u/Ok_Pop8661

I have been suffering with weight gain (massive in just a few months), bleeding stretch marks, new acid reflux with bleeding ulcers, weakness in shoulders and hips, and easy bruising! I had an MRI done and the doctors found a microadenoma. My salivary cortisol and 24 hour urine cortisol were elevated, too. Now, I wait to meet with a neurosurgeon.

For others that went through this… None of my clothes fit anymore and I feel so depressed about my body. I don’t want to buy new clothes because I feel like that would be “admitting” that I plan to stay at this weight forever and I really don’t want to. How should I find something to wear?

30 yo female, autoimmune hepatitis, only meds escitalopram, Phentermine, and Topiramate, have not taken steroids in years. I am about 157 cm and have jumped from ~135 lb to 200 lb in about 6 months. Please help.

Thanks to helpful advice, I went to my PCP because I have been having:

- 70 lb weight gain in 6 months
- HUGE, wide stretch marks on belly, hips, legs, breasts, underarms
- Redistribution of fat, it’s all in my belly, back, and above my collarbones
- Weakness (my PCP called it 3-4/5, I can’t shower for long because I’m too weak to wash my hair a long time)
- Skin bruises easily and heals slowly
- Extreme fatigue all the time, never fixed by rest
- Frequest urination and thirst
- Hot flashes, flushing, and sweating

However, my PCP ignored most of my symptoms and was largely unhelpful. Because I have a normal BP and no glucose in my urine, he says I am “fine” despite my 3-4/5 weakness on exam and just “depressed and deconditioned”, although I am active (well, was before all this) and have been for years. So he didn’t run any tests and put me on Phentermine. I had hope that it would help.

Despite counting calories and eating less because of feeling ill, I haven’t lost a single pound and have continued to gain MORE weight week to week. The weakness is getting worse, and he won’t see me again. I don’t know what to do.

I was barely able to convince another doc of mine to do a late night cortisol but it came back inconclusive so now I am worried it’s all in my head, or no one will ever take me seriously again.

My mind and body are all different and messed up. I am losing hope and don’t know what to do. Every month I have to buy new clothes because they don’t fit. Please help.

The endocrinologist can’t get me in for months but I don’t want to keep gaining weight or lose mobility…

Hey all, pretty much what it says in the title!

I went to medical school right after college because I loved science, medicine, and helping people. I also loved jobs where I could talk with explain things to other people, like people-facing jobs. I thought medicine was a natural choice for me. I absolutely loved medical school. I loved learning so much.

Then, residency happened. I started seeing medicine for what it really is in the United States. Before starting residency, I was a super bubbly and happy person. I was someone that people would describe as optimistic and sunny. Residency completely ripped out my heart and soul and left me a completely empty husk.

Despite having fabulous reviews from patients saying I was kind and patient with them, I was always being hounded by administration, saying I was much too slow and wasting the hospital’s time and money. I was told verbatim that I had to get better at “cutting people off” an interrupting them when they were talking, even if they were opening up to me about things they have never told anyone. I couldn’t stomach that. That, compiled with endless 24 hour shifts, constantly being made to feel like you are never good enough, and the gross for-profit monetization of the medical field really made it feel like what I was doing didn’t have a purpose at all. That I was just another cog in the pointless wheel that wasn’t helping anyone, and just making a rich person richer.

My physical health quickly declined and I became extremely depressed. I entered the darkest place I have ever been in my entire life. I withdrew from everyone and started seeing everything in black and white. My life consisted of working, and crying, and sleeping, repeated over and over. I was truly miserable, and sick.

So, I left. I quit and became a science teacher. I am so much happier now. I can finally see in color again. I can hang out with friends, I can take part in hobbies, I can enjoy my time at work with the children. My job is not perfect, but I overall feel like I am actually making a difference.

I still get judged for leaving a “reputable” profession and becoming a teacher. It still hurts to explain to everyone that I haven’t seen in awhile that “I’m not a doctor anymore.”

But I’m slowly coming to terms with it.

I never see anyone else talk about it, so I am.

This is my story, and my life.

I noticed some odd symptoms like I have a squishy growth at the back of my neck, my arms are so weak above my head it’s hard to shower, big red stretch marks everywhere, peeing all the time, so, SO tired all the time that I sleep 10+ hours a day plus naps, easy bruising and poor wound healing. I also gained 20+ kg in 5 months. Most recent labs from about 5 months ago from my rheumatologist had a high CK, aldolase, normal TSH, and low potassium, if that matters.

However, he was not concerned at all. Because I had a normal TSH at my last appointment several months ago and a normal BP this time, he thinks it is all due to depression. I think I am becoming more depressed BECAUSE of my symptoms, but chicken or egg? Anyway, he only prescribed me physical therapy for my arm weakness and Phentermine for the weight loss for now.

I just feel… kind of lost. I still am so tired and none of the other symptoms feel better at all. I feel like I am being dramatic, but at the same point, something doesn’t feel right. I am keeping a food diary, and even with the Phentermine I am really not losing weight. I am still losing hair. I have no idea what is going on.

Any advice what to do next? Should I seek a second opinion? Should I bring up Cushing’s as a possibility?Thanks.

Hi all. I have autoimmune hepatitis in remission and have been feeling great, until like a few months ago. I noticed some odd symptoms like I have a squishy growth at the back of my neck, my arms are so weak above my head it’s hard to shower, big red stretch marks everywhere, peeing all the time, so, SO tired all the time that I sleep 10+ hours a day plus naps, easy bruising and poor wound healing. I also gained like 20+ kg in 5 months. It’s so sad and disheartening. I went to see my PCP.

However, he was not concerned at all. Because I had a normal TSH at my last appointment several months ago and a normal BP at this time, he thinks it is all due to depression. I think I am becoming more depressed BECAUSE of my symptoms, but chicken or egg? Anyway, he noted I have 3/5 weakness in my arms above my head. Then he only prescribed me physical therapy for my arm weakness and Phentermine for the weight loss for now.

I just feel… kind of lost. I still am so tired and none of the other symptoms feel better at all. I feel like I am being dramatic, but at the same point, something doesn’t feel right. I am keeping a food diary, and even with the Phentermine I am really not losing weight. I am still losing hair. I have no idea what is going on.

Any advice what to do next? Should I seek a second opinion? Or should I just try to like walk more or and eat even less? It’s just so hard when you’re already so exhausted. Thanks!

NOT LOOKING FOR A DIAGNOSIS OR MEDICAL ADVICE! Just support.

Hey all. Longtime lurker here. I have autoimmune hepatitis that is doing really well. However, I noticed I have jumped from about 58 kg to 80 kg in 5-ish months. It’s disgusting and I feel horrible.

I also noticed some odd symptoms like I have a squishy growth at the back of my neck, my arms are so weak above my head it’s hard to shower, big red stretch marks everywhere, peeing all the time, so, SO tired all the time that I sleep 10+ hours a day plus naps, easy bruising and poor wound healing. Of note, I have not been on steroids in years, so it can’t be that.

I went and saw my PCP. However, he was not concerned at all. Because I had a normal TSH at my last appointment several months ago and a normal BP this time, he thinks it is all due to depression. I think I am becoming more depressed BECAUSE of my symptoms, but chicken or egg? Anyway, he only prescribed me physical therapy for my arm weakness and Phentermine for the weight loss for now.

I just feel… kind of lost. I still am so tired and none of the other symptoms feel better at all. I feel like I am being dramatic, but at the same point, something doesn’t feel right. I am keeping a food diary, and even with the Phentermine I am really not losing weight. I am still losing hair. I have no idea what is going on.

Any advice what to do next? Should I seek a second opinion? Thanks.

Hi, I’m new! I literally just found out this is a thing, and I SO shocked, honestly. My best friend and roommate was just joking with me about how I “never burp” and “physically can’t burp”. We always thought it was kind of funny.

But honestly, it kind of sucks, in reality. It actually really hurts. I always feel bloated, and I always have this painful feeling of tightness in my chest and belly when I need to burp and can’t! It keeps me up at night. I never told a doctor about it because I was so, so embarrassed and thought they would make fun of me.

Where should I start? What kind of doctor even treats this…

I’m kind of nervous.

When I lie down to go to sleep, I get this urge to repeatedly crack the joints in my knees and where tibia and fibula connect. Like, it doesn’t hurt, it’s doesn’t feel burning or crawling like restless leg, it more just feels like a tightness or pressure. Sometimes it keeps me up at night because I can’t sleep until I crack it and relieve the pressure. Anyone else?

Hi all! I’m not sure if this is the right place to ask this, so if it’s not, please feel to delete this or message me and I will take it down! I would also appreciate being redirected to where I could ask. :) Thanks!

I am in recovery and working on my body image closely with my therapist. However, with summer comes wearing less clothes, and it’s SO triggering. Anyone else?

My therapist wants me to practice doing “exposures” where I practice wearing shorts or other uncomfortable pieces of clothing for short periods of time to try and get out of my comfort zone and challenge the thoughts that something catastrophic will happen. I don’t think I’m quite ready for that when it comes to the pool/beach, though…

I’m supposed to go to a water park with my friends at the end of this month. Of course I am excited, but I am SO nervous, too. I don’t want to wear ANY of the swimsuits I already have. I just want to run away. Does anyone have any recommendations for what I can wear to the water park so I am not super hot, but so that I can have fun and be comfortable at the same time? I don’t want to wear a cotton T shirt because it will get stuck on the slides and just generally be heavy and uncomfortable. Thanks so much!

Happy to summer to everyone!

I believe the game is called “Love Revo” or something like that?

Anyway, the premise of the game was AWFUL. The idea was that you play as a high school girl who is overweight. They draw her totally demented and monstrous and she doesn’t look like any of the other characters. Everyone makes fun of her because of her weight except for like one of the boys.

It plays like any other dating sim, except the main point of the game is you are trying to lose weight to get the guys (ew.) Like you literally can’t reach a good end unless you make the main character lose a lot of weight (ew!).

If that wasn’t bad enough, I’m pretty sure you can DATE the freaking school nurse who is AN ADULT MAN. (EWWW!!!)

Why does this game exist.