Cushing's Info

My bio sounds much the same as many of the others, except that I still don't know what is wrong with me. I am awaiting the results of the 24-hr urine test as well as other bloodwork that was done a couple of weeks ago.

Ever since I started my menstrual cycle, my body has never been right. I have always been on the heavier side, so that is what the irregularity was contributed to. When I got pregnant with my first child, I was 8 months pregnant before I even knew. After he was born, I continued to have female problems (I was heavy, my periods were non-existent, I had facial hair, and a lump on my neck) and the doctors would run tests, say they were fine and dismiss it. I even had one gynecologist tell me that my body didn't communicate with my uterus. Great diagnosis, huh! Fast forward a year or so, I switched gynecologists because my period was non-existent and I personally didn't think that was too healthy, so I went to another doctor, she asked if another child was out of the question, I said no - she prescribed me a fertility drug to get my body to have a cycle and told me to come back in 3 months....well 3 months later, I was pregnant. After he was born, I was still very irregular, but decided if the doctors weren't concerned about it, then I wouldn't be. But, after about 5 years with very few cycles, facial hair growth, hump back neck, and weight gain, I stumbled on an article about Polycystic Ovaries Disease and went to another gynecologist. It just so happened, she lectured on the disease and about had a fit with me. She immediately did a D & C and put me on birth control pills to try and regulate me - she said that I did have polyps and that if I would have left it go, it could have become worse.

I went to various doctors, only to be told that since I had Polycystic Ovaries Disease, my weight would continue to be a problem and there was nothing they could do about it. Well, in 2005, I had gastric bypass, at which time, I was at my all time high weight of 369. I ending up losing 170 pounds and ALL of my health issues went away! I was in the prime of my life! All that stopped in 2008, I hit a plateau and leveled off...I wasn't as small as I wanted, but I felt good and looked decent, that was what mattered. Then came 2009! I was attending college (in a very stressful class), training for a new job (with a woman that triple checked everything, including dotting my i's), working full time, plus taking care of a household, I had went to my doctor for a sinus infection and while in there asked if there was anything I could take to calm me down a little. He prescribed Effexor - which in my book is the worst thing that ever happened. It totally messed with my head, I gained weight, quit paying bills, drank excessively (which without these meds, I don't drink at all) so I decided to quit taking them. I suffered withdrawal symptoms for 6 months and then began developing all of my current symptoms - no strength, legs ache, headaches, body aches, forgetting things, extreme weight gain (approximately 50 pounds in less than a year), lots of facial hair growth, felt like a 38 year old woman stuck in a body of a 100 year old, my legs would swell terribly and I just hurt all over - not to mention being depressed because of the weight gain. (I need to mention, that even though I was gaining weight, I was not overeating - with the gastric bypass surgery, my 'pouch' is very small and only so much food can fit. If I eat too much, I feel it and I know it.) Well, he ran some tests, couldn't figure anything out, but then he told me he thought I was bipolar because I reacted so differently to the Effexor and it had done such wild things to me. Not to mention, all the tests he ran came back fine - but he could clearly see that there was something wrong - so he decided I need to see a psychiatrist for my 'bipolar' issues - I know what bipolar is and I am probably the farthest thing from that (I live with two bipolar people in my house, so I know what the symptoms are.) Well, the psychiatrist began prescribing all sorts of medicines for bipolar disorder - they would help for a little bit, then I would start having more problems than before. Every couple weeks he had to switch meds, add more, change dosages - nothing helped.  I then began having 'spells' in which I would break into a sweat, my blood pressure would spike out of sight, I would turn pale as a ghost, and not remember a thing. The doctors conversed, weren't sure if they were anxiety attacks or sugar attacks, so then they had me checking my sugar - sure enough, it was going whacky. So then I am prescribed Glucophage to get my sugar back under control - which I must note - after my gastric bypass, I am unable to eat sugar and I follow my diet pretty closely.  Well, I followed up with my doctor to let him know that the attacks were starting to be more frequent and his response to me was to not eat any sugars at all. I just about lost it and immediately picked up the phone and found another doctor - this one is an internalist.

Upon my first visit with the new doctor, she was sure that my polycystic ovaries disease had come back I had become diabetic again and my blood pressure needed to be watched, so she ordered a slew of tests. When I went back for my follow up, she was stumped! The tests were fine! No diabetes, no cysts on my ovaries - no reason for all of my symptoms - the only thing that came back was that I had poor circulation in my legs, so she prescribed something for that and I had side effects from the meds, so she pulled me from that. She decided I needed to be seen by an endocrinologist and find out what was going on. At the time, she did not mention anything about Cushings, but she did say that I might have to do a 24-hr urine sample and possibly a CT scan.

I went to the endo a couple of weeks ago and am waiting on the results of the urine and blood work that was done. In the meantime, I found this site and so many of the things sound like what I have been going through. One thing that keeps bothering me is that earlier this spring I had an Upper GI and a small bowel follow through done to make sure my 'pouch' from the gastric bypass was ok because my stomach is always making noises and the weight gain. Anyhow, when they were doing the procedure, the gentleman commented twice about two different hernia's but yet the doctors said everything was fine. Now I wonder if those hernia's aren't something on my glands and could be what is causing everything. I am going to hunt down those results and have them forwarded to my new doctor and endocrinologist.

Well, that is my long story! It makes me feel better to see so many other people that feel the same way I do and now I know I am not going crazy. It also helped me to be able to put it down into words what I have been feeling and going through. Maybe it will help someone else. I know when I started reading the bios, I suddenly realized how much better I felt to know that maybe something is actually wrong with me.

As I find out more, I will update my bio.

Hang in there!  If you ever want to talk, please feel free to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it !