Cushings: Am I High?

Am I high or am I low? This is a big question for those who are trying to get diagnosed with Cushing’s Disease. No one wants to have a Rare Disease that makes you gain weight, have anxiety, lose your hair, get a buffalo hump, have high blood pressure, diabetes, insomnia etc.

For those who do not have Cushing’s it’s hard to really understand why that person feels great one day and is say walking fine and very active but the next day they can hardly get out of bed.

I was diagnosed with Cushing’s. Had my first surgery on July 25^th 2014. Went into remission for 10 months. Then had to test again because I was out of remission and all my symptoms have come flooding back in full force.

When testing for your doctor you want to test when in a high. These are the basic symptoms you will have (at least the ones I have) when you are in a high. Side note…High is when your body is producing crazy amounts of cortisol. This gives you the feeling of “fight or flight”.

High Symptoms:

1.       Insomnia or wired at night

2.       Constipation

3.       High energy

4.       Low pain

5.       Anxiety/Mood Swings

6.       High Blood Pressure

7.       Water Weight Gain/Weight Gain

8.       Acne

9.       Speed talking

You don’t want to test however when you are in a low because it will not show your Cortisol Levels when it should be showing what is happening to you.

 

Low Symptoms:

1.       Nausea

2.       Weight Loss

3.       Depression/Crying

4.       Extreme Fatigue

5.       Muscle/Joint Pain

     6.       Diarrhea

 It’s hard for people to understand that your symptoms can be so one way one day and another way the next. I had a cycle of about 5-6 days low and 2-3 days high. During my highs I couldn't sleep but maybe 2 hours a night. I had all this energy so I cleaned the house in the middle of the night. I feel like a drug addict or something but it’s just my body creating a hormone that does this. After a couple days of being in a high I crash. I am so tired I don’t want to do anything but sleep. I hurt all over. I cry more often which is really annoying to me. I am thankful that I have an amazing family to help. This is what helped me to get my highs on my tests for my second surgery. You just have to keep on keeping on.

Just know that we have resources out there.

NORD (national Organization of Rare Diseases) can help you if you need financial help on getting diagnosed.

www.cushingstories.com  is a great site for those who want to see Blogs, Videos, and Personal Stories of people who are dealing or have dealt with Cushing’s before.

http://www.cushings-help.org/ is a great site to learn about Cushing’s and research answers.

And please feel free to always write me at Cushingscountrygirl@gmail.com and I will get back to you as soon as possible.

 I don’t always talk about Cushing’s but it’s good to have that knowledge too! It was a huge part in my life for so many years. Thankfully I am now forever in remission. I just still want to be able to help people get diagnosed because for some it can take up to 6-8 years. I want to help you so it goes so much faster! I am here to help too if you ever need it! This is me now Cushings free. Love, Ro