Cushing's Syndrome

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After wondering what might happen when you have excess cortisol for prolonged periods of time, I found out about Cushing's Syndrome. And from researching into Cushing's Syndrome and the symptoms there is a very good chance I have this condition, though it must be borne in mind it's very, very rare. And I'm currently looking to find out more about it.

Anyone else here have experience of Cushing's? Among the Aspie population, it would be extremely rare just as it is for the general population.

Which exact symptoms do you have??

Cushing's Syndrome in Children and Adolescents -- Presentation, Diagnosis, and Therapy, New England Journal of Medicine, Magiakou, Mastorakos, et. al, Sept. 8, 1994.
http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/331/10/629

"Results Fifty patients had Cushing's disease, six had primary adrenal disease, and three had ectopic corticotropin secretion. . . "

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And this is one reason why it's good to have a doctor you can talk with a little. It might be something closely related. Or some of the symptoms, but not others, and it could end up being something else entirely.

Now, I’m a big believer in baseline. With Asperger’s relatively common and Cushing’s Syndrome relatively rare, that’s probably your percentage baseline odds right there. Of course each case still has to be looked at individually with its own particular facts.

And, either way, you still have full count as a human being!

And even if you don’t have Asperger’s, I for one still welcome you here at WrongPlanet as a friend, an advocate, and from time to time, as a coach.

its something ferrets get, they get adrenal tumors

cushings is rare


adrenal fatigue is rampant among the general population

While I don't wish to go into the corporeal details of my symptoms on the forum, if that's OK - not on a forum where minors are present - I have a significant amount of the symptoms. I can say that I have looked at pictures of people with Cushing's, and their bodies, and I look exactly like that.

Are there related conditions that are more common and what are they?

Really? I didn't know..

I assume adrenal fatigue = mild/moderate adrenal insufficiency, as opposed to the full-blown falling-down-in-a-coma type??

Isn't adrenal fatigue to do with underproduction of cortisol, just as Cushing's is to do with hyperproduction? I have to say that finding out about Cushing's has been somewhat like the experience when I found out about Asperger's, in that I can say without doubting or second guessing myself that I probably have the condition. Or, given its rarity - and as suggested might be the case by AardvarkGoodSwimmer - something related. The cause has almost certainly been repeated, prolonged periods in near constant fight-or-flight response, which also makes the case strong.

Fight or flight state? That's adrenaline, not cortisol.

What exactly are the non embarrassing symptoms? You can leave out the ones you'd rather not tell us.

Does it get worse if something is pressing on your adrenal area??

Well, I have had a weight gain over the years, truth be told, but it's notable the way it has built up in the areas it does associated with Cushing's Syndrome i.e. the abdomen, and around the neck. My arms, meanwhile, are stick thin. My face has become rounder and fatter than it used to be. I have noticed things with my skin such as thinning, wrinkling, stretching in various places, always a number of spots (purpurae) especially on my legs but elsewhere too, there are stretch marks in one or two places. Have noticed more bone/joint pain than before, not severely but more than before. I am VERY hirsute (but balding on head). Things most definitely get worse when something's pressing on my adrenal area. Adrenal hypertension - is that what you mean? I most certainly have that, often very severely - I may have been mixed up with terminology, between fight-and-flight/severe anxiety and adrenaline/cortisol but it's definitely not adrenaline rushes I get. It's heavy anxiety, and then I experience adrenal hypertension, often for long periods and severely, so yes.

Yeah that sounds exactly like Cushing's Syndrome. You should definitely have it seen to.

no one here can tell you if it is even possible if you have cushings, and you will not be able to tell yourself.
Cushings is simply not something you can tell by how you look and what symptoms you believe you have.

There are literaly hunderds of different causes for the symptoms you experience. My advice would be to talk to a doctor about the symptoms you are experiencing. If they suspect you have something going on, they will do a blood and urine test that would most likely include hormone levels. That would role out or confirm a large number of different diagnoses, including "cushings syndrome". If anything points to cushings, then they will probably do more tests to confirm the dx.
Meanwhile, looking at yourself and reading about it, comparing yourself to others, thinking you have cushings is really a shot in the dark

I have the opposite of Cushing's, Addison's Disease/adrenal insufficiency/hypocortisolism/whatever you want to call it. It's very rare, I understand that it affects about 10-15 in every million per year. Addison's affects about 1 in 100,000 (though not annually, just in general). Sometimes those with Cushings develop Addisons after their Cushings surgery is preformed, and some AD patients experience cushings symptoms after starting their treatment for AD. A couple physical examples of Cushing's patients:

One
Two
Three

If you want to know more, let me know.

Probably a better fit for the opposite would be congenital adrenal hyperplasia, which is a cortisol-specific deficit.

"IT ISN'T CUSHINGS! It doesn't fit. It's... Lupus! Foreman, do a test to confirm. Chase, start her on corticosteroids. If she improves it's Lupus."

"But that would take all night, mate!"

"Oh no, it will take you guys all night. I'm going home."

(Sorry. So sorry. I couldn't help it. )