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Symptoms
By Mayo Clinic staffIn most cases, the signs and symptoms of Sheehan's syndrome appear slowly, after a period of months or even years. But sometimes — such as in a breast-feeding mother — problems may appear right away.
Signs and symptoms of Sheehan's syndrome are those of deficiencies of the various hormones the pituitary gland controls: thyroid, adrenal, breast milk production and menstrual function. Signs and symptoms include:
- Slowed mental function, weight gain and difficulty staying warm, as a result of an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism)
- Difficulty breast-feeding or an inability to breast-feed
- No menstrual periods (amenorrhea) or infrequent menstruation (oligomenorrhea)
- Loss of pubic or underarm hair
- Low blood pressure
- Fatigue
- Weight loss
For many women, the symptoms of Sheehan's syndrome are nonspecific and often attributed to other things. Fatigue, for instance, goes hand in hand with being a new mother. You might not realize that you have Sheehan's syndrome until you need treatment for thyroid or adrenal insufficiency.
It's also possible to remain relatively symptom-free with Sheehan's syndrome. Some women unknowingly live for years with pituitary insufficiency, then go into adrenal crisis triggered by extreme physical stressors, such as severe infection or surgery.
- Snyder PJ. Causes of hypopituitarism. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Nov. 15, 2010.
- Nieman LK. Clinical manifestations of adrenal insufficiency in adults. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Nov. 15, 2010.
- Montoro MN. Thyroid and other endocrine disorders during pregnancy. In: DeCherney AH, et al. Current Diagnosis & Treatment Obstetrics & Gynecology. 10th ed. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill; 2007. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=2387051. Accessed Nov. 13, 2010.
- Generalized hypopituitarism. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/print/sec12/ch151/ch151c.html. Accessed Nov. 16, 2010.
- Pituitary disorders overview. The Hormone Foundation. http://www.hormone.org/Pituitary/overview.cfm. Accessed Nov. 16, 2010.
- Snyder PJ. Treatment of hypopituitarism. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Nov. 16, 2010.
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