kkc, Author at CSRF - Cushing's Support & Research Foundation

Author Archives: kkc

Imaging Pituitary and Ectopic Tumors

Question: My doctors are having trouble finding the location of my tumor. Is it common for a pituitary tumor not to show on an MRI and what techniques are used to find ectopic tumors? Answer: We cannot visualize the pituitary tumor by MRI in about 40% of the patients. We can confirm its presence in… Continue Reading

Diagnosis and Treatment at NIH

Question: What kind of patients does the National Institute of Health (NIH) accept for diagnosis and treatment of Cushing’s and how does one go about getting into NIH? Answer: The National Institue of Health in Bethesda, MD is the medical research facility supported by the US government. At the present time, the NIH accepts all… Continue Reading

Cushing’s and Alcohol

Question: During diagnosis, I was asked if I was an alcoholic and was told that alcoholics can show Cushing’s symptoms. Does this mean that I should not drink alcohol while my cortisol levels are high and during the recovery period? Answer: The issue of alcohol is quite important. One cause of developing symptoms and signs… Continue Reading

Cortisol Levels and Stress

Question: I have been under constant, extreme stress for the past year and am now being tested for Cushing’s. Can chronic stress cause elevated cortisol levels in the 24 hr urine test, the low dose dexamethasone test and the night-time salivary cortisol test? Also, can extreme stress cause Cushing’s symptoms? Answer: Stress may certainly increase… Continue Reading

Cortisol Levels and Exercise

Question: Does strenuous exercise effect cortisol levels? If so, should I avoid exercise during a 24 hr urine test and/or for how long before starting the test? Answer: Strenuous exercise may be stressful enough to increase cortisol levels transiently. If one wishes to obtain a perfect baseline cortisol level it would be best to avoid… Continue Reading