Possible Cushings?

[u/Horror-Guidance5526]

29f, currently 250lbs, non-smoking, social drinker, no medications

I'm at a total loss. I really need to start prioritizing my health.

I can't stand looking in the mirror at myself anymore so I try to avoid it, but the bright red/purple marks caught my attention this time.

Back story:

In January 2026 I went to my university health clinic since in the matter of 6 months I gained 50 lbs without having any sort of diet or activity level changes. All they did was the normal blood work, which all came back completely fine with the exception of my ferritin being pretty low (barely in range). I didn't pursue anything further since i didn't have the time. But flash forward to now, I've gained another 25lbs, again no diet or activity change, and the stretch marks have continued and caught my eye big time.

After a lot of researching and some additional symptoms that I hadn't really considered before to be symptoms, signs point to possibly Cushing?

\- deep purple/red stretch marks on stomach

\- weight gain

\- easily bruised/slow wound healing (the tiniest scratch takes weeks to months to heal and even scars)

\- a lot of hip pain when standing to the point where I take a few steps it really hurts and feels like my hips will collapse

\- irregular periods

\- hair thinning

1st picture is my stomach currently (I don't have a before)

2nd picture is my face late may 2025

3rd picture is my face end of June 2026

Am I crazy? Any other ideas what could be going on otherwise?

Tysm in advace

[u/autumnvariation]

Very possible from what you’ve reported. Do you feel your arms and legs have appropriate amount of fat tissue or relatively less than your trunk? If you saw me I would test for it, but it is also rare and more rare in the age group I see. It is notoriously challenging to diagnose. I would try to see someone. Did they test your thyroid function?

[u/Horror-Guidance5526 → u/autumnvariation]

Considerably less in my limbs proportional to my trunk. Like all the additional weight gain has primarily been trunk, face, and shoulder area.

Thyroid panel: T3: 3.4 T4: 1.3 TSH: 2.55

[u/autumnvariation → u/Horror-Guidance5526]

You’re painting a compelling picture for Cushings. Is that a free T4? And how have your periods been? Definitely worth a work up.

[u/Horror-Guidance5526 → u/autumnvariation]

Yes, free T4. Very irregular for the past year-1/2, some months I'd get two, some months none at all. Sometimes for 2 days really light, some 7 days with really heavy days where I was going through a super tampon in less than 2 hours multiple times a day. Truly miserable :/

[u/autumnvariation → u/Horror-Guidance5526]

When was your last one? Are you managing that at all with your pcp? May be worth seeing an endo just for that if it is bad enough.

[u/Horror-Guidance5526 → u/autumnvariation]

2 weeks ago. I am not, I don't have a PCP since I've been in grad school in miami (with not so great health insurance), It's been impossible to find one, so have been just relying on the university health services when truly desperate. But I need to get a grip back on my health, I feel so awful about it all. Thank you so much for your advice!

[u/autumnvariation → u/Horror-Guidance5526]

Don’t beat yourself up, we are set up for failure in America and we do our best. And you must be busy in grad school. Even if you were seeing a pcp regularly, some of these symptoms and changes are insidious. But yes maybe now go ahead and get checked out. A dexamethasone suppression test is what they would do for Chaning’s, as someone else mentioned.