Acanthosis nigricans usually is classified into 2 types: a benign form, not associated with malignancy, and a malignant form. Patients with the malignant form of acanthosis nigricans tend to be thin and older than 40 years of age, and their eruption is of recent origin. The most common malignancy associated with malignant acanthosis nigricans is abdominal adenocarcinoma, especially of the stomach.

More information at Acanthosis

To top

• fatigue
• weakness
• sensitivity to cold
• decreased appetite
• weight loss
• abdominal pain
• low blood pressure
• headache
• visual disturbances
• short stature (less than 5 feet) if onset is during a growth period
• loss of armpit or pubic hair
• in women: cessation of menses, infertility, or failure to lactate
• in men: decreased sexual interest, loss of body or facial hair
• in children: slowed growth and sexual development

Additional symptoms that may be associated with this disease:

• weight gain (unintentional)
• joint stiffness
• hoarseness or changing voice
• hair loss
• facial swelling

More information can be found at Hypopituitarism

To top

For more information on hirsuitism in general, see Hair-Raising Problem: Excessive Hair

Also, for specific diseases, see PCOS information or Power Surge for perimenopause information.

To top

Acromegaly is a hormonal disorder that results when the pituitary gland produces excess growth hormone (GH). It most commonly affects middle-aged adults and can result in serious illness and premature death. Once recognized, acromegaly is treatable in most patients, but because of its slow and often insidious onset, it frequently is not diagnosed correctly.

The name acromegaly comes from the Greek words for "extremities" and "enlargement" and reflects one of its most common symptoms, the abnormal growth of the hands and feet. Soft tissue swelling of the hands and feet is often an early feature, with patients noticing a change in ring or shoe size. Gradually, bony changes alter the patient's facial features: the brow and lower jaw protrude, the nasal bone enlarges, and spacing of the teeth increases.

For more information, see Acromegaly

To top

Other symptoms appear in the skin, which becomes fragile and thin. It bruises easily and heals poorly. Purplish pink stretch marks may appear on the abdomen, thighs, buttocks, arms and breasts. The bones are weakened, and routine activities such as bending, lifting or rising from a chair may lead to backaches, rib and spinal column fractures.

Most people have severe fatigue, weak muscles, high blood pressure and high blood sugar. Irritability, anxiety and depression are common.

Symptoms can also include weight gain, moon face, weakness, fatigue, headache, increased thirst, increased urination, mental status changes, buffalo hump, and muscle atrophy.

Women usually have excess hair growth on their faces, necks, chests, abdomens, and thighs. Their menstrual periods may become irregular or stop.

Men have decreased fertility with diminished or absent desire for sex and impotence.

Children tend to be obese with slowed growth rates.

For a more comprehensive list of symptoms, see the Cushing's Checklist

To top

Adrienne Said:

MaryO, give her this link: http://www.merck.com/pubs/mmanual_home/sec13/146.htm

Kristy gave it to me and although I've looked at the Merck many times, I've never seen this page!

Uncontrolled high blood pressure is the MAIN symtpom of: Pheochromocytoma A pheochromocytoma is a tumor that originates from the adrenal gland's chromaffin cells, causing overproduction of catecholamines, powerful hormones that induce high blood pressure and other symptoms.

With about 20 percent of pheochromocytomas, chromaffin cells grow outside their normal location in the adrenal glands. Only 5 percent of pheochromocytomas that grow within the adrenal glands are cancerous, but 30 percent of those outside the adrenal glands are cancerous. Pheochromocytomas occur in fewer than 1 in 1,000 people. They may occur in men or women at any age, but they're most common between ages 30 and 60.

Pheochromocytomas are usually very small. They rarely cause symptoms from pressure or obstruction and usually can't be felt by a doctor. However, even a small pheochromocytoma can produce a substantial amount of potent catecholamines, which causes many symptoms. The catecholamines include hormones such as adrenaline (epinephrine), norepinephrine, dopamine, and dopa, all of which stimulate high blood pressure. Catecholamines also trigger other symptoms usually associated with threatening situations that inspire panic attacks.

Some people who develop pheochromocytomas have a rare inherited condition, multiple endocrine neoplasia, that makes them prone to tumors in various endocrine glands, such as the thyroid, parathyroid, and adrenal glands. (see Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Syndromes) Pheochromocytomas may also develop in people who have von Hippel-Lindau disease, in which blood vessels grow abnormally and form benign tumors (hemangiomas), and in those who have neurofibromatosis (von Recklinghausen's disease), in which fleshy tumors grow on nerves.

Symptoms The most prominent symptom of a pheochromocytoma is high blood pressure, which may be very severe. In about 50 percent of the people, the high blood pressure is persistent. In the rest, the high blood pressure and other symptoms come and go, sometimes triggered by pressure on the tumor, massage, medication (especially anesthesia and beta-blocking drugs), emotional trauma, and on rare occasions the simple act of urination. Other symptoms include any or all of the following: a fast and pounding heart rate, excessive sweating, light-headedness when standing, rapid breathing, flushing, cold and clammy skin, severe headaches, chest and stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, visual disturbances, tingling fingers, constipation, and an odd sense of impending doom. When these symptoms appear suddenly and forcefully, they can feel like a panic attack.

Diagnosis A doctor may not suspect a pheochromocytoma because almost half the people have no symptoms other than persistent high blood pressure. However, when high blood pressure occurs in a young person, comes and goes, or accompanies other symptoms of pheochromocytoma, the doctor may request certain laboratory tests. For example, the level of certain catecholamines may be measured in urine samples.

Tests such as a computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan can help locate the pheochromocytoma. A test using injected radioactive chemicals that tend to accumulate in pheochromocytomas is also useful. A scan is then performed to see where the radioactive chemicals are.

Treatment Usually the best treatment is to remove the pheochromocytoma. Surgery is often delayed, however, until a doctor can bring the tumor's secretion of catecholamines under control with medication, because having high levels of catecholamines can be dangerous during surgery. Phenoxybenzamine and propranolol are generally given together, and metyrosine or additional drugs are often needed to control blood pressure.

If the pheochromocytoma is a cancer that has spread, chemotherapy with cyclophosphamide, vincristine, and dacarbazine may help slow the tumor's growth. The dangerous effects of the excess catecholamines secreted by the tumor can often be blocked by continuing to take phenoxybenzamine and propranolol.

Is that 10 cents worth? Anyway, maybe it will help. Don't know all her symptoms...cushings caused really high blood pressure in me that wasn't controlled with meds but they wouldnt give me beta blockers because at the time I had asthma. It disappeared btw. POOF! Lasixs helped.

I take toprol XL, a beta-blocker. Beta_blockers lower your heart rate....in addition to my taking it for hypertension, it was originally prescribed to me for an accelerated heart rate. Lately Ive been trying to ween myself off this med (with beta-blockers you must reduce the dose slowly so your heat can get back to its normal rhythum), it seems to not work for me either.

Ive read that Chloride, low and high seem to have a connection with cushings syndrome. Usually, when chloride is out of range some other electrolyte, like sodium, will be out of range too.