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Hypopituitarism is a medical problem that goes back to the pituitary gland. It is a situation where the pituitary gland doesn’t produce enough of one or more hormones. So depending upon which hormone are hormones are deficient, your body responses will act abnormally according to what they are. This condition is not that common. When it is diagnosed, you’ll need lifetime treatments.
When a person has hypopituitarism, it often goes into progressive stages over time. These signs are hardly noticeable causing such things as, (1) tiredness, (2) headaches, (3) cannot handle stress, (4) upset stomach, (5) constipation, (6) weakness in the muscles, (7), either a weight loss or weight gain, (8) visual problems, (9) losing underarm and also pubic hair, (10) puffy in the face, (11) low blood pressure, (12) hoarse voice, and (13) a lot of thirst and frequency of urination.
Sometimes men with hypopituitarism will experience erectile dysfunction and have a lack of body hair. Women may be infertile and stop menstruating. Children probably will stop growing prematurely, and lack sexual development.
Finding this problem so that it can be treated is done by a lot of different blood testing to sort out hormonal problems that relate to the pituitary gland. Thyroid tests will pick up on any imbalances in thyroid hormones.
Along with blood testing, brain studies may be done to see whether or not you actually have a tumor on the pituitary gland.
Treatment for hypopituitarism will go according to the various imbalances present. One of the drugs you will be given is probably steroids such as Prednisone. Prednisone will replace adrenal hormones causing ACTH deficits. Drugs for thyroid hormones such as Synthroid will also be given to help deficits in hormones.
If you are lacking in any sexual hormones due to this medical condition, then drugs that include estrogen and progesterone for women will need to be given, and testosterone drugs for men.
If one of the deficiencies happens to be ADH, another pituitary hormone, you’ll need decompression that can be in tablet form or taken as a nasal spray.
For children with this condition having stunted growth, the regime will include some growth hormones. Growth hormones are given in the forms of injection to help create more height.
In people who are infertile and want to produce, there are hormone replacements containing LH and FSH which help either sperm production in men, and ovulation in women.
So as you can see, a lot of treatments are needed in order to control hypopituitarism. With effective multiple treatments though, people can live a normal life.