I was diagnosed with PCOS a couple months and am still working on managing/controlling it, but I am starting to think that is the least of my problems. I am having issues with my gallbladder, but I asked about that in another post elsewhere on the board. However, the new issue is the one of Cushing's. For the past year and a half I have had consistently high BP (semi-controlled with meds) as well as spikes that go ridiculously high, low potassium, weight gain, fatigue, horrible purple stretch marks all over the belly and headaches. Did I miss anything? ha ha
At first the doc thought it was Pheochromocytoma, tumor of the adrenal gland, but the MRI found nothing. My new endo is not re-testing for pheo, but cushing's as well. Every doctor I have seen, my gastroenterologist, OB, endo, Primary care, etc asks me if I have cushings. They are all convinced that is what I have. I don't know what to think about this. I know I have to wait for test results to come back, but in the mean I am getting anxious. I mean I know I have gone for over a year without knowing, but now everyone is so serious about it and keep suggesting I go the Mayo clinic because they don't know what to do with me. For example I spent 2 1/2 hours waiting at the lab cause I had to have blood drawn at the same time as I dropped off my 24 hour urine, and the lab couldn't figure out how to do the test ordered cause they had never heard of it.
I guess what I am saying in this rambling, which i am sorry for, is is there anyone else out there with cushings? or possibly with cushings? besides the 24 hour urine what other tests will they run? I am allergic to the dye used in MRI/CT scan and am worried they will have to do that...Anyone?
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Most good endo's will test for Cushing's to rule it out before making a final diagnosis of PCOS. They share a lot of characteristics and symptoms, so the two can be quite hard to differentiate.
I believe they test your cortisol levels when they check for Cushing's. When mine was done, I had to take some medicine at a specific time, and have blood drawn at intervals after that. At least, I think that is what it was. It has been a while, so I can't remember really well.
I am a little confused about what you said about the lab not knowing how to do the test. Do you mean the test for Cushing's? If so, I would find another lab. The testing is fairly common and shouldn't be hard or unusual for them.
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Yep, I agree with the others. I was tested for Cushings as well as other things before being given a dx of PCOS. You can do a search of the site, as Cushings has been mentioned a lot. We had a pet with Cushings and she was treated with medication and lived a long life.
I was diagnosed with PCOS and then ended up seeing a med student who decided to test me for Cushings which I was freaked out about. I did the 24 hour urine test and they said if that came back abnormal then I would be given Dex. I believe (a medicine) and have my blood drawn at different levels. Thankfully my 24 hour urine test came back normal and I didnt need anything else done.
Good luck and hope it comes back normal for you.
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I too have been through a lot of testing for cushings, I don't mean to scare you but want to tell you my experience. I actually went into the hospital for a 10 day period (did this 3 seprate times) where I had the blood draws every two hours, and 24 hour urine tests, psychological testing was also done.... I did this several times before finding out I was being used as research. I had MRI's of the Adrenals and Pituitary Glands, because with cushings you typically have a tumor. In a way at the time I was going through all this I was praying that I DID have Cushings, because so many doctors were telling me I was a hard case, or I was confusing, or the tests were inconclusive. I just wanted something to explain what was going on with me. It is very typical that the doctors check you for Cushing because of the diagnosis is so close to PCOS. I ended up calling it quits with the doctor that was using me as research, and was officially diagnosed with PCOS, and after ten years I am on the meds to make me better. I wish you all the best of luck and I recommend trying your hardest to not get discouraged.... It will all work out!
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Cushing's??? What does this mean? 
