Question:
How many of you had your hormone levels tested before surgery?

I recently was diagonosed with a pituatary tumor. It produces excessive prolactin and this supresses testosterone production. One of the side affects of this is excessive weight gain.I don't think my levels were checked before my surgery. I am working with an endroconologist and trying to get these levels corrected. I was wondering how many of you had them tested. I think it may be a good idea if before surgery we had them tested.    — Robert L. (posted on August 30, 2002)

August 30, 2002
This has been my experience: I went to see the Dr about my weight, ongoing lactation (breast milk) even though it had been 3 yrs since I delivered my son, and irregular periods. She did blood work, including the prolactin level which came back high. So bieng she suspected a Pituitary Tumor she ordered a MRI which showed a 8 mm Microadenoma. However unless they grow or are causing sig infertility issues they do not remove them. If you were to look at a 100 autopsy's you would find approx 1/3 of people have one and only 1-2% had any symptoms or problems because of them. The most important thing is to make sure they are NOT CANCEROUS or MILIGNANT, that is more common in males. Most of the time if you are having symptoms it is because it is dumping extra hormones. For me mine is a Prolactin secreting tumor. So the verdict was that even if I had it shrunk or taken out I would still be overweight amd the heavier you get the more problems you have with them because of the overstimulation of hormones to meet your weight. So I had to see a endocrinologist to get medical clearance, which he had no problems with the surgery just concerned with me making sure I could adhere to the strict diet requirements. and now Post Op since loosing 35lbs I have had regular periods and no lactation!! But I will have a repeat MRI next month to make sure it hasn't grown, of course action will have to be taken if it has but just loosing the wieght has taken almost all my symptoms away. Yes you have to have a base line of your levels to compare future tests with.
   — Rebecca B.