Posted by Sarah T. on March 21, 2005, at 18:47:16
In reply to Re: Acupuncture??? » Sarah T., posted by Pfinstegg on March 21, 2005, at 7:30:06
Hi Pfinstegg,
Thank you very much for your reply. I have had consistently elevated 24-hour urinary free cortisol over many years, regardless of which medicine I've been on -- or off. It doesn't matter whether I'm on medicine or not on medicine,or whether the medicine is activating or calming. My last 24-hour urinary cortisol was close to 125 (I forgot the units; I think they were micrograms per 24 hours, but I'll have to double check that). The normal range is 10(or 20)-100 micrograms/24 hours. I think anything above 120 is considered to be in the Cushing's range, but I don't appear at all Cushingoid. I have, however, had a lot of hair loss in the past 6 months or so. I still don't know why that is occurring. I've had some inconsistent TSH values and perfectly normal androgens. I read that hair loss in Cushing's is usually temporal. My hair loss has not been from the temples; it's mainly occurring on the top of my head, towards the back.
I just did another 24-hour urine collection, but I haven't gotten the results yet. I'm uncertain how my cortisol levels are at specific points throughout the day because most of the tests have been of the 24-hour type; however, my plasma cortisol levels have always been normal, and almost all of them have been drawn in the morning. Do Cushing's patients have abnormal dexamethasone suppression tests? As I mentioned, mine have always been normal.
poster:Sarah T.
thread:472644
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/alter/20050225/msgs/473749.html