Quick Reference: Pituitary Disorders
| Pituitary Disorder |
Major Signs and Symptoms | Key Laboratory Tests |
Conventional Therapies | Naturopathic Therapies |
| Pituitary Deficiency: | ||||
| Hypothyroidism | Fatigue | Low TSH | T4: 1-1.25 mg q.d. | T3: 30 mcg b.i.d. or Armour 1-6 grains T4: 1-1.25 mg q.d. |
| Adrenal Insufficiency | Fatigue Low blood pressure |
Low ACTH | Hydrocortisone 20 mg AM and 10 mg PM | Hydrocortisone 20 mg AM and 10 mg PM Licorice solid extract |
| Hypogonadism (male and female) | Infertility Impotence No menses |
Low L Low FSH Low estrogen, testosterone, progesterone |
Depo-testosterone 300 mg intramuscularly ever 3 weeks Testosterone patch: 6 mg q.d. Estradiol patch: 0.05-0.1 mg b.i.d. |
Bio-indentical hormone therapy |
| Diabetes insipidus | Polyuria Excessive thirst |
ADH deficiency | Desmopressin 0.1 ml intranasally 102 times q.d. | Desmopressin 0.1 ml intranasally 102 times q.d. |
| Growth Hormone Insufficiency | Low body mass and stature | Low GH Low IGF-1 (somatomedin) |
0.30 GH mg/kg/week | 0.30 GH mg/kg/week Amino acid therapy |
| Pituitary Excess: | ||||
| Prolactinoma | Enlarged breasts in men Infertility in men and woman Milk in breasts (when not lactating) |
High levels of GH | Bromocriptine, 2.5 mg t.i.d. Surgery | Vitex agnus Vitamin B-6 Magnesium Adaptogens |
| Acromegaly | Enlarged hands and feet Sleep apnea Hypertension Diabetes |
High levels of GH | Surgery The dopamine agonist drugs, bromocriptine and cabergoline, improve symptoms but are not very effective in lowering growth hormone and IGF-1 levels to normal (< 10%). |
Vitex agnus Vitamin B-6 Magnesium Adaptogens |
| Cushing’s Disease | Weight gain Muscle mass loss Easy bruising |
High levels of ACTH | Surgery | Vitex agnus Adaptogens |
| Hyperthryoidism | Anxiety Heart palpitations |
High TSH | Surgery | Vitex agnus Adaptogens |
Note: Many naturopathic therapies for hormone deficiency are similar to conventional therapies. In cases of pituitary excess, specific naturopathic approaches would use dosing of Vitex agnus castus (chasteberry) from 20-200 mg t.i.d. and adaptogenic herbs 500 mg –3 grams t.i.d. However, in severe cases surgery might still be needed.
