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.
Every one is different.
Symptoms due to excess growth hormone or IGF-I vary widely.
Increase in ring size or tightness of rings (due to hand swelling, sausage-like fingers)
Increase in shoe size (due to foot swelling)
Increased sweating
Coarsening or thickening of facial features, especially the nose
Increased prominence of jaw and/or forehead
Thickened skin, especially on palms of hands or soles of feet
Oily skin or acne
Swelling of tongue
Thickening or swelling of the neck (due to goiter)
Arthritis (pain, swelling, or stiffness in any joint)
Difficulty breathing during sleep (sleep apnea), causing poor sleep and excessive sleepiness during the day
Pain, numbness, tingling, or weakness in hands and wrists (carpal tunnel syndrome)
New overbite, underbite, or spreading out of teeth
Large numbers of skin tags
Acromegaly that affects the heart or blood pressure or causes diabetes may have another set of symptoms. These do not occur in everyone with acromegaly.
Irritability
Fatigue
Fainting
Weakness
Increased thirst or urination
Shortness of breath
Chest pain
Palpitations or rapid heart beat
Poor exercise tolerance
Symptoms due to excess growth hormone or IGF-I vary widely.
Increase in ring size or tightness of rings (due to hand swelling, sausage-like fingers)
Increase in shoe size (due to foot swelling)
Increased sweating
Coarsening or thickening of facial features, especially the nose
Increased prominence of jaw and/or forehead
Thickened skin, especially on palms of hands or soles of feet
Oily skin or acne
Swelling of tongue
Thickening or swelling of the neck (due to goiter)
Arthritis (pain, swelling, or stiffness in any joint)
Difficulty breathing during sleep (sleep apnea), causing poor sleep and excessive sleepiness during the day
Pain, numbness, tingling, or weakness in hands and wrists (carpal tunnel syndrome)
New overbite, underbite, or spreading out of teeth
Large numbers of skin tags
Acromegaly that affects the heart or blood pressure or causes diabetes may have another set of symptoms. These do not occur in everyone with acromegaly.
Irritability
Fatigue
Fainting
Weakness
Increased thirst or urination
Shortness of breath
Chest pain
Palpitations or rapid heart beat
Poor exercise tolerance
Maybe I should print it out to show people who have no understanding of what this disease is and does.....
Thanks for the post!
You know, though, I think there might be a large number of us who have been through some misery with HEADACHES. For me it was fourteen months of a nasty ever present headache that finally led to the diagnosis of acromegaly instead of a plethora of them for all the little miseries that it causes: tarsal foot, carpal tunnel, diabetes, sleep apnea etc. etc. etc.