Posted by Sad Panda on July 4, 2004, at 4:41:17
In reply to Re: Flabby stomach and Depression » Sad Panda, posted by Racer on July 2, 2004, at 12:09:47
> Heheheh... You know, it's always a little intimidating to follow in your footsteps, since you know so much more than I do about all of this, but Cushing's is something I do know more than a little about, so...
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> While the most noticeable effects of Cushing's syndrome are the "moon face" and general fatty weight gain (there's some muscle wasting that happens with it), abdominal fat is definitely another symptom. The high cortisol levels do affect where fat is deposited, and the abdominal area gets more than its fair share. The muscle wasting is a real problem, too, and Cushing's also can *cause* depressive symptoms as well as a whole host of other secondary changes in the body.
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> Now, that's all *Cushing's Syndrome or Disease*, not just raised cortisol levels from stress. On the other hand, I'd assume that anything that raises cortisol levels for any length of time is likely to create some similar symptoms. Also, I have read enough articles saying that cortisol contributes to abdominal fat -- articles from sources I trust, not just the usual "hey, there's this new drug to flatten your tummy!" stuff -- that I'm inclined to think there's something there. How much is the cortisol the problem, as opposed to other factors like diet and exercise? That I can't tell you. I can only tell you that I have some personal experience with Cushing's and the muscle wasting and the abdominal fat were the two biggest signs I saw. (I didn't have it, a loved one did. Since I knew what she was eating and how much exercise she got, I could get a good idea of how much of the changes were directly related to the Cushing's. And no, she couldn't have been pigging out when I wasn't looking.)
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> On the other hand, I wouldn't try to combat my own abdominal fat -- and it really, really bugs me -- with anti-cortisol drugs as a first step. If, after trying the usual recommendations of diet and exercise, nothing happened; or if it got significantly worse; then I would talk to my doctor about testing my cortisol levels over time to see if they really were elevated. One test is like one glucose reading for blood sugar: it gives you a snapshot in time, not a definitive answer. (Unless it's waaaayyyy outside normal, of course.) Cortisol levels change throughout the day, so one test probably won't provide enough information to make a final, decisive conclusion about it. Several tests over about a week, I think I've read, are what it takes to find out if the levels are consistently raised. And I'd only agree to any sort of treatment for elevated cortisol if I were convinced that my levels were consistently elevated.
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> For those who do have the same sort of pot belly issues I have, though, one factor may be related to artificial sweeteners. The newer ones have been shown to contribute to both weight gain due to hormonal changes and to redistribution of body fat. And I write that with a diet soda, artifically sweetened, next to my monitor. After reading both that and the articles associating aspartame with depression, I've been cutting back on it myself. Can't tell you if it's really helping or not, but it did seem like a wise idea...
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> Anyway, I hope something in there helped. If anyone is interested in finding out more about Cushing's, by the way, the veterinary sites have a lot of the most informative articles -- in part because they're written for the people who have to take care of an animal with the syndrome, the owner of that animal, who may not have a lot of science or medicine background but still needs good information -- and a lot of the best research on the disorder is done with animals. A lot of the treatment options for people are based on that veterinary experience. I recommend starting at the vet sites, then moving to the people sites.
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> Best to all.
>Hi Racer,
Don't be intimadated about following my posts, I'm not an expert on anything in particular. :)
I only have a vague understanding of cortisol & Cushing's. AFAIK, cortisol is released when under stress to ensure plenty of energy & it does things like render muscle into sugar hence the muscle wasting like you say. The test I have had is the 24hour urine collection test & they test the whole lot at once to give an average because it varies throughout the day.
I am very interested in what you say about artifical sweetners too, I've spent the better part of two decades guzzling diet drinks & it would not surprise me if it was the cause of half my problems.
Cheers,
Panda.
poster:Sad Panda
thread:362349
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040704/msgs/362935.html