Cushing's Info

I have been ill now for over 4 years; in fact, I may have had my first symptoms of Cushings almost 17 years ago.  After the birth of my last child I gained 50 lbs. in just 6 months without a change in diet or activity.    This is when I also remember noticing for the first time that I had excessive dark hair on my chin.

A few years later my dentist noticed my teeth were spreading apart.  Shortly after that I experienced what I think was a panic attack with high blood pressure causing me to go to the ER.

Then in Feb. 2007 I had a hypertensive crisis.  This would be the first of many.  All heart & kidney tests in the last 4 years have been normal. In April 2011 I had extreme dizziness & high blood pressure that caused me to go to the ER once again.  The ER doctor thought that maybe I had a blood clot in my lungs so he ordered a CT which showed that I didn't; in fact, he sent me home saying that maybe I needed to be reevaluated for my sleep apnea problem. I picked up the medical records about 2 weeks later and learned that I had a 1.32 cm left adrenal mass & blood in the urine.  The dr. never told me about either of these.

I went to a university hospital thinking that I would get a diagnosis for sure.  What disappointment!!  The doctor took 4 blood tests (aldosterone/renin & plasma metanephrines done incorrectly) and later told me that I had no endocrine problem .  I told him of the hirsutism and of calcification on my thyroid (chiropractor revealed this to me) and yet I don't have an endocrine problem.  Right!!!

So now I go to my primary doctor and he orders a thyroid ultrasound.  Surprise, Surprise!! I have a multi-nodular goiter.  No wonder I can't swallow right and I stop breathing when I sleep.  So now I am going to a new university hospital and if I don't get answers there, I already have an appointment in July with Mayo.  I am feeling so ill right now that I am in bed most of the day.  The endocrinologist that I saw told me to take Xanex since my problem is not endocrine.  Even when I do take anti-anxiety meds I still have the symptoms.  That is not the answer.

I want to mention that I recently picked up some medical lab records that did indicate that one of my p.m. cortisol tests showed elevated cortisol (in 2009).  I also had slightly high calcium (9.8).  Just last month before I knew I had thyroid problems, I had the overnight cortisol suppression test.  It was negative for Cushings.  But I was reading on here that the kind of tumor you have can make the results different.

Can I know for sure that I don't have Cushings by this one test?

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