Cushing's Disease
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I strongly suspect that I may be dealing with Cushing's, which I will seek tests and data to confirm.
Is there anybody who has experience with this or who may be in a similar situation?I have heard that high doses of Cyproheptadine may be a treatment.
However, I have also heard claims that Cyproheptadine can induce permanent weight gainGiven that the main symptom of Cushing's is weight gain which is very difficult to lose, I am not sure how true this information is.
Through what mechanism does cypro cause weight gain? Is this weight gain actually irreversible?
If cypro can treat Cushing's, will it prevent the loss of that weight? -
@hypermensch try Tianeptine low dose instead of cypro. Cypro is a dirty drug. Atleast ritanserin
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@hypermensch Would you please provide your symptoms? Sometimes the medical labeling of an illness can be very restrictive.
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@mostlylurking
Weight gain in the belly and face with skinny arms and legs, high visceral fat, blood sugar problems, elevated liver enzymes, red/purple stretch marks keep developing, hair thinning, certain ocular symptoms that may indicate pituitary problem, but that's a hunch at the moment. -
@hypermensch said in Cushing's Disease:
Weight gain in the belly and face with skinny arms and legs, high visceral fat, blood sugar problems, elevated liver enzymes, red/purple stretch marks keep developing, hair thinning, certain ocular symptoms that may indicate pituitary problem, but that's a hunch at the moment.
I packed on 25 pounds in 25 days, mainly on my belly and sides, immediately after my thiamine function was blocked by taking Bactrim antibiotic. The loss of thiamine function stopped my oxidative metabolism so my body put everything I ate into fat storage.
visceral fat and thiamine
"Alcohol consumption also positively correlates with visceral fat accumulation in healthy individuals [58,59], which may be partially caused by the disturbance of thiamine absorption and metabolism. Thiamine deficiency has also been reported in patients with type 1 or 2 diabetes [60] and thiamine supplementation (100 mg, 3 × 100 mg daily) which is about 100 times higher than the recommended daily allowance [61] for 6 weeks improved glucose tolerance in hyperglycemic individuals [62]"
(note: "alcohol consumption" isn't the only thing that causes thiamine deficiency, but it is the most popular one quoted.)blood sugar problems
"Because thiamine is a major factor in the metabolism of glucose, it has long been known that ingestion of simple carbohydrates, processed in the body mainly to glucose, automatically increases the need for dietary thiamine. Thus, high calorie malnutrition is commonly associated with relative thiamine deficiency, irrespective of its fortification in food substances. This review will discuss the biochemistry of thiamine in animal systems and the various clinical expressions of its dietary deficiency and dependency. It will then describe the clinical uses of the vitamin and its many derivatives that have resulted in beneficial responses in a variety of diseases in man and animals. Its place in nutrient-based Complementary Alternative Medicine is emphasized."
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Because you cannot metabolize glucose without thiamine, a thiamine deficiency results in high blood sugar.elevated liver enzymes
"Thiamine deficiency also causes depletion of ATP in the liver, which may result in elevated liver enzymes...."red/purple stretch marks Ray Peat on stretch marks.
certain ocular symptoms
"The first aim of this review is to summarize recent ocular motor signs in pre-encephalopathy patients with nutritional deficiency at risk of thiamine deficiency. Timely recognition of thiamine depletion in these patients, who may have a normal brain MRI, could lead to appropriate management and prevention of Wernicke’s encephalopathy (WE) with full recovery. "This is not medical advice, but many of your symptoms really could be pointing to a problem with thiamine. I think it's work considering the possibility.
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@hypermensch said in Cushing's Disease:
I strongly suspect that I may be dealing with Cushing's, which I will seek tests and data to confirm.
Is there anybody who has experience with this or who may be in a similar situation?Cushing's is high cortisol, yes? I've read that magnesium can lower cortisol.
Magnesium Status and Stress: The Vicious Circle Concept Revisited
"The hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis and the autonomic nervous system (comprising SNS and PNS) have been identified as the mediators of this neurobiological stress model [90,91,95]. First, corticotrophin-releasing factor (CRF) is secreted from the paraventricular nucleus in the hypothalamus; the subsequent secretion of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) from the anterior pituitary stimulates the release of glucocorticoids (mainly cortisol) from the adrenal cortex [97]. Noradrenaline (NA) and adrenaline are also released from the sympathetic nerves and the adrenal medulla, and together with the glucocorticoids regulate the stress response [90,91]. Cortisol also interacts with the serotonergic pathway, adjusting the release of serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine or 5-HT) neurotransmitter in response to acute or chronic stressors [98]. Serotoninergic neurons modulate the stress response either via direct neurotransmission to the hypothalamus, or by stimulation of noradrenergic neurons [97]. In addition to the regulation through feedback mechanisms, the HPA axis is also modulated by other central systems, particularly by the inhibitory action of the γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and the excitatory effect of glutamate [99].
In this neurobiological model, cortisol is a well-known mediator of the stress response. The nocturnal cortisol urinary excretion in apparently healthy subjects reflects the basal tone of the HPA axis [100]; conversely, the blood cortisol concentration measured in a challenging environment is a sign of stress activity [101]. It has been shown that cortisol coordinates the central response to stress at several levels [102], and indirectly influences mechanisms of neuroprotection [103]. Neurotrophic factor production, represented by the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BNDF), intervenes in allostasis through protecting neurons [104]. Normally, BNDF promotes neuronal survival and plasticity [104]; however, changes in BNDF expression have been reported following exposure to stressful stimuli. An increase of BNDF has been observed in response to moderate stress [105], whereas a decrease has been associated with high levels of stress [106]. Furthermore, increasing evidence shows a link between cortisol responses and oxidant elevation [107]. The accumulation of free radicals and other reactive oxygen species is also a sign of allostatic load, resulting from the imbalance between cellular metabolic activities and antioxidant defense mechanisms [108,109].
Noteworthy, magnesium interacts with all these stress mediators [17,110,111,112], overall serving an inhibitory function in the regulation and central neurotransmission of the stress response (details of these interactions are summarized in chapter 6)."
-end paste-I found this info on "Cushing's"
"Don’t confuse Cushing’s triad with Cushing’s syndrome or Cushing’s disease. Any medical condition that causes the adrenal gland to secrete excess cortisol is called Cushing’s syndrome. If the cause of the excess cortisol is a tumor in the pituitary gland (making excess ACTH), then the condition is called Cushing’s disease. In other words, Cushing’s disease is one of myriad causes of Cushing’s syndrome."More on Cushing's syndrome
"Cushing’s syndrome can be hard to diagnose. Symptoms such as fatigue and weight gain can have many different causes. Cushing’s syndrome may be mistaken for other conditions that have many of the same signs, such as polycystic ovary syndrome or metabolic syndrome. Your doctor will first want to rule out other conditions." -
Last week I went to a new functional Dr that tested my thyroid/hormones and sure enough my thyroid function was low, cortisol is through the roof, low testosterone, low pregnenolone. She called it "cushings-esque" after I told her how my face has gotten disproportionately fat in the past few years, along with other high cortisol symptoms
Prescribed me some adaptogen type formula to help with the cortisol (the one i got has ashwagandha, rhodiola and some other herbs)
@mostlylurking what's a good dosage for Thiamine considering? I take this B complex now https://shop.forefronthealth.com/collections/all/products/vitamin-b-thyroid-complex which has already helped me a ton with post-concussion syndrome issues and overall energy levels, but suspect the B1 and B3 doses are pretty low.
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@irs said in Cushing's Disease:
Prescribed me some adaptogen type formula to help with the cortisol (the one i got has ashwagandha, rhodiola and some other herbs)
Have you noticed any effects with this yet?
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@hypermensch I haven't taken it yet, but I was cycling Ashwagandha for a while now, definitely notice a difference in my stress levels when taking it. Not so much in weight gain etc. Having said that, I've been curious if there is a pharmacological (stronger) option to help calm down my cortisol
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@mostlylurking I took thiamine daily for a while, and it seemed to be what kickstarted my liver healing.
My blood sugar problem seems to be closer to reactive hypoglycemia rather than hyperglycemia though. -
@hypermensch said in Cushing's Disease:
I took thiamine daily for a while, and it seemed to be what kickstarted my liver healing.
My blood sugar problem seems to be closer to reactive hypoglycemia rather than hyperglycemia though.If you saw benefits from taking some thiamine, then you may want to research it further. Thiamine is needed to burn glucose for energy. Elliot Overton has good videos about thiamine and you may find that watching them helpful.
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@irs said in Cushing's Disease:
what's a good dosage for Thiamine considering? I take this B complex now https://shop.forefronthealth.com/collections/all/products/vitamin-b-thyroid-complex which has already helped me a ton with post-concussion syndrome issues and overall energy levels, but suspect the B1 and B3 doses are pretty low.
That supplement has 50mg of thiamine hcl in 1/2 dropper. This isn't really an adequate dose because thiamine hcl has a very poor absorption rate through the intestinal wall. For comparison, I take 2 grams of thiamine hcl /day, divided into two doses. I follow Dr. Costantini's protocol; he treated many (thousands) of Parkinson's Disease patients with thiamine hcl. His Therapy page provides dosage amounts for thiamine hcl based on the patient's body weight. People's needs vary; I'm living with mercury toxicity which causes high oxidative stress; the high dose thiamine hcl has helped me enormously. Other thiamine types require smaller doses because they do not have the absorption issue that thiamine hcl has.
You may find Elliot Overton's thiamine videos helpful.
The Forefront Health supplement also includes 250mg of niacinamide (B3). Niacinamide is water soluble which means that it doesn't stay in the body long, something like 2 hours. I take my niacinamide in smaller more frequent doses; 100mg, 4Xday.
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What's your current diet and supplement stack like? And how is your posture?
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@irs I would probably directly take the things I was low in and block the compensatory things.
I'd supplement thyroid, pregnenolone for sure. Cortinon and androsterone from idealabs.com would be nice-haves.
I would also consider lapodin and inosine.
Yes to thiamine and niacinamide. Energin is great.Wallop the stress and endotoxin and boost the bio-energy.
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@Regina Perfect, thank you!
