Of course, I’m referring to the pituitary gland — what else can cause so many things to be out of sorts?
Headaches, sickness, fatigue and brain fog are just a few of the daily reminders. Not enough cortisol and what people really don’t understand — the fact that yes we have our regular medication for the pituitary insufficiency or Addison’s disease component.
However, the rest of our day is based around judgement — listening to our bodies — using our experience. Then decide on the best treatment for that day — a challenge when each is different. Some need extra medication to replace the cortisol that we can no longer make or our supply has just run dry.
Others can be managed with a bit more rest. Some extra pacing or perhaps a lie down, change of activity or simply doing something along the self-care line. Yoga, meditation and visualisation have been part of my daily diet for as long as I can remember.
Then we start to look at some of the other symptoms we can face with the imbalance of hormones. These can sometimes be so cruel.
For example, the leaking of milk from nipples to many signifies that they have given birth and are breastfeeding. For many pituitary patients, it signifies that prolactin levels are unnaturally high and believe it or not fertility is an issue.
Then there’s hair loss and the possibility that self confidence then becomes an issue. Especially when fatigue and brain fog set in. Or growth hormones are not balanced and result in unnatural appearances.
The frustration of not being able to get through your daily tasks. Trying to explain but at a loss for words. Overload — feels like burn out only worse. Like it’s never going to come to an end.
Everyone has a pituitary journey — each person is different — there are no standard treatments for this. No simple tests we can perform at home. We use trial and error and take no risks. Carry our shock packs (emergency injection kits), and ensure we have medical jewellery on. Safety is the priority.
For help and information you can contact:
The Pituitary Foundation: https://pituitary.org.uk
The Addison’s Disease Self Help Group: https://www.addisonsdisease.org.uk
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