Pituitary Tumor Support Group

Please consider joining us for #Pituitary Tumor Support Group on Saturday October 7th, 2023 at 9am to discuss Current and Emerging Medical Therapies in Pituitary Tumor Treatment by Dr. Mahalakshi Honasage, #Endocrinologist, and Dr. Jack Rock, #Neurosurgery.

Virtual and In-Person participation is available.

RSVP to 313-916-1094

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Webinar: Webinar: Dr. Theodore Friedman (The Wiz) will giving a webinar on Updates on Treating Hypothyroidism

 


YOU’RE INVITED!  A4M/Metabolic Medical Institute (MMI) Webinar on Updates on Treating Hypothyroidism

Dr. Theodore Friedman (The Wiz) will giving a webinar on Updates on Treating Hypothyroidism

Topics to be discussed include:

  • New articles showing patients prefer desiccated thyroid
  • Moving away from a TSH-centered approach
  • New thyroid hormone preparations, including Adthyza
  • •Does biotin affect thyroid tests?
    •Hypothyroidism diet?
  • What is the difference between desiccated thyroid and synthetic thyroid hormones?
  • Is rT3 important?

Wednesday • August 2, 2023  • 4 PM PDT

register at https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_kRyqZFlrSgKj54CuK7OQqQ
Slides will be available on the day of the talk here.
There will be plenty of time for questions using the chat button.
For more information, email us at mail@goodhormonehealth.com

Basics: Treatment – Transsphenoidal adenomectomy

 

The most common procedure to remove pituitary tumors is transsphenoidal adenomectomy. It allows the removal of the tumor with minimal damage to the surrounding structures. The surgical team accesses the pituitary gland through the sphenoid sinus — a hollow space behind the nasal passages and below the pituitary gland.

If performed in specialized centers and by an experienced pituitary surgeon, this type of surgery is reported to result in an overall cure rate, or full remission, of Cushing’s disease for 80% to 90% of patients. A higher success rate is seen with smaller tumors.

However, reported remission rates vary considerably, mainly due to differences in the criteria used to define disease remission.

In some cases, a second transsphenoidal adenomectomy is required to fully remove tumor tissue; in others, the initial surgical procedure is paired with a second form of treatment, such as radiation therapy or certain medications.

Given the complexity of the procedure, the guidelines recommend patients undergo surgery in specialized Pituitary Tumor Centers of Excellence. Patients also are advised to have the surgery performed by an experienced pituitary neurosurgeon.

Follow-up for all patients should be conducted by a multidisciplinary team, including a pituitary endocrinologist.

Lifelong monitoring for disease recurrence is required.

❣️ Happy 23rd Birthday Cushing’s Help!

 

It’s unbelievable but the idea for Cushing’s Help and Support arrived 23 years ago late last night. I was talking with my dear friend Alice, who ran a wonderful menopause site called Power Surge, wondering why there weren’t many support groups online (OR off!) for Cushing’s and I wondered if I could start one myself and we decided that I could.

Thanks to a now-defunct Microsoft program called FrontPage, the first one-page “website” (http://www.cushings-help.com) first went “live” July 21, 2000 and the message boards September 30, 2000.

All our Cushing’s-related sites:

Webinar: Good Hormone Health Webinar Sunday July 9, 2023, 2023. 6 PM PST

YOU’RE INVITED! GoodHormoneHealth Webinar on Oh-Oh-Oh-Ozempic

Dr. Theodore Friedman (The Wiz) will giving a webinar on Ozempic and other new weight loss medicines.

Topics to be discussed include:

  • Who should go on weight-loss medications?
  • Which weight-loss medications are the best?
  • What are the side effects?
  • How do they work with diet and exercise?
  • How do you get insurance coverage?
  • There will be an opportunity for patients to share their experience on Facebook

Sunday • Jul 9, 2023  • 6 PM PDT

Via Zoom Click here to join the meeting or
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/4209687343?pwd=amw4UzJLRDhBRXk1cS9ITU02V1pEQT09
OR
+16699006833,,4209687343#,,,,*111116#

OR
Join on Facebook Live – https://www.facebook.com/goodhormonehealth

Slides will be available on the day of the talk here.
There will be plenty of time for questions using the chat button.
For more information, email us at mail@goodhormonehealth.com

Webinar: Good Hormone Health Webinar Sunday January 22, 2023. 6 PM PST

 

YOU’RE INVITED! GoodHormoneHealth Webinar on Lifestyle Medicine for Patients with Endocrine Problems With Eddie Ramirez, MD
Dr. Theodore Friedman (The Wiz) will be joined by Eddie Ramirez, MD

And will discuss the 6 pillars of lifestyle medicine as applied to patients with Endocrine disorders:
  • Nutrition
  • Exercise
  • Sleep
  • Stress Reduction
  • Good Relationships
  • Avoiding Toxic Substances

Dr. Ramirez a medical doctor, research scientist, published author and international speaker.

Dr. Ramirez major research interest has been how food and lifestyle has the ability to prevent and reverse physical and mental disease.

This has resulted in over 160 research which he has shared in 88 countries. His work has been featured on NBC’s Texoma, Icelandic National TV and the most popular health program in Ecuador. He is the author of Pandemic Busters and the co-author of the 3rd edition of the textbook of Lifestyle Medicine with thought leaders of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine and the book Rethink Food together with Neal Barnard, Michael Greger, Hans Diehl, Joel Furhman and other lifestyle medicine experts.

Date Change!  Sunday • January 22, 2023  • 6 PM PST

For more information, email us at mail@goodhormonehealth.com

12 Days of Cortisol Christmas Event

“We invite you to join us for our opening 12 Days of Cortisol Christmas event, “Overcoming Fatophobia” with Dr. Karen Thames.

Dr. Karen, a licensed clinical psychologist and founder of the EPIC Foundation, has battled Cushing’s disease and is now adrenal insufficient as a result. She has faced the battle of weight stigma both professionally and personally. In this interview, she bravely shares her story and advice on how to overcome #fatphobia in #chronicillness.

Adrenal Alternative’s 12 days of Cortisol Christmas is an event where we give back to the adrenal community during the Holiday Season.

Throughout the 12 days, we will be giving away adrenal awareness merch, hosting interviews with patients and professionals, and sharing helpful resources.

Even though patients must fight the war that is #adrenalinsufficiency, we want to let you know that you are supported by an army of adrenal warriors and you are not alone.”

~Adrenal Alternatives Foundation

Basics: Testing: Prolactin

prolactin (PRL) test measures how much of a hormone called prolactin you have in your blood. The hormone is made in your pituitary gland, which is located just below your brain.

When women are pregnant or have just given birth, their prolactin levels increase so they can make breast milk. But it’s possible to have high prolactin levels if you’re not pregnant, and even if you’re a man.

Your doctor may order a prolactin test when you report having the following symptoms:

For women

For men

  • Decreased sex drive
  • Difficulty in getting an erection
  • Breast tenderness or enlargement
  • Breast milk production (very rare)

For both

Causes of Abnormal Prolactin Levels

Normally, men and nonpregnant women have just small traces of prolactin in their blood. When you have high levels, this could be caused by:

Also, kidney diseaseliver failure, and polycystic ovarian syndrome (a hormone imbalance that affects ovaries) all can affect the body’s ability to remove prolactin.

How the Test Is Done

You don’t need to make any special preparations for a prolactin test. You will get a blood sample taken at a lab or a hospital. A lab worker will insert a needle into a vein in your arm to take out a small amount of blood.

Some people feel just a little sting. Others might feel moderate pain and see slight bruising afterwards.

After a few days, you’ll get the results of your prolactin test in the form of a number.

The normal range for prolactin in your blood are:

  • Males: 2 to 18 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL)
  • Nonpregnant females: 2 to 29 ng/mL
  • Pregnant females: 10 to 209 ng/mL

If Your Prolactin Levels Are High

If your value falls outside the normal range, this doesn’t automatically mean you have a problem. Sometimes the levels can be higher if you’ve eaten or were under a lot of stress when you got your blood test.

Also, what’s considered a normal range may be different depending on which lab your doctor uses.

If your levels are very high — up to 1,000 times the upper limit of what’s considered normal — this could be a sign that you have prolactinoma. This tumor is not cancer, and it is usually treated with medicine. In this case, your doctor may want you to get an MRI.

You’ll lie inside a magnetic tube as the MRI device uses radio waves to put together a detailed image of your brain. It will show whether there’s a mass near your pituitary gland and, if so, how big it is.

If Your Levels Are Low

If your prolactin levels are below the normal range, this could mean your pituitary gland isn’t working at full steam. That’s known as hypopituitarism. Lower levels of prolactin usually do not need medical treatment.

Certain drugs can cause low levels of prolactin. They include:

Treatment

Not all cases of high prolactin levels need to be treated.

Your treatment will depend on the diagnosis. If it turns out to be a small prolactinoma or a cause can’t be found, your doctor may recommend no treatment at all.

In some cases, your doctor may prescribe medicine to lower prolactin levels. If you have a prolactinoma, the goal is to use medicine to reduce the size of the tumor and lower the amount of prolactin.

From https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/prolactin-test

 

Clinical Trial: SPI-62 as a Treatment for Adrenocorticotropic Hormone-dependent Cushing’s Syndrome (RESCUE)

Brief Summary:
This is a randomized, placebo-controlled, crossover study of SPI-62 in subjects with ACTH-dependent Cushing’s syndrome. Subjects will receive each of the following 2 treatments for 12 weeks: SPI-62 and matching placebo
Condition or disease  Intervention/treatment  Phase 
Cushing’s Syndrome ICushing Disease Due to Increased ACTH Secretion Cortisol ExcessCortisol; Hypersecretion Cortisol Overproduction Ectopic ACTH Secretion Drug: SPI-62 Drug: Placebo Phase 2

Detailed Description:
This is a multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled, Phase 2 study to evaluate the pharmacologic effect, efficacy, and safety of SPI-62 in subjects with ACTH-dependent Cushing’s syndrome. Each subject who provides consent and meets all inclusion and exclusion criteria will participate in 3 periods: a 28-day screening period (Days -35 to -8), a 7-day baseline period (Days -7 to -1), and a 24-week treatment period (Day 1 of Week 1 to Day 168 ± 3 days of Week 24). Up to 26 subjects will be enrolled with the aim that 18 subjects with Cushing’s disease will complete the study. Subjects will receive each of the following 2 treatments for 12 weeks: SPI-62 and matching placebo.
Study Design
Go to  
Study Type  : Interventional  (Clinical Trial)
Estimated Enrollment  : 26 participants
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Crossover Assignment
Intervention Model Description: Staggered parallel crossover
Masking: Quadruple (Participant, Care Provider, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)
Primary Purpose: Treatment
Official Title: SPI-62 as a Treatment for Adrenocorticotropic Hormone-dependent Cushing’s Syndrome
Actual Study Start Date  : March 1, 2022
Estimated Primary Completion Date  : March 15, 2023
Estimated Study Completion Date  : August 15, 2023

More info at https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/record/NCT05307328

Basics: Diagnostic Procedures in Suspected Adrenocortical Carcinoma