Has anyone has had their Pituitary Gland damaged/interfered with because of their Lyme's?
I'm still in the process of a Lyme's diagnosis, but I'm 95% sure I have it. I'm also dealing with a Pituitary Gland malfunction.
I've got all the "classic" signs of problems with my adrenals and thyroid, which the pit gland regulates, but the tests they do on those glands are coming up fine.
They, for whatever reason, will not do the extensive testing on my pit gland and hypothalamus gland --- which is what I need. So I'm left struggling here, getting worse.
My holistic doctor told me months and months ago that this was my problem, and I totally believe it, but my traditional doctors want to hear nothing about it.
I'm hoping once I get a Lyme's diagnosis my doctor will pursue this and get me the help I need... otherwise, I'll have to explore the highly expensive biomedical program at our research hosp.
Just curious how common this problem is with Lyme's patients?
I've also been suffering with b12 and magnesium problems.
Nell
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
- "dealing with a Pituitary Gland malfunction. "
Everyone with lyme does. The HPA axis just gets fried from lyme. Yes, a good Lyme Literate MD (LLMD) knows all about this.
Forget the tests for endocrine stuff. There are no tests that can possibly show just how much lyme affects much of what happens in our bodies. A good LLMD will KNOW by your symptoms, etc.
When lyme (and other coinfections) are treated and the endocrine system is supported all along the way, this usually works out just fine. Self-care is a vital piece, too, with rest and a good diet.
By the way, it is Lyme Disease (no "s" after lyme). If your GP is talking to you about "lyme's" - he or she has not studied it at all. All the medical literature is about Lyme. When a doctor adds the "s" that can be just one clue that he's not lyme-educated (unless it may be his dialect).
CONTROVERSY CONTINUES TO FUEL THE "LYME WAR" - 2007
==================
Lyme really messes up the HPA axis (Hypothalamus/pituitary/adrenal network). The pituitary has much to do with weight/growth. Mess up any part of the endocrine system and other parts suffer, too.
See page 4 where Dr. Burrascano describes a bit about the considerations of the dysfunction with the HYPOTHALAMIC-PITUITARY AXIS
====================
This book is specific to lyme and other chronic stealth infections. The author discusses the endocrine connection and effects of STRESS on a person with such infections. You can read customer reviews and look inside the book at this link to its page at Amazon.
Curcumin Prevents Some Stress-Related Changes (By CP Staff)
Excerpts:
A recently published study investigated the effects of curcumin, a constituent of the botanical turmeric, on changes in cognition and memory caused by stress. . . .
. . . In this new study, researchers investigated the effect of curcumin supplementation on stress-induced learning defects in mice. . . .
. . . In addition, curcumin reversed the stress-induced increase in the levels of serum corticosterone, the primary hormone secreted during the stress response. . . .
. . . The researchers concluded, ``Thus, curcumin may be an effective therapeutic for learning and memory disturbances as was seen within these stress models, and
its neuroprotective effect was mediated in part by normalizing the corticosterone response, resulting in down-regulating of the phosphorylated calcium/calmodulin kinase II and glutamate receptor levels.''
** Nutritional Supplements in Disseminated Lyme Disease **
J.J. Burrascano, Jr., MD (2008) - Four pages -
Posted by minerva (Member # 20410) on :
hi, nellers
this is one of the first things my doc looked at because i was in such bad pain. she wanted to see what my inflamation levels looked like. we did msh testing c3a and leptin levels my msh was in the toliet and my c3a was three times the upper limit. hypothalmic pitutary adrenal axis disregulation is very common.
i too feel this is a piece to my health issues.
check out mold warroirs by shoemaker for more information. there is a visual contrast test you can do on line to see if the problems can be mold related.
i have genetic makers for mold. we all have neuortoxic problems to some degree.
i am hoping that at some point they will be able to treat with msh. there are people who are self treating with this to get more color base in there skin some for cosmetic reasons others for skin protection...new zealand, austrailia etc are doing more research in this due to high rates in skin cancer.
iam sorry you can't get the doctors to look at this. i am not sure if you can get tests that you need on line but that is one way to do it. directlabs. com you could test without them to at least know where you are.
there is a oouple here in california richard shames MD karilee shame MD. they wrote a book called Thyroid power. they are focused on hormone health.
maybe if you can do your own labs you could do a phone consult with someone like these folks. just a thought.
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
My pituitary gland was not producing enough growth hormone. I supplemented with rGH for about 7 yrs. Suddenly insurance wouldn't pay and I gave up the fight. I've been off the rGH for a year now and doing OK without it.
So I might conclude that successful Lyme treatment took care of the problem.
Posted by Robin123 (Member # 9197) on :
This was one of my major Lyme symptoms - I had high prolactin early on - they MRIed the pituitary, thought they saw a tumor, went in there, found hyperplasia (build-up of cells) but no tumor.
The surgeon said at the time I was one of three in 10,000 patients he didn't understand. I am now wondering if the other two also had Lyme.
The prolactin level remained high all through the years. Then I found out I had Lyme and began treating. And the prolactin level is dropping!
I've been taking oral clindamycin for my Lyme symptoms, drinking mangosteen juice to stop eye inflammatory symptoms, and drinking noni juice and taking grapeseed extract capsules to successfully shrink lipomas.
So you can treat your brain, is what I'm saying. Just experiment and find the treatments that you are going to respond to.
Posted by nellers78 (Member # 26774) on :
This forum moves fast - shows how many people are suffering, or think they're suffering, with Lyme Disease.
I'm ever so grateful for all the replies and advice. I'm printing it all out and plan to go through the resources mentioned.
Nell
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
nellars... We are the cutting edge around here!! Posted by cordor (Member # 9449) on :
Robin your mailbox is full. trying to send you a PM.
Posted by Robin123 (Member # 9197) on :
Lymetoo, cutting edge is a bad pun -
Nellars, glad you are finding the info helpful.
Corinne - I cleared out a little - my mailbox says full and it's not at 60 - ain't that the pits? (another bad pun)
Posted by massman (Member # 18116) on :
But a pun...is...FUN !
Usually.
Posted by Pinelady (Member # 18524) on :
The sad part is we have a lot of people losing the tendons and ligaments to the diseases and not being
diagnosed. I would guess at least 50% of all knee replacements are disease they never bothered to look for..Thats another cutting edge....
Posted by SmurfyMom (Member # 13688) on :
My kids were both diagnosed with pituitary dwarfism or growth hormone deficiency. My daughter was diagnosed years before we found out about the Lyme, and my son would have been had they run the stim test back when he first started seeing the endo. As it was, the endo kept putting it off and we didn't get the stim test till a year into Lyme treatment.
Both have responded well to replacement therapy.
Posted by Pinelady (Member # 18524) on :
HungryS I do believe it could be Lyme.
You are so right about the waking up.
Glad to hear you are learning it from the outside-in.
Nutrition and metabolism is a big part of the puzzle in Lyme and understanding why we have hormones that may be there but not work right as well as damages to the glands that may be incurred because of the bacteria is essential.
Someday they may discover diabetes is curable with simple antibiotics...
And yes you can get rid of those annoying neck burns/symptoms with antibiotics.
Posted by dmc (Member # 5102) on :
Editting Hungry's post so I can read it.
I've had (formally diagnosed) Secondary Hypothyroidism for a couple of years now, and my Endo could never figure out why (did an MRI of the pituitary and nothing).
When my ACTH was tested, my adrenals responded fine, but my pituitary does not seem to be stimulating them. Weird.
I'm wondering if this could have been Lyme all along (totally possible, since I' ve always been outdoorsy, between fishing, trail running, sports, or just being outdoors ingeneral), and the debilitating symptoms (burning headaches, facial twtiching, heart palpitations, stiff neck, low-grade fevers, joint pain, etc.)
I'm 22 now, but I had ben dealing with these things on and off for about 7 or 8 years (I could usually just push myself to work through the symptoms (I used to pop Ibuprfen like candy), I did however have unexplained cluster/migraine headaches that got in the way sometimes).
My doctor ran Lyme tests a couple of times, they all came back negative; until just recently, when 1 bands came back positive (my Endo actually did the test). The doctor put me on 100mg 2 x day for 3 weeks;
I' just finished them 3 days ago, asnd my symptoms have comeback with avengencce. I'm going to see an infectious disease doctor who is an LLMD this week.
My dad actually has Chrinic Lyme (basically controlled, but with the occasional flare-up), and he kept saying I ha Lyme all along, but since the doctors didn't "think" so,there was nothing I could do about it. Sucks!
Anyway, I was wondering: if anyone else has experienced the "burning" headaches, with the stiff neck symptom; if the pituitary thing can ever be reversed (by holistic means if possible); andhow long does treatment with antibiotics last (inorder to be effective, because 3 weeks was obviously not enough).
The medical community really needs to wake-up, even my own mother, who has been a RN for 30+ years, has a hard time dealing with patients who hace these "vague" symptoms, which "simple" bloodtests can't find a cause for, so therefore must not exist (or are just psychosomatic).
On another not, I am studying to get bachelor's in holistic nutrition (from Claytonvery College) at the momment, and I have learned one valuable piece of informatin:
You should cut back on sugar (cutting-out refined flour/sugar and processed foods is a given, but even from fruit, not cut-out all friut, but just be aware of your sugar intake), becaUse sugar feeds the bacteria.
Posted by dmc (Member # 5102) on :
There now I can read & respond.
Well, I think your dad is right.
ELISA test is very inaccurate & 100mg of abx (if it was doxycycline) is too low to do anything.
You need to get to a LLMD. You could contact local lyme support group for names of llmds in your area or post in "seeking" for some names
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