Abstract
BACKGROUND:
Fatigue is a frequently experienced complaint in patients with adrenal insufficiency (AI) and may be influenced by cortisol levels.
AIM:
The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of severe fatigue in adrenal insufficiency (AI) patients, to assess which dimensions contribute to fatigue severity and to determine the association between salivary cortisol levels and momentary fatigue.
SUBJECTS AND METHODS:
We performed a cross-sectional study in the outpatient department of a university hospital. Included were 27 patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), 26 patients with primary AI (PAI), 24 patients with secondary AI (SAI) and 31 patients with adrenal insufficiency after treatment for Cushing’s syndrome (Cush-AI). Measurements included computerised questionnaires to determine fatigue severity and physical and psychosocial contributors. Patients took four saliva samples at home, in which cortisol levels were measured.
RESULTS:
Severe fatigue was experienced by 41 % of the CAH patients, 42 % of the PAI patients, 50 % of the SAI patients and 42 % of the Cush-AI patients. Psychological distress, functional impairment, sleep disturbance, physical activity, concentration problems and social functioning contributed to the subjective experience of fatigue. Salivary cortisol levels were not correlated with momentary fatigue.
CONCLUSIONS:
A considerable proportion of AI patients experience severe fatigue. Salivary cortisol level is not a significant predictor for momentary fatigue in AI patients.
- PMID:
- 24615365
- [PubMed – in process]
Back to my nap now…
Filed under: adrenal, Cushing's, Cushing's Awareness Challenge 2014, pituitary | Tagged: abstract, adrenal insufficiency, AI, CAH, Congenital adrenal hyperplasia, cortisol, Cushing's Syndrome, fatigue, nap, pituitary surgery, remission, Robin (staticnrg), salivary cortisol |
CushieBlog 
Hi Mary
I’m “clinically cured”. I had successful transphenoidal surgery to remove my pituitary tumour in November 2010, and although i know I should be grateful that I have survived I find I am left with lots of unexplained symptoms ….. Occasionally Fatigue been one of them! After a while I feel I shouldn’t be really perusing the reasons or mentioning the pains etc as I have been told all is as it should be, are you or any other Cushing survivors experiencing things such as muscle weakness, joint aches and pains, lack of energy, headaches? This can be periodically and often not all symptoms together but frequent, in fact probably daily with general aches and pains oh and let’s not forget the fact my eyesight has deteriorated fairly quick with several different prescriptions for glasses in the last 18 months and of course the horrendous memory issues !! Sometimes I have what I call “cushie days” unable to focus or concentrate and general day to day tasks become difficult, any of this familiar, if so I’d love to hear your post cushings story so I don’t feel like a freak ! Xx
Nina, I’m sorry you’re going through all this post-op but it seems that lots of us do, even though we’re supposedly cured.
There’s an area of the message boards for post-op folks like us at http://cushings.invisionzone.com/index.php?/forum/208-treatments/
I’ve posted much of my post-op story on my bio at http://www.cushings-help.com/maryos_story.htm
Best of luck to you!
Thanks Mary. I get great comfort knowing I’m not a freak x