high prolactin and low cortisl

[nikkie27]

Hi and thankyou very much for the help that you all give.  I have had weird symptoms for almost 3 years now,  weight loss hairloss from all over,  extreme mood change and anxiety,  headaches,  eye pressure that cause my eyes to feel weird and get really red,  stomach issues, nipple discharge  and bad back pain.  My symptoms seem to come and go. I had some blood texst done and the first thing that was abnormal was my tsh.  It was low.  Then I was sent to an endo and my prolactin was high,  and cortisol was low,  but my tsh was fine.  She ordered more blood test and an MRI.  What does all of this mean?  does this mean it is pituitary related? Thankyou once again for any help understanding everything.  

[nikkie27]

Thankyou once again for all the help you have given me!!

[rumpled]

Re ACTH - was it in a chilled lavender topped tube, and the tech run out or pop in in a centrifuge right after the draw and tell you he/she would be sure to freeze it promptly? If not, it would be lower just for sitting in the bin and how long will make it lower and lower...

Usually tumors effect vision to the side - visual fields will pick it up. Most people will not notice unless it is really bad (tunnel vision).

Tumors can vary in patient experience - doctors don't seem to accept this though.

[nikkie27]

Hi and thankyou for the help.  I do have an ACTH blood test that I will have done next week.  Do you think that maybe all the test came back abnormal because of lab error?  I don't feel bad all the time.  I seem to flare and I don't know anything about it but I wouldn't think tumors would cause flares.  Do they?  I haven't noticed any difference in my eye sight just the weird feeling at times that certain lights make worse and some times I see dots and sometimes it looks kinda foggy but it never last it clears up.  thanyou so much for the reply!!!

[rumpled]

Please find a pituitary center and a neuro-endocrinologist. It sounds like you may have a pituitary issue that is causing problems.

TSH is fine - ah - do you know the actual number?

Is the MRI going to be a pituitary MRI at a pituitary center and will it be dynamic?

Low cortisol is a rather urgent medical condition - has the doctor arranged for an ACTH stimulation test and other adrenal tests to confirm and then placed you on replacements? Low cortisol can be pituitary or adrenal only testing can confirm the source.

Have you been to an eye doctor and had visual fields?

Any other testing other than TSH, cortisol and prolactin? I would head off to a university center to get a more experienced endo and better quality MRI.