I am a 21 year old female and have had a lot of odd symptoms for over a year. My last period was in October, but I am not sexually active so I know that I can't be pregnant. I always had regular periods beforehand, so I'm not sure what's going on. Also, I've been steadily gaining weight in my abdominal region for no reason. I am naturally pear-shaped, so this is extremely odd to me. My face looks puffier than normal, I have terrible anxiety, am exhausted, have vertigo, and haven't been sleeping well. I know that PCOS can be a cause of the period issues, but I dont have excess hair or any signs of having high androgens. Do you think this is Cushing's? Or PCOS? Am I overreacting? I feel awful, but I feel like doctor's are going to blow me off, saying that I just need to exercise more. I go on hour walks everyday and try to eat as little as possible so I don't think my diet is an issue. Thanks for any input!
Hi Erin
I allso think I could have Cushings and yes
Your symptoms seem fairly consistant with cushings
And your right, doctors will probably tell you your probably eating too many carbs or something like that.
The best thing to do is convince them you would like some
Initial blood tests to possibly rule out
Cushings as a cause of your puffiness
I went many years blaming myself for not
Exercising enough or kicking myself
If I did Chinese take away
I finally figured it out almost 20 years after that
If you can test your cortisol levels
If too high or too low , it will indicate
You might have Cushing's or a problem
With your pituitary gland
Good luck!
Erin:Do you have a buffalo hump? Is your face"moonie" shaped? How much weight have you gained in the last year? To get a diagnosis on Cushings you will need to show the changes to your body. My advice is to gather pictures of yourself before you began feeling sick and pictures of what you look like now...and put them side by side showing the
changes, which a picture is worth a thousand words. For testing that will quickly show a Cushings problem is a 24 hour urine test and you can ask to do the saliva cortisol testing. Showing your pictures and asking for help I hope goes well. We are all here to support you in finding a diagnosis. If you have more questions just ask.
Hi Erin, Sorry you are feeling so lousy. Some of your symptoms do sound like Cushings but as you say could also be PCOS. Excessive hair is a sign of both but as you do not have that you are okay. The weight gain round the abdomen is very similar to what most of us Cushies had. As Cyclic said take photos, I did and my Endo now uses them to teach medical students to spot the signs. You know your own body, make a list of all you need to say when you go to the GP. Most GPs have never seen a case of Cushings so may well be reluctant to test but you must insist. Please make an appointment asap and let us know how you get on. Where are you in the UK or USA. Test are different in the USA but Cyclic and others can help you there. Keep in touch, we are here for you. Remember write everything down and if you can take photos as well. If you can take someone with you to note down the answers as you may be too anxious to really take in what the GP is saying. Good Luck.
Considering you havent had your period in over a couple of months , I would say
That is a definite sign you could have Cushings
Good suggestions from other women
Blood cortisol, Acth, prolactin, GH, tests
Are all important in determining if
You have a pituitary tumour
I am in the USA and I have gained a little over 30 pounds since last April. I have an appointment with a gyno on Monday, so I'll see what she says. My cheeks look a lot larger than they used to be and I think I have a small buffalo hump, but I'm not sure if it's just bad posture. Also, I have been spotting every week for a month, which is extremely abnormal for me (I've never spotted before in my life). Hopefully the gyno can help me figure out what's going on. I'll ask her to test my cortisol while I'm there.
I am in the USA and I have gained a little over 30 pounds since last April. I have an appointment with a gyno on Monday, so I'll see what she says. My cheeks look a lot larger than they used to be and I think I have a small buffalo hump, but I'm not sure if it's just bad posture. Also, I have been spotting every week for a month, which is extremely abnormal for me (I've never spotted before in my life). Hopefully the gyno can help me figure out what's going on. I'll ask her to test my cortisol while I'm there.
Okay
In the mean time
You can look for conditions
Associated with amenorrhea
And oligoamenorrhea
My experience is doctors usually
Tell their patients they might have
A more common condition
Before even considering cushings
So blood tests
are important for diagnosis
You might want to see an
Endocrinologist too