I’ve written several articles recently on Cushing’s disease and the difference between it and Cushing’s syndrome—which I felt compelled to do because, I admit, in my own naivety, perhaps like many other people, I didn’t realize there was a difference.
My bad, so that’s why I’m doing all I can to help anyone who’s struggling to get a proper diagnosis—because I also learned that doctors don’t always get it right, either. They misdiagnose patients all too frequently with classic obesity or even diabetes.
So just for the record, I checked out an article on RareDiseaseReport.com about the disease and found it enlightening as it provides a basic background on the disease.
ABC’s of Cushing’s
In my research, I found a few other symptoms that I didn’t realize were also fairly common. In addition to obesity with a classic “moon face”—a significant amount of fat deposits around the cheeks, jaw, and under the chin—and the buffalo lump on the back between the shoulders, here are more symptoms:
- Weak muscles
- Flushing
- Acne
- High blood pressure
- Tiredness
- Significant excess hair growth
- Headache
The primary cause of Cushing’s disease is a tumor lodged on the pituitary gland which in turn overly stimulates the adrenal gland. This causes high levels of the hormone cortisol in the blood. Cushing’s is considered a rare disease and affects less than approximately 15 people per million.
Keep in mind that the disease is a type of Cushing’s syndrome, a cluster of conditions which present with increased cortisol levels.
Treatment including surgery can be successful, although there are significant risks involved.
Were you misdiagnosed with type ll diabetes that was really Cushing’s syndrome? Please post on Patient Worthy. We’d like to hear from you because too many people are being misdiagnosed and doctors need to know!