Cortisol

MLibby84
MLibby84 Posts: 87
in Introduce Yourself
Hi,
I wasnt sure where to post this but I have a question.

So I went to my gyno appointment yeasterday, and all of that is fine, however I have had a "faty, lump type thing on the back of my neck by where my shoulder starts. I have had it for awhile and it hasn't gone away. Its gotten a little bigger, so I asked her about it. She felt it and did a little research, and found I may have whats called Cushing's syndrome? Has anyone every had this? if not it means that my body my be producing to much cortisol. Which may explain why I have been having trouble with losing weight and gainng 10lbs in the last 3months( not normal for me) I am going to see my PC today to talk to her about it, and what to do if I do have it. I looked it up online and of course reading online is never a good thing. But, the ARNP I saw yeasterday looked it up, and read some of the symptoms( weight gain, roundness of the face, hair loss(not like bald or anything, just clumps that I thought were related to stress, hormonal embalence(been up and down, little depression)

I was just curious if anyone can relate or knows about it.

Thanks~
Maggie

Replies

  • milokoma
    milokoma Posts: 5 Member
    Hello Maggie,

    I don't have Cushings, but I do suffer from a hormone imbalance including low Cortisol levels. My doctor explained that the very best way to test hormones is to do a saliva test. If you haven't done one yet, I would recommend it. Especially one that requires sample collection throughout and entire day. That way you will see how your levels are effected throughout the day. My test results were a real eye opener. Once my doctor has a clear picture of the imbalance, she could offer better solutions. I took the test through my clinic, but the local pharmacy offers the test as well. I would recommend you talk to your doctor about this.

    Warm regards,
    Korinne
  • MLibby84
    MLibby84 Posts: 87
    Ya, i had an appointment today. I am going for blood work in the morning. I have to fast, they will check my thyroid and cholesterol(which I know isn't good) but they will also test my cortisol level, i have to take a pill tomorrow night and then go back to get blood work done again on Saterdy.. If that is the problem then she said she would set me up w/ an endoconologist? So we will see :)

    Thanks!

    Maggie
  • MLibby84
    MLibby84 Posts: 87
    and the lump thing is in my muscle, she thinks its a bit of a strain and that is the side I sometimes carry my son on
    ( he is 3 1/2 and weighs 32lbs) so.. but she wasnt concerned :)
  • firstsip
    firstsip Posts: 8,399 Member
    I've had two big issues in my life with cortisol, both of which caused weight gain... roughly 30 lbs each, both times (it's why I'm on here currently). They did the full workup for me to see if I may have had Cushing's, but my endos and naturopaths through the years are pretty positive I've had issues with cortisol because of thyroid issues (I have no thyroid; when my cortisol flatlined, it was because I was being severely underdosed. Recently, my cortisol skyrocketed--but we caught it before it crashed--because I was severely overdosed. CAN'T WIN). I've had the saliva tests (different kinds; the 24 hour one, and then one that lasted a week), the urine test that is similar, and bloodwork with the pill you take... I'm totally blanking, but it's seeing your cortisol react to getting a drug used to treat allergic reactions to bee stings? Pretty miserable tests, lugging spit and pee into a fridge, but you gotta do what you gotta do.

    My biggest tip? DON'T get discouraged. Cortisol issues take a long time to resolve, so overcoming the symptoms (ex: weight) will take longer to achieve.

    It's interesting that your gyno found this! Did they refer you to an endo, then?

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