTH are thymomas, pancreatic islet cell tumors, and medullary carcinomas of the thyroid.

Adrenal Tumors Sometimes, an abnormality of the adrenal glands, most often an adrenal tumor, causes Cushing's syndrome. The average age of onset is about 40 years. Most of these cases involve non-cancerous tumors of adrenal tissue, called adrenal adenomas, which release excess cortisol into the blood.

Adrenocortical carcinomas, or adrenal cancers, are the least common cause of Cushing's syndrome. Cancer cells secrete excess levels of several adrenal cortical hormones, including cortisol and adrenal androgens. Adrenocortical carcinomas usually cause very high hormone levels and rapid development of symptoms.

Familial Cushing's Syndrome Most cases of Cushing's syndrome are not inherited. Rarely, however, some individuals have special causes of Cushing's syndrome due to an inherited tendency to develop tumors of one or more endocrine glands. In Primary Pigmented Micronodular Adrenal Disease, children or young adults develop small cortisol-producing tumors of the adrenal glands. In Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type I (MEN I), hormone secreting tumors of the parathyroid glands, pancreas and pituitary occur. Cushing's syndrome in MEN I may be due to pituitary, ectopic or adrenal tumors.

Treatment depends on the specific reason for cortisol excess and may include surgery, radiation, chemotherapy or the use of cortisol-inhibiting drugs. If the cause is long-term use of glucocorticoid hormones to treat another disorder, the doctor will gradually reduce the dosage to the lowest dose adequate for control of that disorder. Once control is established, the daily dose of glucocorticoid hormones may be doubled and given on alternate days to lessen side effects. *** (http://www.pituitary.org/) -Dee
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The only thing I know was to put 3 drops Frankincense oil on the area twice a day and see what results you get then let us all know if it helps or not. -Valerie