Hi.., I am hoping not to confuse you all with my roller coaster history.
I have exogeneous Cushings which was close to impossible to diagnose.
In the past few years I suffered from the symptoms of cushings, celiac and hyperthyroidism.
Unfortunately all have autoimmune symptoms and I had everything at once. Like most or all of you I was fit and athletic but even as far back as 10 yrs. ago I wondered why I gained weight before or during summer. We are not talking about a lot of lbs. then just ten lbs. I then had to work hard in the summer to get it off.
Six yrs ago I was diagnosed with hypothyroid so that seemed to explain the weight gain but the thyroid medicine made me sick and over time I would test sometimes as hyper then hypothyroid. Sometimes I would test with both at once so I basically went untreated as no one understood it. Three years ago I gained 72 yes 72 lbs in one 3 day weekend while traveling.
My thyroid was out of control and I felt likeI was having a heart attack. I went to a well known hospital to an endo because there were no endos in my area. They figured out what my thyroid problem was and said that the nodules has been skewing the tests. I told them about all of my other symptoms that didn’t make sense and they felt that I had more than one thing going on.
At this time they were testing for high cirtisol but it was actually low. I had significant bruising then, paper thin skin, lack of muscle and all symptoms other than striae. They did a total thyroidectomy and recovery went well. I was not supposedto take thyroid meds until heart palps went away because I was hyperthyroid they said I would have excess thyroid retained in body for a few days. You can imagine how bummed I was when I stillfelt sickly. I went home gained another 52 lbs a month later and became much sicker.
That summer Celiac was diagnosed and all of those immune system symptoms disappeared when I went super strict gluten free. By this time I was eating nothing and was sick all of the time. I was diagnosed with mono (Dr’s were surprised and didn’t believe at first) and basically slept for 4 mos.
I had been getting allergy hayfever injections annually for 29 years but my Dr retired so I went to a family Dr to get the injection. This shot worked well for severe hayfever and was given in another town. The Dr called another allergist who said that I could not have the shot because it caused weight gain and Diabetes. You should have seen my face when I was pointing to my very sicck body! I went home and read the website about the shot and sure enough it causes Cushings. I think I basically slipped through the cracks.
The last two shots were administered by a triage nurse and then the doctor had retired. I always assumed that the endo had seen those injections on my medical records as I had signed a paper having them sent to my medical records before the Dr retired. The medical records from that Dr never transferred.
The scary thing is that I had the shot one month after a thyroidectomy which caused the 52 pound weight gain. The weight gain that I always got in summer was delayed and never showed at the time of the shot. The Dr was a conservative and good Dr and never broke protocol administering the annual shot once annually but you could repeat one half of the shot once a summer which I sometimes did. When he did see me towards the end I told him I was going through a thyroid problem which I was!
The real problems happened when I was refused the shot. I was traveling and when through major steroid withdrawal and had no idea what was happening. I was the sickest at this point and ended up several times in the ER thinking that I was having a heart attack. The cardiologists felt that my symptoms were classic adrenal insufficiency. I would sleep fully clothed thinking I would end up haviing to go by ambulance to the hospital. The hospital (endo) was able to track the retired Allergist down and he called me in October , 5 mos. after I was refused the shot. He said had he still been seeing me he would have definitely tapered me since I had been on steroids for 29 yrs. i had all symptoms but not stiae. The emotional mood swings were gone right away and overnight the 500 lb person that was sitting on my heart when I had AI vanished. The very next day I could walk 7-8 mles after barely walking across the room the day before. My question is withexogeneous Cushingsshouldn’ the weight be coming of nowthat I am 8 mos steroid free?
Had I gained this weight on my own I would know what to do to lose it i.e cut out desserts etc. i have such a restricted and disciplined diet anyway so it makes it hard to do more.
I am exercising daily, just walking, taking Metformin, 1000 mg although I don’ t have Diabetes and taking Vitamin D supplements. Am eating protein and veggies, no sugars. I am taking a low dose of estradial and progesterone due to going off the pill and am 55 yrs. old.
A veterinarian who treats this often in dogs said that they use a reversal drug. Do they have anything to speed up recovery? The steroid injections that I was given were so strong they were taken off a crash cart and have been outlawed in the UK for none lifesaving use. It seems like it will take awhile for me to be less”foggy”.
There has been little info on medicine-induced cushings and it always seems like once you stop it will reverse. I have only lost ten lbs. since June. The Dr.s said I am lucky I was hyperthyroid and celiac at the same time or I could havegotten a lot bigger.
I should have been emaciated without Cushings. Is there such a thing as a steroid therapist? Thanks although I am so grateful to feel better I am left with all the damageand yes looking like a troll. Thanks for listening!
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