Pituitary and Thyroid

[MrsBeasley]

Hi, I had an MRI that says this and I am waiting to see the endo but am wondering if I could get any insight into what to expect? Here are the results:

The pituitary stalk is slightly deviated towards the left. There is a CSF intensity region involving the upper posterior portion of the pituitary gland measuring 5x2 mm which does not enhance. There does appear to be a thin membrane overlying the pituitary gland in this region and it is uncertain if this could be a cyst or small deficiency of the pituitary gland. Just below this is CSF region however there is a hypoenhancing region measuring 4x3x4 mm compatible with a putuitary adenoma.

I've had the following lab tests, reference ranges in brackets:

Prolactin 28.8 (under 25) last tested in December that led to the MRI

The rest were done last week:

TSH 1.16 (0.32-5.04) previous tests of this were 0.64, and 0.81

T4 Free 11.4 (10.6-19.7) previous test was 13.

AM Cortisol 366 (125-536)

WBC 11.2 (4.0-10.0)

RDW 15.6 (11.5-14.5)

Neutrophils 8.0 (2.0-7.5)

Ferritin 17 (15-247)

I left out my other regular blood counts because they're all normal. I have a history of hashimoto's thyroiditis but it's been fine since a partial thyroidectomy a decade ago.

I have been having symptoms I thought were thyroid but he insists its fine and he biopsied some thyroid nodules and they came back benign. The only symptom I get that seems to be pituitary are headaches across my forehead and behind one eye. The others I get are tired, dizzy, cold, heart palpitations and nausea which seem thyroid to me but my tests say otherwise.

Thanks for looking!

[Heloise]

Hi MrsBeasley, I don't think your thyroid function tests are fine. Your TSH is climbing and is probably due to the fact that your FT4 is barely in range when it should be at 16.0 or more. The TSH is a pituitary test so perhaps it should be higher than 1.16 but still it IS reacting to your very low reading of FT4 and trying to get your thyroid to produce more hormone.

Do you notice how low your ferritin or iron storage is? It should be closer to 100. I wonder how well you are absorbing minerals. If your stomach acid is low, it could hamper the absorption of minerals.

[Heloise]

youtube.com/watch?v=ZPryg5-...(Not working as expected?)

I don't know if you can play this video so I hope you can cut and paste. He does talk about prolactin and you have a possible progesterone deficiency. That's why your TSH isn't higher than it is. He should know that.

[Heloise]

Well I have tried to post that video twice. I don't know why it isn't displaying. If you want to watch it, just a 5 min. video by a functional medicine doctor who look at causes for symptoms. Go to You Tube, David J. Clark, #4 low thyroid symptoms.

[helvella in reply to Heloise]

Heloise, it is because you were posting a link that had excess "stuff" at the end. Everything after the ampersand (&) can be removed.

That is, get rid of this:

&index=6&list=PLF02D307781C315FB

Have edited it for you.

[Heloise in reply to helvella]

Thanks, Rod, for figuring that out. It's been frustrating. It's the same url I have used for months. So I will paste the address and then delete the excess. I'll do it next time.

[faith63 in reply to Heloise]

i don't know why this Dr. Clark thinks this isn't a signal that something is going wrong with the pituitary. I am glad my abnormal levels were not written off as low progesterone, when it is indeed pituitary damage..

[Heloise in reply to faith63]

Hi faith, I'm sure something is going wrong with the pituitary but it is not the gland that's at fault. What caused your damage, do you know? These people look for the reasons for the damage and often it's a complex chain reaction of some sort.

[faith63 in reply to Heloise]

it may have been a ruptured cyst or rapid weight gain from hashimotos disease..i may never really know

[MrsBeasley]

Thank you! My endo is a bit of an arse. I've been feeling unwell for months and when I saw him in February with nothing but the prolactin test and the .64 and .81 TSH tests available to him, he wrote a letter to my family doctor saying he saw me and would order an MRI but that my symptoms weren't thyroid or pituitary and he felt the elevated prolactin was just a "red herring" and nothing would show. That's exactly what he put, in quotes and everything! I can't wait to see what he has to say. I'll report back when I see him again.

[faith63 in reply to MrsBeasley]

You have autoimmune disease and if you have not been on an autoimmune Paleo diet or have had extensive gut testing and treatment to heal your gut and immune system, the you are not fine..you have autoimmune disease that is untreated. All my endo's are Arses!

[melville999]

ask to see another endocrinologist in another city or area.Pituitary problems need proper attwntion

[Portia1974]

Hi there! I know this post is a year old now but how did you get on? I am in the position where pituatary involvement is suspected but waiting for more tests. Your pituatary scan results mention pituatary adenoma which is a tumour on the pituatary as I understand it. But the original commentors on your post have not mentioned it. Was just wondering what the eventual outcome was a year on. Hope you are OK!

[MrsBeasley in reply to Portia1974]

I have a stable tumor that is watch and wait and I just have to deal with it. The only way to know for sure is an MRI so if they suspect you have a tumor, you should have one ordered. I have one annually now to check the size.

[Portia1974 in reply to MrsBeasley]

Thank you. Hope everything is stabilised for you! Are they treating you in any way? As in, did they check for all hormone irregularities that might be caused by the adenoma and give you replacement therapy if needed etc?

[MrsBeasley in reply to Portia1974]

I finally was prescribed thyroxine for my low FT4 because my pituitary is causing secondary hypothyroid. My prolactin is always elevated but the tumor isn’t a prolactinoma or the readings would be in the hundreds instead of just 10-20 points above the high end of the range (25 ish). All other hormones were fine, in fact I think it usually will cause excesses not shortages. I had tests for high cortisol, growth hormone and something else. I was told the majority are prolactin secreting, then TSH secreting, then growth hormone. Mine is assumed to be non-secreting and the elevated prolactin is from the deviated pituitary stalk caused by the tumor pushing it.

[Portia1974 in reply to MrsBeasley]

Thank you for the insight! Glad they tackled your thyroid eventually!