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        Cluster Headache Help and Support >> Cluster Headache Specific >> CH & Pituitary Tumor?
        
(Message started by: precipitate on Mar 27^th, 2008, 8:43pm)

Title: CH & Pituitary Tumor?
Post by precipitate on Mar 27^th, 2008, 8:43pm

Hey guys, I've got a question.

So, today I finally saw a neurologist for the CH I've been having for almost three years now. I was an absolute nervous wreck all day before the appointment, but am now feeling a great deal of relief from talking to the doctor. One of my biggest concerns was some sort of tumor, which the doctor assured me that I don't have (I still have an MRI monday, though...)

Anyway, being the hypochondriac that I am, I started to wonder about another "condition" I deal with–hypoglycemia–and what if it's somehow related to my clusters. Basically, for about a year now it's been really important for me to eat often and to eat specific things or my blood sugar seems to get too low.

Doing some internet research (which can be dangerous) I started to read about pituitary tumors and how some patients with them have headaches (which sometimes seem cluster-like), along with hormone-related problems. My worry is that hormone related problem might be my hypoglycemia...

All in all, have any of you CH sufferers out there run into questions or experiences regarding pituitary problems?

Thanks,

Steven

Title: Re: CH & Pituitary Tumor?
Post by washed-out on Mar 31^st, 2008, 7:08pm

Hey! You can check my topic (http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=knowya;action=display;num=1195929977). Though it's long, a lot of Engrish and my situation changed pretty much since my first post.

I've heard many different opinions. I saw an article - someone who has been suffering from CH for many years, after removing of pituitary tumor (adenoma) was 'pain free'...

Anyway I visited probably the best headaches specialist in Poland. He told me that he has seen around 400 patients with CH (as he was working on that issue along with some foreign scientists), some of them had pituitary tumors and after removing NONE of them get relief...

However, I think that two factors are the most important - size of the tumor, mine is very small, 6x3 mm if I remember correctly (it was detected 6 months ago, I will have to have another MRI soon :/). Another thing - hormonal activity.

Title: Re: CH & Pituitary Tumor?
Post by Kirk on Mar 31^st, 2008, 9:42pm

Nope, no tumors.

Title: Re: CH & Pituitary Tumor?
Post by Guiseppi on Mar 31^st, 2008, 10:14pm

You're right, be careful with internet research, it'll give you LOTS AND LOTS to lose sleep over! 30 years of dancing with the beast, it's literally the only health problem I've ever had. ;)

Guiseppi

Title: Re: CH & Pituitary Tumor?
Post by precipitate on Apr 2^nd, 2008, 12:57am

Yeah, unfortunately I'm a huge hypochondriac and the internet is just so easily accessible to find any information you want. Unfortunately, you never really know what you're reading!

I just had my first MRI of my life yesterday, since suffering with clusters for almost three years. My neurologist wasn't worried about me in the first place and only casually ordered me the MRI for my peace of mind, so there was no contrast dye. (I don't know if MRIs can see pit. tumors without it, can they?)

And now I'm like "well maybe I should have had the dye because of the pituitary tumor thing!!" UGH...am I just being paranoid?

Title: Re: CH & Pituitary Tumor?
Post by washed-out on Apr 2^nd, 2008, 7:32am

"I don't know if MRIs can see pit. tumors without it, can they?"

I know that contrast dye is definitely needed for angio-MRI (to see blood vessels) but I am not sure about normal MRI.

I had normal MRI which was focused on pituitary/hypothalamus area and it was made WITH contrast.

And now I'm like "well maybe I should have had the dye because of the pituitary tumor thing!!" UGH...am I just being paranoid?

I guess that your doctor is a doctor for some reason and he is not any random guy taken from the street but someone well educated in that field and he does know what to do :P But I understand that you can be worried as I have met many doctors, some of them were really great but of course not all of them.

To be honest my CT was also made for my peace of mind. It didn't find anything because pituitary tumors (micro) are usually to small (in opposition to MRI). Guess who asked to make a MRI... IRIDIOLOGIST. Some people (especially many doctors) don't believe in iridiology but without it I wouldn't know about my tumor even today... Anyway it is not active and doesn't "push" optic nerves at all so I just live with it.

It's very common/ordinary thing and, from what I've learnt so far, it shouldn't be removed if it doesn't "product hormones" or isn't very big (optical nerves are very close).

Though I don't know about hypoglycemia (how are pituitary tumors connected with it, especially adenomas).