Acromegaly Support Group
Acromegaly (from Greek akros "high" and megas "large" - extremities enlargement) is a hormonal disorder that results when the pituitary gland produces excess growth hormone (hGH). Acromegaly most commonly affects middle-aged adults and can result in serious illness and premature death. Join the group to discuss symptoms, diagnosis, and treatments.
are there any other causes besides acromegaly that cause hand and foot enlargement, jaw changes many recurring colon polys etc. ?? Is is possible for the growth hormone to be normal, have a pituitary adenoma all above symptoms and not have acromegaly" My endo tells me that acromegaly is only diagnosed with a high GH level not by symptoms.
Thank you
Ulrike
Thank you
Ulrike
You seem to have all the symptoms. I found this info online hope it helps
If acromegaly is suspected, a doctor must measure the GH level in a persons blood to determine if it is elevated. However, a single measurement of an elevated blood GH level is not enough to diagnose acromegaly: Because GH is secreted by the pituitary in impulses, or spurts, its concentration in the blood can vary widely from minute to minute. At a given moment, a person with acromegaly may have a normal GH level, whereas a GH level in a healthy person may even be five times higher.
More accurate information is obtained when GH is measured under conditions that normally suppress GH secretion. Health care professionals often use the oral glucose tolerance test to diagnose acromegaly because drinking 75 to 100 grams of glucose solution lowers blood GH levels to less than 1 nanogram per milliliter (ng/ml) in healthy people. In people with GH overproduction, this suppression does not occur. The oral glucose tolerance test is a highly reliable method for confirming a diagnosis of acromegaly.
Physicians also can measure IGF-I levels, which increase as GH levels go up, in people with suspected acromegaly. Because IGF-I levels are much more stable than GH levels over the course of the day, they are often a more practical and reliable screening measure. Elevated IGF-I levels almost always indicate acromegaly. However, a pregnant womans IGF-I levels are two to three times higher than normal. In addition, physicians must be aware that IGF-I levels decline with age and may also be abnormally low in people with poorly controlled diabetes or liver or kidney disease.
Hope tht helps the link for the full article is http://endocrine.niddk.nih.gov/pubs/acro/acro.htm
Good luck!
LAPPS and the email to find more about them is
joyginn@btinternet.com
Joy is running it.
they are part of the pituitay foundation uk
If you live in or around london you can join us and learn so much like yeterday and all about Acromegaly.