Re: Help for my dad

"When the adrenal glads release an excess of glucocoritoids, Cushing's syndrom, or hypercortisolism, can develop... ...Pituitary adenomas are the most common cause of Cushing's syndrome... Sometimes benign or malignant tumors that develop outside the pituitary can produce ACTH and trigger Cushing's syndrome... ...Cushing's syndrome is exceptionally rare; an estimated 10 to 15 out of every million people are affected each year. It most commonly affects adults aged 20 to 50.... ...Most patients display a rounded face, overweight torso, increased fat around the neck, and thinning of the arms and legs... ...Muscle weakness, acne, high blood pressure, hyperglycemia, and psychological changes (such as anxiety and depression) are common...

...There are other types of adrenal tumors. The first one, an extremely rare tumor, produces male or female sex hormones and can trigger feminine qualities in men and masculization in women. A second type, called pheochromocytoma, blossoms in the core of the adrenal gland and secretes too much apinephrine and norephinephrine. The last type of adrenal tumor occurs in the adrenal cortex and secretes too much aldosterone. This condition is called Conn's syndrome. In all cases, symptoms consist of high blood pressure, excessive sweating, increased heart rate, weight loss, constipation, and personality changes... ...Too much sodium and too little potassium in the blood are hallmarks of Conn'ssyndrome."

If your dad is desperate I would suggest he avoid all forms of sodium for a while. This includes all salt, all meat, soy sauce, miso, butter, bread, celery, olives, cheese, seafoods, and anything that tastes salty.

Overproduction of the hormones is also associated with excess cortisol production (stress hormone), so maybe some yoga or meditation would help him become more balanced? (If he isn't already).

I know I'm stating the obvious here, but he also needs to drink a whole lot of water. If you're interested in the science behind it, here's some info. This tells you what vasopressin is and that it is produced when you don't get enough water: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vasopressin. This scientific article abstract tells you that a study showed that increased amounts of vasopressin can cause an oversecretion of adrenal hormones: http://ajpendo.physiology.org/cgi/content/abstract/256/4/E566.

Here's some more info: http://endocrine.niddk.nih.gov/pubs/cushings/cushings.htm
http://www.yogacards.com/adrenal_Gland/adrenal_gland_information-2.html