Zensational
Senior Member
- Messages
- 139
- Location
- Orlando, Florida
Having had CFS/ME for 28 years, I have been down a lot of blind alleys, medically that is. I am now of the opinion that any patient who presents to a doctor with the typical CFS symptoms should have a pituitary function test for Growth Hormone levels. I say this because when I first became ill in 1984, in addition to having the low grade fevers and fatigue, swollen glands, etc, I was having gait problems causing me to fall. This prompted me to see a neurologist who did an MRI and found that my pituitary was enlarged. He dismissed it, guess he didn't know what to do about that and CFS/ME was practically unknown at the time. More recently I started having migraines and that prompted me to see a neurologist who specializes in headaches. He ordered another MRI "with contrast" and discovered "empty sella".
So the conclusion I am drawing is that the virus initially caused my pituitary to become enlarged and it ruptured the membrane causing the fluid to come into the sella, thus shrinking the pituitary.
Tomorrow I have an appointment with the endocrinologist to see the results of my bloodwork. I am praying that they prescribe the Growth Hormone in addition to the other hormones I am missing.
I have read that Growth Hormone is one thing that restores stage 4 sleep which I am getting very little of. That is confirmed by a recent sleep study. Zero stage 4 sleep.
I am uncertain as to how the hypothalamus plays into all of this. I will find out more tomorrow.
In the meantime I am trying to hang on to sanity. Quite a trick with no stage 4 sleep.
So the conclusion I am drawing is that the virus initially caused my pituitary to become enlarged and it ruptured the membrane causing the fluid to come into the sella, thus shrinking the pituitary.
Tomorrow I have an appointment with the endocrinologist to see the results of my bloodwork. I am praying that they prescribe the Growth Hormone in addition to the other hormones I am missing.
I have read that Growth Hormone is one thing that restores stage 4 sleep which I am getting very little of. That is confirmed by a recent sleep study. Zero stage 4 sleep.
I am uncertain as to how the hypothalamus plays into all of this. I will find out more tomorrow.
In the meantime I am trying to hang on to sanity. Quite a trick with no stage 4 sleep.