Are there a cure or medications for the Cushings disease?

Question

i recently posted a question on the weight subject section and someone answered me with they thought it might be a cushing issue.

Answer 1

Cushing's is a very specific syndrome but there is a variety of causes.

Treatment varies from medication to control the secretion of cortisol to surgical removal of the adrenal glands and lifelong steroid therapy.

Answer 2

Cushing’s Syndrome, a group of similar disorders caused by excessive levels of hormones called glucocorticoids. These hormones, secreted by the adrenal cortex of the adrenal gland in the kidney, aid carbohydrate processing and affect many other body functions. Symptoms include a red, moon-shaped face; obesity; easily bruised skin; poor healing of wounds; and increased susceptibility to infection. Muscles become weak and wasted, osteoporosis (loss of normal bone density) may develop, and glucose intolerance that can lead to diabetes may occur. Other symptoms include hypertension, acne, amenorrhea in women, and euphoria or other psychological symptoms. The disorder was first described by Harvey Cushing, an American physician, in 1932.

Normally the levels of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) in the bloodstream control the amount of glucocorticoids secreted by the adrenal cortex. ACTH is secreted by the pituitary gland in response to the body's demand for glucocorticoids. Glucocorticoids already in the blood slow down the secretion of ACTH so that when glucocorticoid concentrations are at a suitable level ACTH production stops. This mechanism is known as a negative feedback loop.

The excess of glucocorticoids that causes Cushing's syndrome can result in a number of ways. For example, it may result from a tumor in the pituitary gland. A pituitary tumor is not affected by negative feedback and secretes large amounts of ACTH even when there are already high levels of glucocorticoids in the blood. The ACTH stimulates the adrenal cortex to make glucocorticoids, resulting in an increase in glucocorticoid concentrations. High levels of ACTH can also result from a tumor outside the pituitary gland. For example, an oat-cell tumor in the lung secretes ACTH, which in turn triggers an increase in the secretion of glucocorticoids.

Cushing's syndrome also can occur when the adrenal cortex itself malfunctions. For example, part of the adrenal cortex may produce excessive amounts of glucocorticoids and thus inhibit the pituitary secretion of ACTH. In rare cases, a tumor of the adrenal gland may cause Cushing's syndrome.

In addition, Cushing's syndrome is a common side effect of prolonged glucocorticoid treatment for another condition. Glucocorticoids are used as antiinflammatory and immunosuppressive drugs for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, severe asthma, and many other diseases.

Treatment of Cushing's syndrome depends on its cause, so accurate diagnosis is essential. If it is caused by the administration of glucocorticoids, the drug treatment may be gradually tapered off. If the cause is a pituitary tumor, the tumor can be surgically removed or treated with radiotherapy. If the cause is not in the pituitary gland then it may be possible to remove the adrenal cortex or to treat the symptoms of the disease with drugs that inhibit the glucocorticoids.

Or you could try the following website-
http://endocrine.niddk.nih.gov/pubs/cushings/cushings.htm