Re: Aldosterone and Renin levels/pitituary problems

[Guest guest]

I am HypoT and starting last March my bloodwork came back with my TSH almost

completely in a " suppressed " range - .009 - so the Endro said to lower my

Armour - over 5 months I cut my dosage in half and had another bloodtest -

came back .005.

It should have been impossible by cutting meds in half that they thyroid was

further suppressed so he said something else had to be going on...so he

ordered a MRI with an IV which injected dye - and it showed up.

Well I have felt horrible for so long...don't know which symptoms come from

the pituitary tumor, thyroid or adrenals.. there are several different kinds

of tumors that you get on the pituitary - some secrete hormones causing

problems while others stop production. He thinks mine is a non functioning

tumor - that it is pressing and is causing problems.

I have to have another MRI done soon to see if it has grown.

The types of tumors are:

A pituitary tumor is classified as one of four main types, based on whether

it overproduces pituitary hormones and the specific type of hormone

produced:

* ACTH-producing tumor This pituitary tumor, which also is called a

basophilic adrenocorticotrophic hormone-secreting adenoma, overproduces

adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH). ACTH is the pituitary hormone that

regulates hormone production by the adrenal gland. When this type of

pituitary tumor relaes too much ACTH into the bloodstream, the extra ACTH

overstimulates the adrenal glands to pour out high levels of adrenal

glucocorticoids (adrenal hormones) and androgens (male hormones) into the

blood. In most cases, an ACTH-producing tumor is small and doesn't grow

beyond the sella turcica.

* Prolactin-producing tumor This pituitary tumor, which also is called

a prolactin-secreting adenoma, overproduces the hormone prolactin, which

stimulates the breasts to make milk. Prolactin-producing pituitary tumors

can develop in both men and women, and they sometimes grow so big that they

press on the sella turcica and cause it to get larger.

* Growth hormone-producing tumor This tumor, which also is called an

eosinophilic growth hormone-secreting adenoma, secretes abnormally large

amounts of growth hormone. In children and teenagers, this overproduction of

growth hormone causes a condition called giantism (excessive growth,

especially in height). In adults, it causes a condition called acromegaly

(abnormal enlargement of the skull, jaw, hands and feet, and other symptoms

of abnormal growth). Growth hormone-producing tumors can grow beyond the

sella turcica.

* Non-functioning pituitary tumor This type of pituitary tumor, which

also is called a hormonally inactive adenoma, does not cause pituitary

hormones and is slow to produce symptoms. For this reason, this type of

tumor tends to grow large before it is discovered. In many cases, a

nonfunctioning pituitary adenoma is diagnosed only when it already has grown

beyond the sella turcica and has begun to cause problems related to pressure

on the optic nerves or brain.

A pituitary tumor causes symptoms based on:

* The type of hormone the tumor is overproducing

* The size of the tumor

* The effect the tumor has on the normal production of all the other

pituitary hormones

ACTH-producing tumor

This tumor causes symptoms of Cushing's disease, a condition caused by

prolonged overproduction of adrenal glucocorticoids and androgens. Symptoms

of Cushing's disease include obesity that is most noticeable on the trunk of

the body, thin skin, easy bruising, red or purple lines (striae) on the skin

of the abdomen, a moon-shaped face, muscle wasting, excess body hair in

women, acne, absence of menstrual periods (amenorrhea)

<http://www.everydayhealth.com/publicsite/index.aspx?puid=3DA46228-905A-47BB

-BB1C-A8478D57422B & contentID=210445> and psychiatric symptoms, such as

depression

<http://www.everydayhealth.com/publicsite/index.aspx?puid=3DA46228-905A-47BB

-BB1C-A8478D57422B & contentID=187912> and psychosis. Cushing's disease also

can trigger osteoporosis,

<http://www.everydayhealth.com/publicsite/index.aspx?puid=3DA46228-905A-47BB

-BB1C-A8478D57422B & contentID=204327> high

<http://www.everydayhealth.com/publicsite/index.aspx?puid=3DA46228-905A-47BB

-BB1C-A8478D57422B & contentID=195803> blood pressure (hypertension) and

diabetes.

Prolactin-producing tumor

This tumor occasionally causes a woman who is not pregnant or nursing to

produce breast milk, a condition called galactorrhea. Much more often, it

causes absent periods (amenorrhea). In men, it causes impotence and

decreased sex drive.

Growth hormone-producing tumor

If this tumor develops before puberty, then the child typically has the

following symptoms of giantism (also called gigantism): abnormally rapid

growth, unusually tall stature, a very large head, coarse facial features,

very large hands and feet, and sometimes, behavioral and visual problems. If

the tumor develops after puberty, then the person has the following symptoms

of acromegaly: thick, oily skin; coarse features with thick lips and a broad

nose; prominent cheekbones; a protruding forehead and lower jaw; a deep

voice; enlargement of the hands and feet; a barrel-shaped chest; excessive

sweating; and pain and stiffness in the joints.

Nonfunctioning pituitary tumor

These tumors do not produce excessive amounts of hormone. They may be found:

* Accidentally when magnetic

<http://www.everydayhealth.com/publicsite/index.aspx?puid=3DA46228-905A-47BB

-BB1C-A8478D57422B & contentID=188908> resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain

is done for other reasons

* If they get large enough to affect the production of other pituitary

hormones

* If they grow beyond the sella turcica and are causing pressure on

the brain or optic nerves that are next to the sella turcica

Prolactin-producing tumors and nonfunctioning tumors can depress the

pituitary's ability to make and release other hormones. Sex hormones usually

are depressed first followed by thyroid hormone and then adrenal hormones.

Symptoms related to low sex hormone levels include loss of sexual drive,

erectile dysfunction and absence of menstrual periods. If a tumor keeps

growing, the person may develop fatigue and lightheadedness because the

thyroid and adrenal glands aren't functioning properly.

In most cases, a pituitary tumor will continue to slowly grow until it is

treated. Sometimes, however, a prolactin-secreting tumor will stabilize, or

even improve, without treatment.

A very large pituitary tumor that grows beyond the sella turcica can cause

headaches, loss of peripheral vision and partial paralysis of the eye

muscles.

Here are some of the symptoms of a pituitary tumor.

Some of the many symptoms associated with pituitary tumors include the

following:

* Headache <http://www.healthline.com/adamcontent/headache>

* Visual changes ; Double

<http://www.healthline.com/galecontent/visual-disturbances> vision,

Drooping eyelids

* Personality changes

* Decreased sexual interest

* Irritability

* Seizures <http://www.healthline.com/adamcontent/seizures> ; Nasal

drainage

* Skin changes

* Thickened skin; Enlarged sebaceous glands

* Facial changes

* Moon face, puffy eyes

* Enlarged jaw and facial bones

* Hair changes

* Loss of body hair

* Coarse, thin head hair

* Thinning of eyebrows

* Weakness ; Lethargy; Temperature sensitivity

* Intolerance to cold

* Intolerance to heat

* Constipation <http://www.healthline.com/adamcontent/constipation> ;

Nausea <http://www.healthline.com/adamcontent/nausea-and-vomiting> and

vomiting

* Low blood pressure

* Impaired sense of smell

* Changes in weight; Weight loss (unintentional); Weight gain

(unintentional)

* milk secretion in the absence of pregnancy or breast feeding

(galactorrhea)

* reduced strength ; mood alterations (depression, anxiety, unstable

emotions)

* muscle pain <http://www.healthline.com/adamcontent/muscle-aches>

SeaLady