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Cushing's FAQ


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  • Chief Cushie

A FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions). Directions are in each category for adding your own question.

 

IMPORTANT: The information and material posted on this Web site is intended as general reference information only. Specific facts and circumstances may alter the concepts and applications of materials and information described herein. The information provided is not a substitute for professional advice and should not be relied upon in the absence of such professional advice specific to whatever facts and circumstances are presented in any given situation.

 

Please note that there are several questions waiting to be answered at this time. Your question will be answered as soon as possible.

 

This is a different website than the message boards and requires a different log-in, although you may use the same log-in name and password.

 

 

 

 

ABC's - General Questions

 

 

 

Adrenal Insufficiency

Adrenal insufficiency is a life threatening chronic illness. An active and vigorous lifestyle with normal life expectancy is possible as long as the prescribed medications are taken regularly and adjusted when indicated. As with most chronic diseases, adrenal insufficiency demands that the patients take responsibility and develop self-management skills and techniques.

 

Read an article on
Adrenal insufficiency

Cushing's Types

Cushing's Disease/ Cushing's Syndrome: Cushing's is a hormonal disorder caused by prolonged exposure of the body's tissues to high levels of the hormone cortisol. Your adrenal glands, which are right above your kidneys, release cortisol when they receive a chemical message from your pituitary gland. The message comes in the form of adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH), which travels through the bloodstream.

 

Cushing's Disease Is the result of a pituitary tumor which causesthe emergence of secondary male characteristics (like hair growth, acne, etc.), and ovarian failure. Other symptoms usually include high blood pressure and water retention.

 

Cushing's Syndrome: Causes the same symptoms, but is a disorder marked by overproduction of adrenal hormones, which can cause a drop in LH and FSH.

 

An estimated 10 to 15 of every million people are affected each year. Cushing's is an increased concentration of glucocorticoid hormone (
ACTH
) in the bloodstream that is being produced by an
adrenal
gland
tumor
(
adenoma
).
Ectopic
Cushing syndrome refers to the production of
ACTH
in a location other than the
pituitary gland
or
adrenal
gland. Examples of
ectopic
sites include
thymoma
, medullary carcinoma of the
thyroid
, pheochromocytoma, islet cell
tumors
of the pancreas, and oat cell carcinoma of the lung.
Symptoms
include weight gain, central obesity, moon face, weakness, fatigue, backache, headache, increased thirst, increased urination, impotence, mental status changes, and muscle atrophy.

 

Treatment varies with cause. If an
ACTH
secreting
tumor
is involved then it must be removed surgically.

 

More about Cushing's
.

 

Talk about Cushing's with people who understand
.

 

Subcategories:

Drugs

 

Growth Hormone

Human Growth Hormone (hGH) is produced in the pituitary gland of humans, and the hormone is secreted throughout a person's lifetime. It promotes growth in children and plays an important role in adult metabolism.

 

More about
HgH

Help Yourself

 

Other Diseases

Subcategories:

Post Surgery

 

Symptoms

 

Testing

 

Treatments

 

Where Can I Find...?

 

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Hi, MaryO!

 

I am a bit out of touch with the FAQ being created, but saw the definition for Cushings Disease. It is not only a tumor that causes Cushings Disease---many of us have the rarer form of this rare disease which is Pituitary Hyperplasia. It also causes CD and may be nodular (shown on MRI s a tumor) or dispersed (meaning spread throughout the gland).

 

I wasn't quite sure of how to update this definition.

 

Hope you are doing well and THANKS for your continued efforts on the boards!!!!

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  • Chief Cushie

Thanks, Susan - I'll add that. I was trying to get a lot of info up fast to have a good base and that might have been older info from the last FAQ we had.

 

Thanks for looking at what's there so far :)

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  • Chief Cushie

Welcome to the new Cushing's Help and Support FAQ (frequently asked questions) page. This new area will be a compilation of our visitors most frequent questions. Please note that there are several questions waiting to be answered at this time. Your question will be answered as soon as possible.

ABC's - General Questions

 

 

Assigned items: 51

Adrenal Insufficiency

Adrenal insufficiency is a life threatening chronic illness. An active and vigorous lifestyle with normal life expectancy is possible as long as the prescribed medications are taken regularly and adjusted when indicated. As with most chronic diseases, adrenal insufficiency demands that the patients take responsibility and develop self-management skills and techniques.

 

Read an article on
Adrenal insufficiency

Assigned items: 5

Cushing's Types

Cushing's Disease/ Cushing's Syndrome: Cushing's is a hormonal disorder caused by prolonged exposure of the body's tissues to high levels of the hormone cortisol. Your adrenal glands, which are right above your kidneys, release cortisol when they receive a chemical message from your pituitary gland. The message comes in the form of adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH), which travels through the bloodstream.

 

Cushing's Disease Is the result of a pituitary tumor which causes the emergence of secondary male characteristics (like hair growth, acne, etc.), and ovarian failure. Other symptoms usually include high blood pressure and water retention.

 

From the message boards It is not only a tumor that causes Cushings Disease---many of us have the rarer form of this rare disease which is Pituitary Hyperplasia. It also causes CD and may be nodular (shown on MRI s a tumor) or dispersed (meaning spread throughout the gland).

 

Cushing's Syndrome: Causes the same symptoms, but is a disorder marked by overproduction of adrenal hormones, which can cause a drop in LH and FSH.

 

An estimated 10 to 15 of every million people are affected each year. Cushing's is an increased concentration of glucocorticoid hormone (
ACTH
) in the bloodstream that is being produced by an
adrenal
gland
tumor
(
adenoma
).
Ectopic
Cushing syndrome refers to the production of
ACTH
in a location other than the
pituitary gland
or
adrenal
gland. Examples of
ectopic
sites include
thymoma
, medullary carcinoma of the
thyroid
, pheochromocytoma, islet cell
tumors
of the pancreas, and oat cell carcinoma of the lung.
Symptoms
include weight gain, central obesity, moon face, weakness, fatigue, backache, headache, increased thirst, increased urination, impotence, mental status changes, and muscle atrophy.

 

Treatment varies with cause. If an
ACTH
secreting
tumor
is involved then it must be removed surgically.

 

More about Cushing's
.

 

Talk about Cushing's with people who understand
.

 

Assigned items: 37 | Subcategories: Adrenal Cushing's , Ectopic Cushing's , Pituitary Cushing's , Pseudo-Cushing's , Steroid-induced Cushing's

Drugs

Assigned items: 15

Growth Hormone

Human Growth Hormone (hGH) is produced in the pituitary gland of humans, and the hormone is secreted throughout a person's lifetime. It promotes growth in children and plays an important role in adult metabolism.

 

More about
HgH

Assigned items: 8

Help Yourself

Assigned items: 7

Other Diseases

Assigned items: 26 | Subcategories: Addison's Disease , Carney Complex , Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) , CSR (Central Serous Retinopathy) , Nelson's Syndrome , PCOS , Pheochromocytoma , Prolactinoma , Thyroid

Post Surgery

Assigned items: 16

Symptoms

Assigned items: 28

Testing

Assigned items: 24

Treatments

Assigned items: 18

Where Can I Find...?

Assigned items: 4

 

IMPORTANT: The information and material posted on this Web site is intended as general reference information only. Specific facts and circumstances may alter the concepts and applications of materials and information described herein. The information provided is not a substitute for professional advice and should not be relied upon in the absence of such professional advice specific to whatever facts and circumstances are presented in any given situation.

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