I had brain surgery Oct 13th, 2021 to remove the tumor causing Cushing’s. Unfortunately, my remission was short only 7 months and I started having symptoms again. After further testing, it is confirmed that I have a recurrence. Since they were unable to find the new tumor. I had my adrenal glands removed February 2023. This caused my Cushing’s to go into remission and now I have Primary Adrenal Insufficiency also known as Addison’s Disease.
This is one of the worst and hardest illnesses to diagnose. I wanted to help bring awareness and also help for future Cushing’s & Addison’s research by offering these wonderful items.
Please let me know which Cushing’s or Addison’s group/organization to donate to in the notes section on the checkout page.
If you do not list one, we will send it to one of the listed below :
The National Adrenal Diseases Foundation informs, educates, and supports those with adrenal disease and their families to improve their quality of life.
https://www.nadf.us/our-history.html
OR
American Adrenal Association formally Adrenal Alternatives Foundation – is dedicated to advocacy and access to all cortisol care. AAA is registered with the IRS as a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. All donations are tax-deductible. https://www.americanadrenals.org/
OR
Cushings-Help is a website started by Mary O. http://www.cushings-help.com/support.htm
Symptoms of Cushing’s
- **You can have Cushing’s even if you don’t have all of these symptoms**
- Anxiety
- Irritability
- Extreme mood swings and rage gets confused with bipolar
- Medication-resistant depression
- Sensitivity to loud sounds and light
- Absent sex drive
- Facial redness
- Rounding of the face (moon face)
- Unexplained weight gain around the belly
- Buffalo hump, or hump on the back of the neck
- Pink or purple stretch marks
- Thicker or more visible body and facial hair
- Acne
- Muscle weakness
- Extreme fatigue
- Thin and fragile skin that bruises easily
- Slow healing of cuts, insect bites, and infections
- Bone thinning
- Recurrent infections
- Sleep disturbances, night sweats, awake at midnight or 4 am
- High blood pressure
- Diabetes mellitus
- Irregular or absent menstrual periods in females
Symptoms & Causes of Adrenal Insufficiency & Addison’s Disease
The most common symptoms of adrenal insufficiency are
- chronic, or long-lasting, fatigue
- muscle weakness
- loss of appetite
- weight loss
- abdominal pain
Other symptoms of adrenal insufficiency can include
- nausea
- vomiting
- diarrhea
- low blood pressure that drops further when you stand up, causing dizziness or fainting
- irritability and depression
- joint pain
- craving salty foods
- hypoglycemia, or low blood glucose
- irregular or no menstrual periods
- loss of interest in sex
People with Addison’s disease may also have a darkening of their skin. This darkening is most visible on scars; skin folds; pressure points such as the elbows, knees, knuckles, and toes; lips; and mucous membranes such as the lining of the cheek.
Because symptoms of adrenal insufficiency come on slowly over time, they may be overlooked or confused with other illnesses. Sometimes symptoms appear for the first time during an adrenal crisis. If you always feel tired, weak, or are losing weight, ask your healthcare professional if you might have adrenal insufficiency. Early treatment can help avoid an adrenal crisis.
What causes adrenal insufficiency?
Different types of adrenal insufficiency have different causes. The most common cause of adrenal insufficiency overall is suddenly stopping corticosteroids after taking them for a long time.
Addison’s disease
Damage to the adrenal glands in Addison’s disease is usually caused by autoimmune disease—when your immune system attacks your body’s own cells and organs. In developed countries, autoimmune disease causes 8 or 9 of every 10 cases of Addison’s disease.4
Certain infections can also cause Addison’s disease. Tuberculosis NIH external link (TB) can damage the adrenal glands and used to be the most common cause of Addison’s disease. As treatment improved over the years, TB became a much less common cause. People with HIV/AIDS NIH external link, whose weakened immune systems can’t fight off infections that could cause Addison’s disease, are also at risk.
Less common causes of Addison’s disease are
- cancer cells in the adrenal glands
- surgical removal of the adrenal glands to treat other conditions
- bleeding into the adrenal glands
- genetic disorders that affect the way the adrenal glands develop or function
- certain medicines, such as antifungal medicines or etomidate, a type of general anesthesia NIH external link
Secondary adrenal insufficiency
Anything that affects the pituitary’s ability to make ACTH can cause secondary adrenal insufficiency. The pituitary makes many different hormones, so ACTH may not be the only hormone that’s lacking.
Causes of secondary adrenal insufficiency include
- autoimmune disease
- pituitary tumors or infection
- bleeding in the pituitary
- genetic diseases that affect the way the pituitary gland develops or functions
- surgical removal of the pituitary to treat other conditions
- traumatic brain injury NIH external link
Tertiary adrenal insufficiency
The most common cause of tertiary adrenal insufficiency is suddenly stopping corticosteroids after taking them for a long time. Prescription doses of corticosteroids can cause higher levels of cortisol in your blood than your body normally makes. High levels in your blood for a long time cause the hypothalamus to make less CRH. Less CRH means less ACTH, which in turn causes the adrenal glands to stop making cortisol.
Once you stop taking corticosteroids, your adrenal glands may be slow to start working again. To give them time to start making cortisol again, your doctor will gradually reduce your dose over a period of weeks or even months. Even so, your adrenal glands might not begin to work normally for many months. Your doctor should watch you carefully for symptoms of adrenal insufficiency.
Tertiary adrenal insufficiency can also occur after Cushing’s syndrome is cured. Cushing’s syndrome is a hormonal disorder caused by high levels of cortisol in the blood for a long time. Sometimes Cushing’s syndrome is caused by tumors, usually noncancerous, in the pituitary or adrenal glands that make too much ACTH or cortisol. Once the tumors are surgically removed, the source of excess ACTH or cortisol is suddenly gone. Your adrenal glands may be slow to start working again.
Helpful Links
You can follow my journey on my personal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unhappy_girl1974/
