Posted by katekite on August 2, 2002, at 11:49:57
In reply to Re: dexamethasone questions, posted by Maximus on August 1, 2002, at 22:24:18
Hi,
Thanks for the interest. I ended up stopping the test due to increasing fever -- results would be uninterpretable because cortisol is stimulated in illness anyhow.
I've already had the urine cortisol test and it was high twice. So this is the next step, as a confirmation. The next test was to be the high dose, which would hopefully point toward the source of the extra cortisol.
I've had worsening mental and then physical symptoms for the last year. I find the birth control pill helps some so I may also be in peri-menopause.
I would guess if there has not been major worsening in your mental and physical health over the last years and there are not other symptoms of Cushing's besides the mental ones, Cushing's is unlikely.
My first physical symptoms were acne, and then 9 months later inability to tolerate caffeine without my blood pressure and pulse rising. Another month after that they were just high on their own, then muscle weakness. The mental symptoms started with the acne so there was no clear physical illness at that point.
I think the 24 hour urine cortisol is the best screening test. No test is perfect though, and some percentage of people with Cushing's actually test normal sometimes. Cushing's can be intermittent or cyclical. Since it isn't a horribly expensive test it is surely worth having it done once just in case.
I doubt your doc is right about 95%, but certainly the low dex test is a totally unreliable test without the additional support of other abnormal findings.
Thanks for writing in.
Kate
poster:katekite
thread:114789
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020731/msgs/114942.html