Janel, I too, was diagnosed with hypothyroid about 1 1/2 years ago. My PCP was constantly changing the dosage of my synthroid with no luck at keeping my thyroid levels stable. The only reason I was having a regular menstrual cycle was b/c I had been on the same birth control pills for several years. About 2 months ago, I started getting dark bruises from barely bumping into anything, high blood pressure, face and neck swelling, mood swings. My PCP ran some blood tests, but didn't seem concerned. I had to diagnose myself by researching on the Internet. Turns out I have Cushing's Disease. I had almost every symptom listed. I went to my PCP and he still didn't want to believe me, but he did a 24 hr urine test, which showed my high cortisol levels. I went through several tests before they finally found my pit tumor, only 3 1/2 mm, but I still have to have the PSS, which your endo might consider as well. Request the 24 hr urine test to check your cortisol levels, from there they can do a salivary test (which you can also purchase and do yourself at home). Or they can test for ACTH levels, which will show if your pit gland is causing your adrenals to produce excess cortisol. Those are simple tests your PCP can do at his office. If he sees those tests come back abnormal, he shouldn't hesitate to give you a referral to an endocrinologist. But it sounds like you need to do this soon, cortisol can really damage your body if you let it go untreated for too long. |
