Internet trolls partially assisted doctors in diagnosing Amy Schumer with Cushing’s syndrome, but patients can go years without a diagnosis.
Schumer opened up about her February 2024 diagnosis on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast on Wednesday, praising online criticism about her swollen face.
Cushing’s syndrome is a rare condition when the body has too much cortisol, said Dr. Divya Yogi Molen, medical director of the Cleveland Clinic Pituitary Center. Cortisol, known as the “stress hormone,” affects how your body processes stress and is important for keeping your body healthy.
“It helps us wake up in the morning, stabilizes our energy in the morning and throughout the evening, and soaks us in the evening so we can sleep,” she said.
Cushing’s syndrome is difficult to diagnose because providers don’t immediately think of the condition when patients come into the office reporting fatigue and weight gain. It’s also often confused with polycystic ovarian syndrome, or PCOS, or metabolic syndrome, Yogi Moren said.
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“For some people, it can take years to understand what’s going on,” she said. “The average diagnostic delay for Cushing’s syndrome is about 2 to 3 years.”
Patients who take cortisol drugs, sometimes to treat asthma or arthritis, are also at increased risk of developing Cushing’s syndrome. Schumer said her diagnosis was the result of a breast reduction and steroid injections from a C-section after her first child.
Cushing’s syndrome is rare, affecting up to 70 out of 1 million people each year.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, about 70% of people with Cushing’s syndrome are female or assigned female at birth. People between 25 and 50 are most likely to be affected by this condition.
Common symptoms include a red, round face. Poor healing of simple bruises and wounds. High blood pressure; excessive hair growth on the face, neck, chest, abdomen, breasts or thighs. Purple stretch marks on the abdomen. Fat pad between the shoulders. General feeling of weakness or fatigue. Blurred vision and dizziness; muscle weakness; thin arms and legs. Libido changes.
Cushing’s syndrome is difficult to diagnose because providers don’t immediately think of the condition when patients come into the office reporting fatigue and weight gain.
Without treatment, the Cleveland Clinic says high cortisol levels can lead to other health problems such as infections, blood clots, depression, heart attacks, weight gain, memory problems, difficulty concentrating, high blood pressure or high cholesterol. I said that there is.
To determine whether the patient had Cushing’s syndrome, doctors conducted tests to see if the body had too much cortisol, Yogi Molen said. It can also check another hormone called ACTH, which is produced by the pituitary gland when the body is under stress. Once the doctor confirms the diagnosis, the next step is to determine the cause.
Most often caused by either drugs or tumors. If a patient is taking a drug that can lead to Cushing’s syndrome, the doctor may lower the dose or prescribe a non-glucocorticoid drug. This can reduce inflammation without steroids.
If the patient is not taking the medication, the doctor will order a scan to see if the tumor can cause Cushing’s syndrome. Adrenal gland tumors account for up to 20% of Cushing’s syndrome cases, Yogi Molen said.
Adrianna Rodriguez can be reached at [email protected].