Pituitary Tumor????

[Mom to 3 kids]

Hi
I'm a 33 yr old woman producing breastmilk for no reason.
Walk in clinic doctor sent me for a blood workup, thyroid testing (TSH) and prolactin levels.
I followed up 2 days later with a doc from my doctors practice & he said all tests were fine except that I needed to come back because the prolactin tests weren't back.

My symptoms are:
-I wake up with headaches that make me think I'm dying.
-Post nasal drip that causes coughing till I vomit daily & has always been excused away with asthma.
-I cannot remember phone numbers most times.
-I actually used to forget where I was going & think I forgot my baby on a regular basis so the doc put me on effexor and ativan.
-Recent gain of 12 pounds for no food accountable reason.
-Lately I need to nap in the mid day with my toddler
-Numbness & tingling in legs & arms when sitting in a position where they are bent.
-Constipation for the passed week even though I have been diagnosed with ulceritive pan colitis & have had diarrhea for the passed 2 years.
-My lower back & back of my legs are consistently burning all of the time.
-Acne on my face & neck.
-Occasional weekness in my right arm & hand when I grasp things.
-Itchy beyond belief on my legs arms chest & back to the point of sores.
-My big toes are numb.
-2 times I've woken with really puffy eyes
-The last few weeks I feel as though my eyeballs are twitching.

The first clinic doc hasn't contacted me about the prolactin test so I'm thinking it might have come back fine.  I see my reg doc tomorrow & don't know what to ask for if my tests are fine.

Thanks

[TTL]

I am also 33 years old. I have had some of these symptoms. But still could be hypothyroidism even with negative test for both thyroids and prolactin. I had my thyroids check 5 times by five different doctors and they all say normal. I have had my prolactin checked by 1 doctor because of the breast milk.My son is 13 years old. No other pregnancies. My symptoms started pretty much like pregnancy like missed cycles, nausesa,increased sense of smell,fequent urination,enlarging uterus,closed cervix,stomach swollen and hard. I can also feel movement in my lower abdomen and down lower. Pelvic pain. I do not have headaches,numbness,or any of other symptoms. But I do have the breast milk,irregular cycles,weight gain. Can some of these other symptoms be signs of this also.

[south3333]

A related discussion, wanting to read dx was started.

[lazydog]

I was told twice that my blood tests were "normal" in 1999 and 2001 and they were then secreted into the file - expecting never to be seen again - until I insisted I was ill and finally got an above range test in April this year.  On reading that labs used old range figures, I then asked to see old tests and, sure as eggs, the TSH was well above the new accepted range.    

Also had an antibody test been requested, they would have noticed I was hypothyroid candidate!

I too
-got huge headaches, that only 3 coedeine tabs would fix;
-relied on other school mums to remind me what was going on;
-walked out of the hairdressers without my baby;
- was so tired I would get the kids to school, nap, make their lunches and deliver to school, nap, get me ready for work, nap, go to work, come home, nap, get dinners, nap, clean up, go to bed;
-had subtle weight gain of about 5kg - in the end couldn't wear my rings;
-had numbness in my arms and legs during sleep;
-had puffy eyes and sagging eyelids;
-eyelid twitching;
-lower back pain and pain radiating down my legs - esp when tired;

Don't lose any more time being told you're normal.  We can remember what normal is - and it ain't what you've described!  Check the results yourself.  I was sent for a CAT scan as the endo thought my smelling smoke warranted a scan of the pituitary and the scan came back ok.  Since being diagnosed and beginning medication of 50mcg synthroid I am improving.  Almost immediately the headaches stopped, the brain fog has gone, my rings fit, I'm not severely fatigued.  I still have many other symptoms happening but the worst of it is gone.  I hope it's just now a matter of fine tuning the right medication.

[PNWBabe]

It's probably good that your doctor is being cautious and ordering a CAT scan. The breast milk leakage can actually be a sign of early hypo as well. You are your own best advocate, the best thing you can do is get educated. There is a great book called "Thyroid, Guardian of Health" by P. Young, see if you can check it out from your local library, if not, try amazon. If you are interested in trying armour, which is a natural dessicated thyroid product, containing T1, T2, T3, T4 and calcitonin, which a healthy thyroid produces, google that and do some reading. I belong to a wonderful support group in yahoo, for natural thyroid hormones, come join us and get some great information and support from ladies who have been exactly where you are!

[Mom to 3 kids]

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU

I can't tell you how much your responses mean to me.  I am going to print this off and remember to ask about it.  I actually got in today to see my doctor and the prolactin test is still not back yet.  It was done on this past Thursday and will still be another day or two.  The doc scheduled me for a cat scan he said no matter what the prolactin results are he wants one done.

Thanks again.

Laurie

[PNWBabe]

Hi Mom,

What are the actuallab numbers? I am sure that you know your labs belong to you and you have the right to a copy of every lab done. With that laundry list of symptoms, in my opinion I would say you are hypo. Have you ever had the Free's (FreeT3 and FreeT4)and and antibodies done with your other lab work? I was diagnosed as hypo even though my TSH was "normal" at 1.57, but, my antibodies were >1000 and I was displaying similar symptoms as you are describing.

[Mark Lupo, M.D.]

Well - the breast milk discharge and headache are a concern - I would be tempted to do a brain MRI with focus on the pituitary even if the prolactin is "normal" -- also repeat the prolactin at a different lab (if first is normal) and have them do a 1:100 dilution to exclude something called a "hook effect" -- difficult to explain, just insist on it if the first test was normal.

If the numbness/tingling or muscle weakness continues - then see a neurologist.

May also want to check cortisol levels - given the weight gain and acne.

Good luck