Cushing's Syndrome is a term used to describe hypercortisolism and the many strange effects that massive overdoses of cortisol - the stress hormone - can have on your body. People who experience Cushing's can be either endogenous patients, meaning they their body produces too much cortisol naturally because of pituitary or adrenal issues, or exogenous, usually meaning they are taking in synthetic cortisol in the form of corticosteroid medications such as prednisone. In this episode of ConverSapiens, host and exogenous Cushing's survivor Caleb Wilemon talks to 2 endogenous survivors about the side effects of too much cortisol, including weight gain, moon face, buffalo hump, striae, memory loss, increased irritability, personality changes, hyperglycemia, hypertension, insomnia, skin sensitivity, and in rare cases, even psychosis.

Shauna Nelson survived a many years long struggle with misdiagnosis and eventual treatment which lead her to create The Many Faces of Cushing's, an online support group for Cushing's patients with over 4,700 members who share their knowledge and experience with other active Cushing's patients seeking proper diagnosis and treatment. Kelsey Zeman is a recent Cushing's patient who has undergone 2 surgeries in the pursuit of a cure for her hypercortisolism. She recently underwent transphenoidal brain surgery to remove the pituitary tumor responsible for her Cushing's symptoms. 

If you or a loved one has symptoms of hypercortisolism, talk to an endocrinologist about it and pursue cortisol levels testing. Plug into groups such as The Many Faces of Cushing's to learn more about the disease. If you are a medical professional, keep an open mind about your patients' expression of their symptoms. As you will hear, it is very hard to get a proper diagnosis for people with Cushing's because of their experiences being too quickly dismissed. If your patient is gaining weight uncontrollably and displaying other symptoms of hypercortisolism, dieting will not fix the issue if they have Cushing's Disease. 

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