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Adrenal Insufficiency Causes, Diagnoses and Treatment?
I am a 29 year old female who has over the last year gained an unexpected, unexplained 35 lbs. I have always been thin and now feeling very uncomfortable.
About a year and half ago I went for a yearly pap smear and told my gyno that I had been experiencing a lot of ovulation pain, apparent cysts as well as an odd thing of still secreating milk even though I stopped breast feeding 4.5 years prior. They ordered a few tests ACTH, TCH and a few others I can't remember. They also started me on oral contraceptive. With in days of beginning the pill my milk production stopped and I never had the blood tests done. (Stupid, yes, I know)
A year later I went back for the annual and told them about the weight gain and they ordered a few more tests. The only one that came back abnormal was my fasting insulin level was very high. I was referred to an endocrinolgoist.
He ran a series of tests, including renal panal, Coritsol and 2 hour oral glucose. I was diagnosed with Diabetes a month ago. The corisol test required me to take a pill at 11 pm and then the blood work to be done precisely at 8 am the next day. If HIGH, it would indicate the precence of an adreal or pituitary gland tumor. The normal range was 4-22. Mine came back very low at 1.9.
The last two times I have been in high sudden stress situations (a friend confronting me with something very rudely & being involved with police catching someone that stole from me and me seeing them arrest him) the normal stress indicators appear like red face, racing heart, jittery, etc. But, then I get UNBELIEVABLY bad pain in both of my kidneys. It is severe for a minute or so, then decreases to an ache for several days.
Can anyone help me... and can anyone recommend how I should approach my Dr. with this without looking like a crazy person? I don't have another appointment with the endocrinologist until September.
About a year and half ago I went for a yearly pap smear and told my gyno that I had been experiencing a lot of ovulation pain, apparent cysts as well as an odd thing of still secreating milk even though I stopped breast feeding 4.5 years prior. They ordered a few tests ACTH, TCH and a few others I can't remember. They also started me on oral contraceptive. With in days of beginning the pill my milk production stopped and I never had the blood tests done. (Stupid, yes, I know)
A year later I went back for the annual and told them about the weight gain and they ordered a few more tests. The only one that came back abnormal was my fasting insulin level was very high. I was referred to an endocrinolgoist.
He ran a series of tests, including renal panal, Coritsol and 2 hour oral glucose. I was diagnosed with Diabetes a month ago. The corisol test required me to take a pill at 11 pm and then the blood work to be done precisely at 8 am the next day. If HIGH, it would indicate the precence of an adreal or pituitary gland tumor. The normal range was 4-22. Mine came back very low at 1.9.
The last two times I have been in high sudden stress situations (a friend confronting me with something very rudely & being involved with police catching someone that stole from me and me seeing them arrest him) the normal stress indicators appear like red face, racing heart, jittery, etc. But, then I get UNBELIEVABLY bad pain in both of my kidneys. It is severe for a minute or so, then decreases to an ache for several days.
Can anyone help me... and can anyone recommend how I should approach my Dr. with this without looking like a crazy person? I don't have another appointment with the endocrinologist until September.
Do not be afraid how you will appear to a doctor. The more info they have to go on the better. Your symptoms do sound like adrenal problems, and consulting with another endocrinologist may get you more answers. September is a long time to wait and feel miserable.
Do keep in mind that sleep apnea can cause weight gain and stress the adrenals with the repeated output of adrenaline and throws many of the body's systems out of whack. It can also contribute to diabetes. If you have any other symptoms pointing that way, wouldn't hurt to check it out. Could be you've got more than one thing going on.
Do keep in mind that sleep apnea can cause weight gain and stress the adrenals with the repeated output of adrenaline and throws many of the body's systems out of whack. It can also contribute to diabetes. If you have any other symptoms pointing that way, wouldn't hurt to check it out. Could be you've got more than one thing going on.
You sound like a classic case of agrenal innsuffiency and that pain in your kidneys is your adrenal glands. Mine ache all the time. I dont understand why your doctor isnt taking this further. You need a 24 hour urine cortisol test or one where they check it at different times of the day. Also get off the birth control pills they are masking another problem if you were still lactating they need to look at your pituitary horemones and your other horemones. The diabetes explains the weight gain but it just sounds to me like something else is going on. I have learned the hard way do not be afraid to sound like a crazy person in front of your doctor remember they are just practicing they need all the help they can get diagnosing even if it hurts theyre egos.
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