Cushings?

[Numberone1]

I have Hashimotos and take T3 but simply cannot loss weight. I hardly eat, keep gluten free and what I eat just maintains my weight without losing. If I ate anymore I would continue to gain. I am 18 stone and used to be 10stone. I continue to feel embarrassed by it. I had some private blood tests done and my Cortisol was very high. I went back to my doctor explaining all of this and he ordered a range of tests including cortisol. I had this done today. However the nurse commented this was not a normal set of tests. He had ordered 7 tests including cortisol, TSH and T4 . Vitamin D and B12 but she said the others were for checking heart but I can't remember what they are. Are heart tests normal for suspected Cushings?

[SmallBlueThing]

Cholesterol and triglycerides? (although they are normal tests). If you have high blood pressure then Cushing's could be the cause (endocrine hypertension). Have you got the typical purple stretch marks?

[AngieAsh in reply to SmallBlueThing]

Hi. You don't happen to know if the purple stretch marks in Cushings are purple from all angles do you? I'm taking a 24 hour urine cortisol test soon as per my Endo and I do have lots of stretch marks which look purple from some angles but they can look light from others. Sorry to jump in your thread Numberone1 but I'm wondering if I am being tested for Cushings too or just Adrenal issues in general. I did read that real Cushings is actually very rare.

[SmallBlueThing in reply to AngieAsh]

I'm afraid I don't know, but from photos, the stretch marks are very visible. I don't have them, but had a dexamethasone suppression test and before that a 24 hour urine test for catecholamines, which I feel was unnecessary, but wish they'd checked for cortisol at the same time. Without a proper diagnosis, I've been put on Amiloride (which would've been the case with a diagnosis) and Voila! my hypertension is at last under control. Cheaper than an MRI scan, obviously.

Best wishes!

[AngieAsh]

Maybe they are just checking your heart to be on the safe side to rule it out because high blood pressure is related to Cushing's. Hopefully you will get the results soon.