Recovering From Cushing's - diet? exercise?

[Guest tinydestroyer]

Hello:

 

A little over a year ago, I had a neuroendocrine tumor (a-typical carcinoid) removed from my lung. I had Carcinoid and Cushing's syndrome. Does anyone have any advice on diet and exercise after your body goes through such an ordeal? I feel like I am operating at about 75-80%. I am definitely much weaker and seem to have lots of allergies to food now. I have a benign tumor on one of my adrenal glands that the doctors are "watching." I am most curious to know what type of exercise recovering patients do - becasue I cannot seem to find a balance. Thank you.

[BDen13]

I have found it difficult to run or do things on the elliptical like I used to. I found that cushing's made me pretty weak, so I have been lifting weights. Nothing that heavy. It makes me sore for a day or so after, but I feel a lot better the 3rd or 4th day after and each time I work out I feel more "back to normal". I generally do some calf raises and wall pushups then some sets with 10 lb dumbells then do some squats on the squat machine and then some work on the chest machine. I try to go sort of quickly between sets so that I get a cardio workout without having to do typical "cardio" like jogging or spinning.

 

Also, it's good to have someone who had bronchial carcinoid ectopic cushing's on the site. I often read about them but have yet to talk to one. My endocrinologist strongly suspected it since I had very high ACTH readings and my chest CT revealed an abnormality in my lung. However, IPSS showed that I had cushing's disease and I had successful pituitary surgery in May. If you'd like to share, I'd be interested in knowing about how your tumor was discovered and diagnosed and any labs you happen to have. We're always trying to increase our knowledge-base here.

Edited October 31, 2012 by BDen13

[twinkie]

Hi and welcome! I know many folks who have their doctor write an Rx for physical therapy as cushings interferes with muscle growth.

 

How are your cortisol levels now?

 

love,

melly

[3v3]

Cortisol-producing tumors on the adrenal gland are benign, but they are functional. My primary care wanted to watch & wait on my adrenal tumor, but my endo overruled and had it removed. I would still be suffering from Cushing's if the tumor had not been removed. A dexamethasone suppression test will indicate whether the tumor is producing cortisol on its own schedule. In which case, it needs to come out. Cortisol is very damaging to the organs of the body, so the watch & wait mentality is very risky in my opinion.