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Weight Gain With Elevated BP And Heart Rate. Cortisol Test High. Had Endocrine Issue, Adenoma On Parathyroid
Question: Hi, I've recently had some sudden unexplained weight gain. It was about 15 lbs in 21 days. The weight gain has leveled off now. Anyway, my blood pressure and heart rate have increased as well. It ranges anywhere from 160/100 to 145/85. Heart rate is now in the 80's everytime. My heart rate has never been that high. It's consistently in the 60's now that I'm 42yrs old. It has always been on the low side. In college it would frequently be in the upper 40''s.
I recently had an acth/cortisol test. It was performed at 8:30am. The levels were high-normal.
Cortisol 16.3 (2.3-19.4)
ACTH 60.6 (7.2-63.3)
It is so hard to get labcorp to perform the test at 8:00am, since they don't offer an appt that early. Could the levels fall back into the normal range in a 30 min time frame? I'm scheduled for another acth/coritisol that includes a hand written note for it to be collected at 8:00am. Basically, my endo trying to rule out cushing's disease. One that note, does weight gain and high blood pressure match cushing's? My endo isn't aware of the high bp at this point. I've been monitoring it since it was high at another dr appt last week.
Quick history. I have some endocrine issues already. I have low testosterone due to a deficiency in pituitary hormones. I've also had an adenoma on one of my parathyroids that was removed a couple of years ago. I also have RLS, which might be dopamine issue. Mirapex releives it for the most part.
Current weight 237. I weighed about 215 last summer and about 222 a couple of months ago.
Other symptoms:
Increased anxiety
Super increased tanning in sun exposed areas
Joint and muscle pain
Hair loss
IBS
Thank you!
XXXXXXX
I recently had an acth/cortisol test. It was performed at 8:30am. The levels were high-normal.
Cortisol 16.3 (2.3-19.4)
ACTH 60.6 (7.2-63.3)
It is so hard to get labcorp to perform the test at 8:00am, since they don't offer an appt that early. Could the levels fall back into the normal range in a 30 min time frame? I'm scheduled for another acth/coritisol that includes a hand written note for it to be collected at 8:00am. Basically, my endo trying to rule out cushing's disease. One that note, does weight gain and high blood pressure match cushing's? My endo isn't aware of the high bp at this point. I've been monitoring it since it was high at another dr appt last week.
Quick history. I have some endocrine issues already. I have low testosterone due to a deficiency in pituitary hormones. I've also had an adenoma on one of my parathyroids that was removed a couple of years ago. I also have RLS, which might be dopamine issue. Mirapex releives it for the most part.
Current weight 237. I weighed about 215 last summer and about 222 a couple of months ago.
Other symptoms:
Increased anxiety
Super increased tanning in sun exposed areas
Joint and muscle pain
Hair loss
IBS
Thank you!
XXXXXXX
Dear friend, welcome to Healthcaremagic!
I am Dr. Prasad Akole (Critical Care Expert- http://bit.ly/Dr-Prasad-Akole) and am glad to address to your query here.
You have lot of disorders together. Multiple endocrine problems exist.
Causes of weight gain and high BP can be many.
Cushing’s has both. But your ACTH and cortisol levels are acceptable. They are not very predictable and mostly not done nowadays. Testosterone being a steroid can affect it.
Most of your symptoms like weight gain, hair loss, anxiety could be the side effects of your medicines (e.g. Prozac-fluoxetine- causes these).
Mirapex can also occasionally cause weight changes.
Salt retention can cause odema, weight gain and high BP.
You need to get evaluated in detail and talk to your doctor about all these changes and possibility of side effects of medications.
Endocrine evaluation for pituitary status is must. It needs meticulous clinical and lab hormone evaluations.
Pigmentation of the sun-exposed skin can occur with Cushings’ disease due to high ACTH levels.
I hope to have answered your query satisfactorily. I would be glad to answer any further queries. Take care and please keep me informed of your progress at http://bit.ly/Dr-Prasad-Akole
Good Luck!
As it helps us to improve continuously, may I request you to write a rating review before you ‘accept’ and ‘close’ the query.
Thank you!!
I am Dr. Prasad Akole (Critical Care Expert- http://bit.ly/Dr-Prasad-Akole) and am glad to address to your query here.
You have lot of disorders together. Multiple endocrine problems exist.
Causes of weight gain and high BP can be many.
Cushing’s has both. But your ACTH and cortisol levels are acceptable. They are not very predictable and mostly not done nowadays. Testosterone being a steroid can affect it.
Most of your symptoms like weight gain, hair loss, anxiety could be the side effects of your medicines (e.g. Prozac-fluoxetine- causes these).
Mirapex can also occasionally cause weight changes.
Salt retention can cause odema, weight gain and high BP.
You need to get evaluated in detail and talk to your doctor about all these changes and possibility of side effects of medications.
Endocrine evaluation for pituitary status is must. It needs meticulous clinical and lab hormone evaluations.
Pigmentation of the sun-exposed skin can occur with Cushings’ disease due to high ACTH levels.
I hope to have answered your query satisfactorily. I would be glad to answer any further queries. Take care and please keep me informed of your progress at http://bit.ly/Dr-Prasad-Akole
Good Luck!
As it helps us to improve continuously, may I request you to write a rating review before you ‘accept’ and ‘close’ the query.
Thank you!!
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Thank you for the detailed follow-up!
I apologize, but I have one more quick question. My testosterone was in the low range despite the XXXXXXX dosage of testim gel (two tubes day). My muscles have toned up over the last couple of years, and I believe that I'm still getting some benefit in that arena from the testim gel in spite of the low numbers. Therefore, I feel like I am absorbing it to a certain extent. However, my libido matches the low lab results. However, if I am absorbing it and getting some muscular benefit, why are my lab results low? I don't understand what happens to it once it's in the body. I'm guessing that it's binding or converting to something. If it is something similar to cushing's (granted my acth/cortisol are ok, albeit unreliable), could it interfere with the testosterone levels?
I just want to make sure I'm doing my homework as a patient. My endo (and all drs) have such limited time, that I don't want to waste any of it on poor questions.
Testosterone Date Results
9/15/2008 282 (250-1100)
6/22/2010 300
7/6/2010 187.52 (350-890)
5/3/2011 289 (249-836) 1 Tube Testim
2/7/2012 578 (348-1197) 2 Tubes Testim
8/2/2012 672 (348 - 1197) 2 Tubes Testim
2/5/2013 242 (348-1197) 2 Tubes Testim
Thank you once again!
I apologize, but I have one more quick question. My testosterone was in the low range despite the XXXXXXX dosage of testim gel (two tubes day). My muscles have toned up over the last couple of years, and I believe that I'm still getting some benefit in that arena from the testim gel in spite of the low numbers. Therefore, I feel like I am absorbing it to a certain extent. However, my libido matches the low lab results. However, if I am absorbing it and getting some muscular benefit, why are my lab results low? I don't understand what happens to it once it's in the body. I'm guessing that it's binding or converting to something. If it is something similar to cushing's (granted my acth/cortisol are ok, albeit unreliable), could it interfere with the testosterone levels?
I just want to make sure I'm doing my homework as a patient. My endo (and all drs) have such limited time, that I don't want to waste any of it on poor questions.
Testosterone Date Results
9/15/2008 282 (250-1100)
6/22/2010 300
7/6/2010 187.52 (350-890)
5/3/2011 289 (249-836) 1 Tube Testim
2/7/2012 578 (348-1197) 2 Tubes Testim
8/2/2012 672 (348 - 1197) 2 Tubes Testim
2/5/2013 242 (348-1197) 2 Tubes Testim
Thank you once again!
The body’s endocrine secretions are controlled in a complex manner.
There is a negative feedback loop inbuilt in the HPA (hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal) axis and any externally supplied hormones will suppress the central axis (pituitary) and produce lower steroid/ testosterone hormones etc.
There are more complex situations when there is a pathology like pituitary or adrenal disease or parathyroid secreting adenoma etc.
Your case is a complex one and will need an endocrino scratching his head to evaluate the exact problem.
You are more likely to have hypo function of the central HPA axis than over function (as in Cushing’s).
But there may be surprises.
Online advice has limitations and actual examination and complex labs are needed in your case.
Act on the experts’ advice.
Wish you a speedy return to normality!!
There is a negative feedback loop inbuilt in the HPA (hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal) axis and any externally supplied hormones will suppress the central axis (pituitary) and produce lower steroid/ testosterone hormones etc.
There are more complex situations when there is a pathology like pituitary or adrenal disease or parathyroid secreting adenoma etc.
Your case is a complex one and will need an endocrino scratching his head to evaluate the exact problem.
You are more likely to have hypo function of the central HPA axis than over function (as in Cushing’s).
But there may be surprises.
Online advice has limitations and actual examination and complex labs are needed in your case.
Act on the experts’ advice.
Wish you a speedy return to normality!!
Note: For further follow up on related General & Family Physician Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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