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My original question was:

ow common are pituitary gland problems with us?  Is it true that 
the pituitary gland is just as sensitive as the thyroid in celiac 
disease? 

The research I did on the web suggests that like the thyroid gland, other glands, including the pituitary, can be the target of an autoimmune dysfunction.  Symptoms of pituitary insufficiency can be vague, including fatigue, weakness, cold sensitivity, decreased appetite, weight loss, abdominal pain, low blood pressure, headache, and short stature.  Or you can have weight gain, joint stiffness, hair loss, facial swelling, and hoarseness.  These symptoms would be extremely difficult to pin down! There's also a form of diabetes, called diabetes insipidus, associated with pituitary issues, and D.I. is more about extreme thirst and urine output than sugar levels.  

Another tidbit I came across was that in children with untreated/undiagnosed CD, one of the hormones made in the pituitary, prolactin, is elevated. In children with treated CD, prolactin levels were found to be much lower. I assume this means that in untreated CD, the pituitary gland can be adversely affected. 

So, are pituitary disorders represented on this list?  I got 7 responses....

Six responses were about pituitary issues. One was from a listmate  who had adrenal problems & who understands the complexity of celiac disease and endocrine disorders.

Of the 6 respondents, 3 had tumors or adenomas.  Here are the responses, in no particular order


*1.*   I had a pituitary adenoma in the 70's so would love to see your summary.

*2*.  Yes, CD can affect the pituitary. If you go to www.pubmed.gov 
<http://www.pubmed.gov> and search for "pituitary celiac" without the 
quotes, you will be able to read some abstracts.
 
*3.*   I don't profess to be an expert on the statistical corollaries 
between pituitary issues and CD but...
I had a pituitary adenoma that was undiagnosed for many years. It was at 
a time when the diagnostic tools and procedures that we have now were 
just being introduced.  It was successfully removed 25 years ago and my 
CD was diagnosed 10 years later. I now suffer from Glaucoma due to the 
optic nerve damage caused by the tumor, and many other issues from the 
CD. I can certainly see the relationship between the two diseases in 
myself...
 
*4.*  I was told I have low growth hormone which is produced by the 
pituitary gland. I would be interested if any other adult celiac has 
this condition.

*5.*  I don't know about its correlation to celiac but before we were 
diagnosed,I had infertility problems. I was supposed to go to the 
endocrinologist for a shot of a pituitary hormone to see if it would 
prompt it to produce a TSH.Before doing that they did a routine 
pregnancy test, and since I turned up pregnant, I never went for the 
shot. Now that I know I am gluten intolerant like my daughter, I can 
understand why maybe my 2nd/last pregnancy ended in miscarriage. The 
baby had the intrauterine growth retardation problem and died. At 3&1/2 
mo. it was only 2 months size. My daughter before being diagnosed celiac 
fell off the growth curve. The kid who as 95% for height and 75% for 
weight did not grow for over two years and still has a childlike bone 
structure.


I don't know if this helps, but it does establish a pituitary to thyroid
link.

*6*.  I don't know the whys and wherefores, but I had Cushing's Disease diagnosed 
6 years before my Celiac diagnosis.  It took me 2 Endocrinologists and 2 
years to get  diagnosis for a cortisol producing tumor on the Pituitary 
gland.  My surgery was done before they could be precise, and my entire 
pituitary gland was removed.

I have been on Synthroid since 1990, and growth hormone replacement since 
1999.    My Celiac Disease expressed in 1995, and I went  GF in 1997.  The 
Cushing's Disease had been going on for 15 years or more, at the time of 
diagnosis.

All combinations of effects are possible.

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