Yes ma'am...absolutely.

Considering our brains are infected by a form of cancer, I think it's very easy to get off track emotionally and mentally.

I've suffered for many years. I had my first panic attack in 1993 in total bewilderment. I saw Doctors for 13 years and everyone guessed around my "problems".

I was given all kinds of tests and medications and blank stares.

13 years later, and thank God for Google, we found the source of the problem...started taking Dopamine Agonists...and entered into yet another whole world of problems that only stood to complicate matters.

I was watching a program on TV and they stated that, "the hypothalamus of the brain is responsible for thought and mood".

Well, I thought, "that's dandy...and I have a cancerous tumor that sits right beneath my "mood center" that sits there...night and day...and secretes a hormone that scours Dopamine away from my brain...night and day.

Then, there's the homeostatic mechanism of the thalamus that's trying to adjust and regulate my body functions...yet another one of those "minor" atrocities.

Arguably, the cancer causing neuropeptides came from the deep brain structures anyway...decending down into the pituitary/endocrine system. If that be true, our condition is not just the tumor, not just the endocrine system...but the brain itself.

Then, there's the effect of all of this on the autoimmune system...of which we truly don't fully understand.

We are yet in the dark ages.

Wild theory tigertales, but yet I tend to agree. The in and out I feel like I'm going crazy episodes I experience almost feels like a form of torture with this condition.

Tigertales thats an interesting theory, i didnt know you have a cancerous tumour aswell as a prolactinoma, that must be tough for you. Having a prolactinoma is hard enough but to be dealing with a cancerous tumour also must be extremly hard, my thoughts are with you.

I'm actually speaking of the tumor...sorry if I wasn't clear.

I was speaking to one of my Endocrinolgists about the condition and she reminded me that there is little to nothing that is clearly understood about the deep brain and it's complete set of actions in regard to the Endocrine system.

Many of the "release hormones" decend from the deep brain stuctures...to set the Pituitary into action...releasing further hormones that go to "target cells"...and actuate other glands throughout the body.

Then there is the feedback circuits of the brain...little understood to date.

I can only imagine it takes a very, very small change in the brain to actuate a huge change in the body. If growth hormone cells can make adults grow again, well past puberty, you can only imagine the ramifications with the other cells and other functions.

Unfortunately, in our case, we suffer depression with our condition...and instability in our thought lives. These drugs can also cause a mixed episode...where you are anxious, angry and psychotically crying all at the same time. What a complete package!!!

I have no idea where you came from tigertales, but you always have a way of explaining things perfectly. Whenever I hit a brick wall its nice to know that some else can help explain things and actually understand how I feel.

I kind of had to let your post sink in for a moment tigertales. I understand what you are saying that we have essentially a "benign" tumor but we kind of have to think about it as if it were "cancerous" because it is a tumor none the less and that is how our bodies recognize it, but not exactly by immune response but by symptoms. So i guess you have to think about it as if it were cancer and how we react to different forms of brain tumors. I actually read that somewhere that we cant think of it as just a prolactinoma or pituitary tumor, but we should also think of it as a brain tumor and all the stuff that comes with it.....
Are you kind of saying that even if the tumor is removed, our bodies will essentially do the same things over time and create another tumor? Kind of like that is what are bodies are supposed to do?
My symptoms started with horrible anxiety as well that came out of NOWHERE! I had panic attacks for almost twelve hours a day for almost nine months. I was horrible.
If we dont suffer fron anxiety and depression, because "those symptoms arent related" then why are most of us on anti depressants and anti anxiety meds?
Thanks for helping me understand.....

There have been some loose associations made to Prolactinoma's with pesticides.

There have also been associations made with head trauma and also with childhood emotional trauma and threat.

It's interesting that there was a study performed where suicide victims (I think 40 or so) had autopsies that revealed pituitary adenomas in more than half the victims.

When you suffer those wave-like, crushing depressions that hover over you...or encase you like a coffin...it's oh so easy to believe that there will be no end. The trapped feeling and emotional (and physical) pain are a deep indicator that there's something systemically wrong.

A pebble in your shoe may be benign, but if you walk on that pebble all day...you'll come to understand that it nonetheless can make you suffer.

But, as with things that others clearly do not understand, you and I will find blame and fear from others when we begin to tell others about our pain.

Antidepressants don't work here, in my opinion. I've tried 8 different drugs and they only made me sleepy and actually two of them raised my prolactin levels.

Think of the massive power a tiny light switch controls. So it is in our bodies. I've found myself staying away from anything stressful...even the things that used to be fun. I just know that, if I exert myself in any way...including mentally, I'm going to pay for it.

My concentration is only for short periods of time, then I've got to stop.