Cushing syndrome after long antibiotic usage?

Posted , 4 users are following.

I had a surgery 4 years ago (minor) and was infected wih Klebsiella Pneumoniae in the hospital. I was terated with different type of antibiotics over 2 month to get rid of it. I was not the same person after this. I had burnng stomach, high blood pressure, gainig weight, fat in legs and face, sudden Barret, etc. I was completely health  person prior the surgery. I was going from doctor to doctor trying to understand what happened to me. Few weeks ago I was diagnosed with Cushing syndrome. I wonder if anybody had the same experience as me - Cushing decase after few years of severe infection treaten by long period by antibiotics.

1 like, 8 replies

8 Replies

  • Posted

    Just to say well done you.  I have been trying to find a common denominator for those who get Cushings but no luck so far.  I will try to think back and I hope the other members will answer you too.  At least now you know what is wrong.  Take care and I will respond again soon.  Any thoughts Debs or Gill?
  • Posted

    Hi,  I see that Gill has replied to you.  I have been checking up and I was on Antibotics (Septrin) for years because my then GP thought I had a kidney problem.  Eventuall my new GP gave me a kidney xray and it turned out I had spinal problems so came of the antibiotics straight away. I understand that Gill hasnt had the same experience.  I did have a tumour on the Pit Gland but to be quite honest it is such a horrible disease that I wouldnt be at all surprised if the antibiotics had something to do with it.  Im not sure if Septrin contained steroids.  Did yours?  Thanks so much for your input.  Vicky
    • Posted

      Hi Vicky, I was taking different groups of antibiotics, since I was infected with virus resistant to antibiotics - Klebsiela. I will check with my doctor regarding streroids. I found so many articles regarding fungal infections evolving in Cushing patients in US National Library medical articles. I was wondering if the Candida comes after antibiotics treatment and evolves in Cushing. There are few cases describing this too. So the reason I asked about antibiotics was further Candida and further Cushing. I am not claiming that this is the only reason. But according to researches not everybody who goes through surgery has tumor found.
  • Posted

    Hi Irene,

    I honestly dont think the medical World knows exactly what causes cushings. The main reason being is that everyone who is diagnosed has a slightly different story to tell. I hadnt even thought about antibiotics as a " possible ". I had Micoplasma Pneumonia and was on triple antibiotics for about 10 weeks. I also had Helicobactor Pylori which required triple antibiotics. There was no steroids in my treatment so i cant see how that would have caused my Cushings.

    I differ slightly from the other girls here in that i didnt have a specified tumor on my pituitary gland. I had Diffuse over abundance and hyperplasia of the ACTH cells in my pituitary gland. This resulted in the surgeon having to remove all of my pituitary gland exept a very small piece that attaches to the stem leading to the hyperthalamus. I am 20 months post surgery and my cortisol has been sitting on a very stable 960 ( normal range 118-619 ). I used to stress about it remaining high as some of the doctors i was seeing kept asking me what " I " was doing to keep them high !!! They asked me where i got the prescription for the hydrocortizone !!! Darn right rude if you ask me. It got so bad i was {} this close to killing myself. Anyway, at my last visit I asked the doc what my levels were and he said unchanged, still around 960 ( 964 to be exact). So i said is it possible thats just a normal level for me, he responded, its highly likely(he is my nicest doctor, he never blamed me or insinuated i was doing something to raise my levels ). So after that visit i decided to stop stressing about it, i just dont care anymore. I am exercising and eating healthy, thats the best i can do. Hopefully that will be enough to counteract the high cortisol. Hopefully i will remain well. I am certainly better than i was pre surgery. My levels were Over 1200 then. My blood pressure is down a little ( not there yet but working on it smile and same for my sugars. They are good, but im on lots of medication to maintain it. So i guess in response to your question, anything is possible, probable and who knows cos the medical world certainly dont know smile ( Hopefully they are learning more with time).

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