medical/hormonal issues can cause weight gain

[ohMom]

to my WISH family, I feel that I've been more 'absent' over the past year and I want to offer my apologies if anyone has felt that way. It has been a hard year physically for me. I realize that the main focus here on WISH is healthy habits (eating, exercising, etc) but over the past few weeks I have really had it on my heart to share my short version of my story. In years past I'd read the line "see your physician before starting any diet or exercise program" and to be honest I'd think, 'whatever for?' Now I stand corrected, and really want to encourage everyone to establish themselves with a family doctor, one that you trust and feel really listens to you.

Last summer I gained 30 lbs in 7 weeks. That's right, 4 lbs a week for 7 weeks in a row. I had no appetite, but had trouble convincing my family doctor that I wasn't overeating (and I've known him for 5 years) Did I ever feel like a WISH board failure (I say that light-heartedly, for those who don't know me well) I really tried to keep up on my exercising but even the workouts I once considered 'light' were kicking my butt. My muscles were losing strength and I had no stamina at all. Three times I was told my answer was 'diet and exercise' and three times I walked away knowing in my heart that was not the case. I really believe that because I had been an avid powerwalker and exerciser that I had an advantage. I was really 'in-tune' with my body and subtle changes that the docs blew off, I recognized as red-flags and kept pursuing for an answer.

I read somewhere online that a large percentage of women diagnosed with pyschological disorders (depression, anxiety, etc) have an undiagnosed hormonal deficiency. (I would link it up but i can't find it again) I want to share this from www.goodhormonehealth.com

Many common symptoms are due to undiagnosed hormonal deficiencies. Do you have some or all of the following symptoms?

• Severe fatigue
• Depression
• Dizziness on standing
• Sleep disturbances
• Weight gain in spite of dieting
• Loss of memory
• Trouble concentrating
• Carbohydrate cravings
• Decreased interest in sex

If so, you may have undiagnosed:

• Growth hormone deficiency
• Mineralocorticoid insufficiency
• Testosterone deficiency
• Insulin resistance
• Impaired conversion of thyroid hormone
• Thyroid disease
• Cushing's Syndrome
• Adrenal insufficiency
• Vitamin D deficiency

If you see yourself on this list, my plea to you seek out the healthcare you deserve. Trust your instincts. Doctors are people too, and can make wrong judgment calls. Do not give up if you know there is something medically wrong with you. Do your research and be specific with your diagnostic requests. You have rights as a patient, and you have a right to be healthy!


so back to my story, after 5 local doctors either dismissing me or throwing their hands up in the air, one ultrasound, 2 CAT scans, and my first round of lab tests that were inconclusive, eight months into it.....I followed my gut and traveled to see the specialist from the website I posted earlier. It was the best thing I did. He ordered the MRI that I couldn't get anyother doctor to order, and lo and behold the source was found. I had to do another round of lab testing to confirm and two months later he gave me my diagnosis. I have pituitary Cushing's disease. I have probably had it 3-4 years, my guess, based on hindsight. Four years ago I was diagnosed with mood depressive disorder and to be frank, I never liked or agreed with that The meds I took then allievated my symptoms and I went on with my life. Last summer I went full-blown Cushings. It is amazing to me how quickly this disease has damaged my body, but I keep the hope and faith that I will be cured and the damage will reverse. In one year I have gained 60 lbs, devloped steroid-induced myopathy, and haven't been able to exercise for quite a few months now. (and the latter is a symptom, not a choice) I am scheduled for surgery on Aug 26 to remove the tumor on my pituitary gland, which is a 60-80% success, depending on what article you read

Thanks for reading, i know this is a long 'short version' I feel a responsibility to get the word out, make people aware. I hope that my story can help you, or someone you love reclaim their good health by determining the cause of their health issues.

 

[Rose&Mike]

OhMom--I am so sorry you have had to go through all this. I really hope the surgery puts you back on the right track to health and fitness. Thank you so much for sharing with everyone that sometimes "it's not all in your head" and there really could be something seriously wrong. Please let us know how your surgery goes.

I went through a similar experience this year (though I was lucky enough to not require surgery) before finally finding out it was a c-d/gluten issue. But by the end I thought I was losing my mind. The healthier I ate and the more I tried to take care of myself the worse I felt. I had lost a bunch of weight, but instead of feeling healthier I just felt awful. By the end my hair was falling out by the handful, I had chronic brain fog and often couldn't finish a sentence, I developed an extremely irregular heartbeat, I was anxious all the time, I was getting sick for hours (horrible nausea) after running, etc. I could probably list a dozen more symptoms. Six months later I am still finding more symptoms that were probably causes by c-d/gluten. And I am the same way--I have been walking around like this for years--quite possibly over a decade. I had forgotten what it felt like to not feel yucky. I had been to the doctor so many times for what I know they thought were hypochondriac complaints, but it wasn't all in my head.

For anyone else who is starting to feel cruddy/off I would highly recommend keeping a diary and writing down everything. Doctors miss stuff all the time. My blood test for cd was negative, but I went gluten free anyhow and decided to have some additional testing done, as it is not uncommon for cd blood tests to be negative. You really have to learn to be your own advocate.

Thank you again OhMom for sharing your story and I hope you are feeling better soon!

 

[dumbo_buddy]

i had a very similar thing happen to me, ohMom. in jan '07 i went off birth control pills in hopes of having a baby. in three months i gained 40 lbs. it was crazy. i felt awful and was hardly eating. i was exercising but not alot because i felt so bad (physically and mentally). i also never got a period. i went to an endocrinologist and went through ALOT of testing. i'm so glad i went instead of just throwing in the towl and saying, "oh well i guess i'm just supposed to be fat and childless" (which is how i often felt). turns out i had polycystic ovarian syndrome and insulin resistance. and that's on your list! basically when i stopped the birth control pills, every hormone went out of whack - you know, everything's connected. i was put on metformin and followed a STRICT diet with the help of a nutritionist. strict as in 1000 calories a day. that's it. but that's what it takes. and it was hard. but i got back down to my goal. and after more drugs and other way hard times, i finally had a little boy.

anyway, three different ladies so far and three different medical problems - i completely agree with you, ohMom and Rose, that if you feel off you should seek medical attention. sure, some of us just need to exercise and eat well and we will lose weight. but sometimes it's more than that. and now that i'm pregnant again and off the metformin (can't be on it past 1st tri) i definitely feel that it affects me and my cravings for carbs and bad stuff.

thanks for this post! i hope that it helps someone who needs it! i bet it will!

 

[ohMom]

hello everyone...i am alive and on the other side!

i am 2 weeks post-op...all kidding aside i'm tired and weak and still have a dull headache throughout the day. surgery went fine, the surgeon found the abnormal cells were more like infiltrated the gland and he ended up removing 25% of my pituitary gland....all systems are a go and so far functioning as anticipated...AMEN!

it is too soon to know if this will be my remission or cure of Cushings, it will take several months for me to wean off the replacement steroids and see how my body does at monitoring my cortisol on its own, but i'm praying everyday for my miracle and i thank you for your prayers

 

[Zoesmama03]

So sorry to hear this but I agree keep at the Dr's if you feel something is wrong. I'm trying to work with mine over some health issues. Bloodwork is fine so some just don't/won't go any further. ARGH!!

They say its anxiety or panic attacks. My EKGs were fine, thryoid fine, blood sugars fine so they really don't know what is going on and want to BLAME it on my hypertension. Surely it doesn't help the situation nor does my weight but with it controlled I'm still having symptoms. In the last couple weeks even tracking my food and having it be pretty good I've gained a good 5 lbs.

Glad surgery went good and praying for complete recover and cure from the cushings. And praying your body will do its job on its own soon.

 

[fromscratchmom]

In years past I'd read the line "see your physician before starting any diet or exercise program" and to be honest I'd think, 'whatever for?' Now I stand corrected, and really want to encourage everyone to establish themselves with a family doctor, one that you trust and feel really listens to you.

I couldn't agree with you more, and I'd add that it does take work but is totally worth it... make yourself find the doctor who is the exception, not the rule!

I'm so glad you are doing well now, ohMom!

I've also had a lot of physical difficulty. For me it dragged on for years starting very early in my adult life and I have really suffered at times with the nagging possibility that maybe I was just not trying hard enough, was somehow weak or defective, always knew that people who are healthy just can not understand, etc. Every way you can sabotage yourself emotionally letting the doubts and the negatives you hear into your head was a new way I could get more depressed and go further downhill.

It turns out part of the reason for my years of declining health and fitness was that I had overlapping problems and that makes it very difficult to sort out what all is going on. Part of it was that it many real problems actually mimick the symptoms of other problems as well as mimicking the symptoms of laziness, over-eating, and just plain old aging. And frankly I had at least three different hormonal problems going on in addition to the other things.

For many women there are real issues that may never be dealt with. And quite often what those women need to understand is that there may be several different "puzzle pieces" they need to put together for themselves.

For me among the things that have been a part of my road to recovery:
-chiropractic
-massage therapy (the massage mostly related to injury from -a car accident, but I've found that it is amazingly beneficial in many ways)
-trying new doctors over several years time, third time was the charm
-allergy testing and 6 years of shots
-giving up gluten
-I have gluten intolerance plus true food allergies with anaphylactic shock
-a supplement called drenamin for adrenal fatigue
-B-12 shots
-thyroid medication, finally after years of docs wanting to test for it and telling me that it was not right, but was "subclinical"
-medication for my legs kicking (26 times an hour while I sleep, kind of explains why I woke up exhausted instead of rested)
-dieting with a plan to switch around diets rather than let myself plateau
-among my diets a 15 day juice fast with veggie juice made fresh just before drinking... I can't begin to tell you how beneficial this was to my overall state of health in so many different ways, but I will mention that I no longer take meds for migraines and I no longer take trazodone for insomnia,
-I've lost 33 pounds so far
-and most recently lots of exercise which I am totally enjoying for the first time in over 20 years!

 

[MommyMcQueen]

hello everyone...i am alive and on the other side!

i am 2 weeks post-op...all kidding aside i'm tired and weak and still have a dull headache throughout the day. surgery went fine, the surgeon found the abnormal cells were more like infiltrated the gland and he ended up removing 25% of my pituitary gland....all systems are a go and so far functioning as anticipated...AMEN!

it is too soon to know if this will be my remission or cure of Cushings, it will take several months for me to wean off the replacement steroids and see how my body does at monitoring my cortisol on its own, but i'm praying everyday for my miracle and i thank you for your prayers

Hi OhMom! I'm so glad to hear the surgery went well - I hope you are feeling better and also hoping this will be the end of your medical issues! Thank goodness you followed your gut and kept pushing the doc's and continued to seek other opinions!

I'm really happy you posted this and couldn't agree more with your initial post. I know how frustrating it can be - I too went through about a year long battle with a diagnosis for hormonal issues - ended up having surgery to remove a large ovarian tumor - I too had the doctors shrug their shoulders and shake their heads at me, and even flat out ask me "can't you just live with it?" I thought I had a thyroid issue but it ended up being a dermoid tumor, I had also probably had it for years and years.

I'm betting you will feel a world of difference after you recover from the surgery - even if it takes months to get the hormones back in balace (it took me about 2-3 months after surgery and that was with no other meds affecting anything) I felt like a completely different person - so much energy, much more positive, much happier. I wish you the best of luck and keep us posted on your progress!