As a medical science liaison at Corcept, Liz Sodhi spends her days educating physicians about Cushing’s syndrome, a disease that often goes undiagnosed for years. Liz brings not just her professional experience as a nurse practitioner, but also her own personal struggle with the disease to this role.
Liz endured more than 10 years of progressively worsening symptoms—extreme weight gain, intense hunger, headaches, anger, depression, and forgetfulness—before getting the correct diagnosis. All the while, she was working, trying to raise two young boys, and just barely holding everything together. “You are exhausted. You’re trying to balance a lot while not being able to physically and mentally live your life. And you’re trying to get through all the steps to find a diagnosis. It’s challenging, and it’s terrible,” Liz recalls.
After finally being diagnosed and treated for the disease, Liz was looking for a way to help others facing similar challenges. “I wanted to give back,” she said. “At Corcept, I have the opportunity to educate providers and raise more awareness around this disease and how it affects patients and their quality of life. Hopefully our work will increase earlier diagnosis so that patients don’t have to suffer for so long.”
Cushing’s syndrome, also called hypercortisolism, occurs when the body is exposed to excess cortisol over a long period of time. It can be caused by a tumor or nodule on the pituitary gland or the adrenal gland. It can also be caused by long-term use of corticosteroids and other conditions.
Persistent high cortisol can lead to a range of symptoms including weight gain, high blood sugar levels, high blood pressure, mood swings, muscle weakness, acne, and many others. Over time, it can increase the risk of serious heart conditions.
Liz’s experience is typical for people living with Cushing’s, who often wait years before getting an accurate diagnosis. Cushing’s can be tricky to diagnose. Symptoms, like weight gain, headaches, fatigue, and mood swings tend to start out gradually and can be easy to attribute to other conditions, such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), or to an unhealthy lifestyle, a poor diet and stress. While it’s appropriate for patients to be evaluated for conditions such as thyroid disorders, diabetes, or menopause, cortisol dysregulation is often not considered until much later in the diagnostic process—if at all.
Improving awareness of Cushing’s syndrome—among both patients and healthcare providers—can lead to more timely testing, more accurate interpretation of results, earlier diagnosis and better patient outcomes.
“When I’ve interacted with a provider and hear about how many patients they’ve been able to diagnose and how well their patients are doing, it’s incredibly rewarding,” Liz said.
For those looking to better understand symptoms or testing, additional information is available at cortisolincontrol.com.