Trolls led Amy Schumer to get Cushing syndrome diagnosis. What is it?

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Comedian Amy Schumer said that trolls on her social media accounts led her to get a diagnosis for Cushing syndrome.

Schumer was a guest on the Call Her Daddy podcast, hosted by Alexandra Cooper, which was released on Wednesday. Near the end of the hour-long episode, the discussion turned to body image and confidence.

“It hurts to have a lot of hate thrown at you from the internet,” said Schumer, adding that she was rising in fame at the “height of people letting you know” how they felt about her looks. However, the comedian added: “I’ve always felt hot.”

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Schumer said she only grew concerned about comments that were being made last year.

“I was like, ‘OK everybody relax.’ But then doctors were chiming in, in the comments. They were like, ‘No we think something is like really up. Your face looks so crazy that we think something’s up.’ I’m like, ‘Wait, I’m getting trolled by doctors?’”

The doctors in her comment section on social media said they thought she had Cushing syndrome.

“It’s about spiking cortisol levels and steroid injections… I was like, ‘OK, f— off!’ Then I was like wait, I have been getting steroid injections in my scars,” said Schumer. The steroid injections were for scars from her C-section and breast reduction, she said.

Steroid injections can help reduce “itching, redness, and burning sensations that these scars may produce,” according to health system and academic institution Johns Hopkins Medicine. It may also decrease the size of the scar and soften the scar tissue.

“I wouldn’t have known if the internet hadn’t come for me so hard,” she said.

Schumer received a proper diagnosis prior to filming her new movie, Kinda Pregnant, set to be released on Netflix in February. She said she had one of the symptoms, called moon face, when swelling builds up on the sides of the face. It’s a common symptom of Cushing syndrome, according to the Cleveland Clinic, a nonprofit academic medical centre.

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“I was feeling so down on myself,” said Schumer, but words of kindness from a friend helped her overcome her sadness about the diagnosis and get her excited to start filming.

What is Cushing syndrome?

Cushing syndrome is when there is an excess of cortisol, a steroid hormone, in the body for a long time, according to the Mayo Clinic, an integrated not-for-profit medical group practice. This can happen if the body produces too much cortisol, or from taking medicine that contains cortisol.

“Too much cortisol can cause some of the main symptoms of Cushing syndrome — a fatty hump between the shoulders, a rounded face, and pink or purple stretch marks on the skin. Cushing syndrome also can cause high blood pressure or bone loss. Sometimes, it can cause type 2 diabetes,” per the Mayo Clinic.

Other symptoms include weight gain in the trunk, with thin arms and legs; thin, frail skin that bruises easily; slow wound healing; and acne.

Who does Cushing syndrome affect?

According to the Oregon Health and Science University’s Brain Institute, Cushing syndrome is rare. “About 10 to 15 new cases per million people are diagnosed in the U.S. each year,” the university says, adding that it is still common for people to be undiagnosed.

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It is typically found in people between the ages 20 and 50. It affects three times as many women as it does men.

Is there treatment for Cushing syndrome?

There are treatments for Cushing syndrome that aim to lower the level of cortisol in the body. If the amount of cortisol is raised due to medication, then the dose can be lowered over time with the guidance of a health care provider, per the Mayo Clinic.

If the amount of cortisol is raised due to a tumour, then surgery or radiation therapy may be required. Alternatively, medications to lower cortisol can be taken.

“There’s usually a cure for Cushing syndrome. Treatment may last for some time, even up to 18 months,” according to the Cleveland Clinic.

Without treatment, it can be fatal, the medical centre said.

Where does the name Cushing syndrome come from?

Cushing syndrome was named after scientist Harvey Cushing, who described it in 1932, according to his biography published in the Journal of the Intensive Care Society. He has been dubbed the “father of modern neurological surgery.” He operated on more than 2,000 brain tumours in the span of his 40-year medical career.

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