Re: Off topic- Sheehans Syndrome

[Guest guest]

Sheehan's syndrome, also referred to as postpartum hypopituitarism, is a

delayed effect of intrapartum or postpartum hemorrhage — life-threatening

blood

loss during or after childbirth.

Severe blood loss deprives body tissues and organs of oxygen, causing areas

of tissue death. In Sheehan's syndrome, this damage affects the pituitary

gland — a small, bean-shaped gland at the base of your brain. The result,

which

may not be apparent for months or even years, is permanent underproduction of

pituitary hormones.

Pituitary hormones regulate the rest of the endocrine system, signaling

other glands to increase or decrease production of the hormones that control

metabolism, fertility, wound healing and many other vital processes. When the

regulatory hormones from the pituitary are in short supply, the signs and

symptoms may affect almost any part of your body — although they may develop

so

gradually that they escape notice. Hypopituitarism may seem to cause no

symptoms

at all. At the other extreme, though, Sheehan's syndrome and other forms of

hypopituitarism can cause an adrenal crisis — a sudden, potentially fatal

undersupply of the hormone cortisol.

Thanks to improved prenatal care and medically supervised childbirth,

Sheehan's syndrome has become rare in parts of the world where access to

medical

care is available.Signs and symptoms

In most cases, the signs and symptoms of Sheehan's syndrome appear slowly,

after a period of months or even years. But sometimes — such as in a

breast-feeding mother — problems may appear right away.

Signs and symptoms of Sheehan's syndrome include:

* Slowed mental function, weight gain and difficulty staying warm, as a

result of an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism)

* Difficulty breast-feeding or an inability to breast-feed

* No menstrual periods (amenorrhea) or infrequent menstruation

(oligomenorrhea)

* Loss of pubic or underarm hair

* Low blood pressure

* Fatigue

* Weight loss

For many women, the symptoms of Sheehan's syndrome are nonspecific and often

attributed to other things. Fatigue, for instance, goes hand in hand with

being a new mother. A woman might not realize she has Sheehan's syndrome until

she requires treatment for thyroid or adrenal insufficiency.

It's also possible to remain symptom-free with Sheehan's syndrome. Some

women unknowingly live for years with pituitary insufficiency, then go into

adrenal crisis triggered by extreme physical stressors, such as severe

infection

or surgery

Helen Trimble

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[Guest guest]

Thank you so much to all who responded. I have had this for 22 years now and

did not know it. It started getting horrible about 4 years ago. But I have

had all sorts of problems from it the whole time. And can now see it and know

stress does make it worse.

I had a Doctor accidently slice my cervix and I started losing large amounts

of blood and went into shock. I almost died. I really don't know how I

survived that.

The Doctor ordered 4 pints of blood for me but I never got it. It was not

figured out until a week later. So that is how it started for me. In all honesty

I don't know what other damage could have started from going a week with 4

pints of blood missing from my body.

What a nightmare that was and now i'm having to go back and remember

everything. I have almost no cortisol is my main problem now.

Thank you so much for the info. It was more than I had found.

Carlene

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[Guest guest]

What do they say causes it?

Off topic- Sheehans Syndrome

I was wondering if anyone in the group has their thyroid and adrenal

problems caused by Sheehans Syndrome. I was diagnosed with it last week. There

is

very little info on it except for what causes it. Nothing about how to treat

it

being it is rare in the United States. Thank you in advance to anyone who

replies.

Carlene

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products.

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