Posted by Elroy on July 2, 2005, at 22:39:18
In reply to Re: Anti-Cortisol Therapy: RU486 Information » Elroy, posted by 4WD on July 1, 2005, at 22:28:57
Please make sure that he does the appropriate tests for Cushings. It would be highly unusual to have elevated cortisol levels (basically double max levels) and a pit tumor and NOT be Cushings.
You cannot ( I repeat can NOT) go by the "normal, routine symptoms" (high obesity, moonface, etc, etc.) to determine if you have Cushings. A cousin of mine (my mother's uncle) had Cushings for years and didn't develop those tell-tale physical symptoms until like the last 18 months! And you say that you have depression and anxiety (was actually terror for a while)... well, those are also symptoms of Cushing's (BTW, Pseudo Cushings is also a form of Cushing's... instead of some tumor causing the elevated cortisol, it's youir body's own malfunctioning HPA Axis that is creating the excess cortisol secretion).
Yes, I know I have a similar situation with elevated levels (anywhere from 1.5 to six times normal max) and also have an adrenal gland tumor and am Pseudo Cushings, but I am the definite exception to the rule.
If you do NOT suppress then (if my memory serves me right), you have Cushings. If you do suppress strongly, then you "probably" don't. Yes, I suppressed (result came back as something like a 1.2 and anything under a 5 was considered a strong suppression).
I would push the doctor to also run 2 - 3 Late Night Salviary Cortisol Tests. Spread out over a week. If those come back with elevated levels then you definitely have "regular" Cushing's.
As to supplements, I would say "good luck". I went on very strong and aggressive OTC supplements of all kinds for two months and got my levels down to low 100s (118?). My labs range was 20 - 100. I stayed on those supplements for another 2 1/2 months and then stopped two weeks before the next test. I was in the high 240s. So in other words the supps (and I was doing mega doses of multiple supps, relora, holy basil, PS, etc.) couldn't even get me down into the normal range... and I shot right back up as soon as I stopped for even just two weeks.
And that's why I'm trying Remeron... and that's why I'm going to try to get an RU486 therapy protocol (if this Remeron doesn't do the trick) just as soon as one possibly could....
Elroy
P.S. Have you visited these links:
http://wideberthasmessageboard.com/forumdisplay.php?f=41
(may have to register and log in on 2nd one)
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> Yes, I have elevated cortisol levels. Ref range 20-90, my value 174. I have depression and anxiety (was actually terror for a while). The pit tumor is a microadenoma 5-6mm.
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> I'm sure I don't have Cushings because I have no symptoms or features except for the elevated cortisol.
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> I don't know what it "means" if I do suppress cortisol during this procedure. Do you? Did you suppress during this test? What's the significance of suppression/nonsuppression?
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> I'm following all your posts re elevated cortisol because I feel, as you do, that the elevated cortisol level is in itself causing some of my symptoms. I plan to ask the endoc his recommendation for blocking or lowering cortisol levels regardless of the results of the test. I know elevated cortisol causes damage to the body over time.
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> I'm not real hopeful he's going to suggest supplements but I intend to start Relacore and Holy Basil after the test regardless.
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> Good luck with the Remeron.
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> Marsha
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poster:Elroy
thread:515432
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20050702/msgs/522762.html