Pituitary tumour?

[sloane]

one of my best friends had one and she had treatment, but it wasn't removed surgically as far as i'm aware.

[Tinks]

My dad was just diagnosed with one last week. He's unsure whether he has to have surgery or not at this stage.

[AnyDream]

Thanks for replies. When it was diagnosed, were they referred to a neurosurgeon or an endocrinologist in the first instance?

[Maruschke]

Yep I have one, a prolactinoma? I causes elevated levels of the hormone prolactin in the blood. Usually harmless, although macro prolactinomas (any tumour over 1 cm) can cause vision problems, headaches, and if left untreated, cause osteoporosis.

You can get meds to lower the prolactin (that's what I'm doing, only have a small tumour) or have surgery as a last resort.

These tumours aren't cancerous, but it still makes me feel a bit odd.

[Eenee]

I was diagnosed with one after I was sent for an MRI for high prolactin levels and a few other abnormal tests (which were missread) a few years back. This let to a heap of misdiagnoses. And a second MRI revealed it had dissappeared on it's own. I was sent to an endocrinologist, but not until I needed a second opinion- a local physician was trying to handle it on her own- made me very sick! So I would demand to get seen by an endocrinolgist, and secondly if no symptoms and tumour is tiny then I'd leave it be and get a re scan a month or so later. But if big you will definitely need to see an endocrinologist and they will refer you to to have surgery if need be, as they can shrink certain one's with drugs

[Maruschke]

I was diagnosed with one after I was sent for an MRI for high prolactin levels and a few other abnormal tests (which were missread) a few years back. This let to a heap of misdiagnoses. And a second MRI revealed it had dissappeared on it's own. I was sent to an endocrinologist, but not until I needed a second opinion- a local physician was trying to handle it on her own- made me very sick! So I would demand to get seen by an endocrinolgist, and secondly if no symptoms and tumour is tiny then I'd leave it be and get a re scan a month or so later. But if big you will definitely need to see an endocrinologist and they will refer you to to have surgery if need be, as they can shrink certain one's with drugs

Em... don't answer if you don't want to, but did your prolactin levels sort themselves out on their own? Mine was elevated on all the BT's we had during the two years before we had DD1, and are still elevated now 18 months after her birth. I have found that my local GP knows didly squat about prolactin and fertility in general.

[allycat06]

My 20 year old BIL has one. It was only discovered about a year ago when his vision started going a bit funny. Turns out it was the size of a golf ball and pushing on his optic nerve. They aren't exactly sure how long he's had it for but it pretty obvious it hindered his development in some way. Once he started getting it treated it was like he suddenly went through puberty. His is being treated with drugs to shrink it, no surgery...by a neurologist I believe.

[Eenee]

Em... don't answer if you don't want to, but did your prolactin levels sort themselves out on their own? Mine was elevated on all the BT's we had during the two years before we had DD1, and are still elevated now 18 months after her birth. I have found that my local GP knows didly squat about prolactin and fertility in general.

kind of, sometimes they were high and other times normal so who knows I stopped seeing the Dr cos they kept making me sicker but gave me no answers then kept handballing me to different specialist. The galactorrhoea (sp? pregnancy has made me have terrible spelling!) however never went away, but that never bothered me- more why it was occurring concerned me more then anything.