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High Cortisol levels... Cushings?

Posted , 5 users are following.

pwolfy
pwolfy

I recently went to my doctor because I have been feeling very abnormal for the past year or so. In the past few months I have become incredibly fatigued, easily tired after little movement, excessive crying, emotional, weight gain, dizziness, overly hot, and really just not like myself at all. I am a Type 1 diabetic so when I went to see my doctor he had a large blood panel test done and everything came back normal except my cortisol levels. the range that it was supposed to be was 4-22 ug/dL, but my level was 42.5 ug/dL. He wants me to visit my endocrinologist to discuss these high levels. Based on my symptoms and Cortisol does anyone have any idea if this might be Cushings or something else?

0 likes, 8 replies

8 Replies

  • pwolfy
    pwolfy

    Posted

    I also have very high heart rate and have recently had back acne
    • KarenNY
      KarenNY pwolfy

      Posted

      Pwolfy, I had very bad acne with my Cushing's Disease. It was actually one of my very first symptoms.  I even had acne on my arms.  Near the end, right before surgery, I had huge boils, and welts on my face.......the sties in my eyes were hideous.  This all got under control with long term use of low dose antibiotics to control the acne bacteria from becoming infected.

      After surgery....I was able to come off the antibiotics and the acne went away.

      my acne started slowly like 18 years before I was diagnosed......with it getting super severe right before being diagnosed with Cushing's.

      Also, especially the last year before having surgery, my heart rate was beating very fast.

      it was extreme right before surgery. My resting heart rate was like 180 while laying on the pre-op table prepping for surgery.

      My family was scared that I shouldn't have surgery because my heart rate was too high.  I begged them not to point it out to the neurosurgeon because I was terrified he wouldn't do the surgery.

      He did proceed anyway.

      i have to tell you that it us called tachardia .....or "taching" (spelling?)

      It was very was scary and it was one of the last symptoms to go away after surgery....it took like 3 months to calm down after my pituitary tumor was removed.

      I am wishing you well and keep seeking help and answers!

       

  • deb3313
    deb3313 pwolfy

    Posted

    It certainly could be cushings. You will need to have further testing done to confirm. 24 hr Urine free cortisol, midnight saliva cortisol, Dexamethazone suppression test if either of the first two are high. Im presuming your cortisol was a morning Blood test ? That on its own isnt enough to diagnose cushings. I had 24 hr UFC and midnight saliva followed by dexa suppression test each month for 4 months before they would even entertain a diagnosis.

    Do you have purple stretch marks on your abdomen or thighs, Do you have most of your weight on your upper abdomen, a buffalo hump on your upper back, a moon face, reddened face, bruise easily. Mind you , you dont have to have all these symptoms to have cushings smile

    After further testing you will have a better idea. Good luck ! smile

  • lorraine30848
    lorraine30848 pwolfy

    Posted

    Hi Pwolfy,My name is Lorraine,I can relate so well with your symptoms!And it's been six years now.I kepted complaining to my p.c. and nothing,then I lost my eye sight in my right eye in Feb. and found out I had a brain tumer in my putitary gland.I went to Boston and 90% of it was removed,the following week I felt so full of life and energy!Then back to fatigue,want to sleep all the time,aches through out my body and extremely weak.Numbness in my right leg and arm,do you have all this?I'm getting my cortisol checked and it comes back normal,I don't get it!And I'm getting an MRI on Nov.7 then I go to Boston to see the surgent,I want the rest of this thing out of my head!!!Look forward to hearing back from you,Lorraine
    • maisymona
      maisymona lorraine30848

      Posted

      Hi 

      could you tell me how your eye sight went? What were the warning signs? I'm concerned as my vision has started to become bad and I have suspected cushings but I'm in the process of testing 

      thanks 

    • KarenNY
      KarenNY maisymona

      Posted

      My Cushing's Disease gave me diabetes without me even knowing for a while that I had this really high sugar.  It came on suddenly.....I had to go to the bathroom a lot ......and my vision was so very, very blurry.  I even lost a few pounds ......after putting on almost a 100 pounds...this was weird.

      I had to stop work because of the blurred vision, I could not drive or hardly see.

      Some people with fairly large pituitary tumors have eyesight trouble because of the tumor pressing on the optical nerve.

      I did not have this problem.  My pit tumor was small, 5mm.......but it caused me to have very high blood sugar and diabetes which made my vision very blurry.

      i had to get glasses for the first time in my life and then it took a month to regulate my sugar levels with shots of insulin before my blurry vision went away.

      Diabetes is a nasty, nasty illness and horrible symptom of Cushing's.

      I am very blessed to have been cured of diabetes and all my symptoms once the tumor was removed.

      So blurry vision can be caused by a larger put tumor and/or diabetes.

       

    • deb3313
      deb3313 KarenNY

      Posted

      Yep I had the horrible mega high sugars as well. I am still on insulin. I think the damage is done now. I also had blurred vision ...that was the sugars, but i also lost peripheral vision in my left eye. It has since come back. That was a bit scary. It was like someone had permanetly smudged my glasses, it was like looking through a window with water running down it.
    • maisymona
      maisymona KarenNY

      Posted

      That's very interesting to hear. I know my blood glucose levels get checked everytime I've had bloods taken and only once was in on the high side (to my knowledge) but as my headaches started two weeks ago out of the blue and are extremely painful it will be interesting to keep an eye on them 

      I'm glad all your symptoms were reversed, gives us all hope 

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