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

Author Archives: Leslie Edwin

“Missing” Symptoms of Hypercortisolism

Question: How is it possible for someone to have extremely high cortisol levels and not be obese or get stretch marks? Answer 1: Cortisol needs to be high for a long time to cause physical signs of Cushing’s syndrome. Also, patients with similar cortisol values, for a similar length of time, often look different. We… Continue Reading

Pituitary Incidentalomas

Question: We found a small tumor on my pituitary when performing an MRI because of another issue. My doctor did some cortisol testing but most of my levels are normal and I don’t have symptoms of Cushing’s. I found a lot of information online about harmless adrenal tumors and why a patient should have periodic… Continue Reading

Hair Testing for Cyclic Cushing’s

Question: My daughter has just been diagnosed with cyclic cushing’s… I have done some reading and found this article. Is hair testing done in the US? Answer 1: I’m not aware of any commercial laboratory that offers hair cortisol testing in the U.S. However, it is not clear why this is needed if someone has… Continue Reading

Mona L., Exogenous Cushing’s, Sleep Apnea

High Cortisol is Not Always Cushing’s Editor’s Note: This patient story originally appeared in our Summer 2016 issue. We contacted Mona recently to see how she is doing now; her update follows her original story. In 2004, I decided it was time to lose weight. I lost 100 pounds in a year on a low-carb… Continue Reading

Changes in Cushing’s Medical Community Over Last 15 Years

Question: If you have been in practice for 15 years or more, what changes have you seen in the Cushing’s medical community regarding treatment, medical therapies, theories on causes, etc.? Before we had any medications available, what did Cushing’s patients do if surgery and/or radiation didn’t work or they weren’t a candidate for either? Answer: … Continue Reading