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The 8 signs of Cushing’s syndrome after Amy Schumer says trolling ‘moon face’ comments led to diagnosis
From mood swings to stretch marks
AMY Schumer says she wouldn't have known she had Cushing's syndrome if it weren't for internet trolls.
The actress and comedian, 43, said people "really came for me" after noticing her suddenly swollen face.
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Initially, she brushed the comments off as haters just being mean.
But when doctors started telling her she might have a stress hormone-related health condition, she immediately started to panic.
Cushing's syndrome is caused by having too much cortisol in the body.
It is usually triggered by taking steroids for extended periods, and Amy had been having injections following her breast reduction and C-section.
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Speaking on the Call Her Daddy podcast, she said: "At first, I was like, 'F*** off'. Then I was like, 'Wait, I have been getting steroid injections for my scars'."
The Trainwreck star then received an official diagnosis, and an explanation for her "moon face".
"I wouldn't have known if the internet hadn't come for me so hard," she told host Alex Cooper.
Cushing's syndrome is considered rare. Estimates vary, but it is thought to affect between five and 70 people per million every year.
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It mostly affects people who have been taking steroid medicine, especially tablets, for a long time, according to the NHS.
Far more women suffer with Cushing's than men, and it is most commonly diagnosed between the ages of 30 and 40, The Pituitary Foundation says.
Amy Schumer breaks her silence after sparking concern with ‘puffy and swollen’ face as she reveals health battle
Symptoms can start suddenly or gradually, so it is sometimes hard to spot at first.
But they tend to get worse if not treated.
The NHS says the most common symptoms of Cushing's syndrome relate to weight gain and body fat. They include:
- Increased fat on your chest and tummy, but slim arms and legs
- A build-up of fat on the back of your neck and shoulders (known as a 'buffalo hump')
- A red, puffy, rounded face (sometimes dubbed a 'moon face')
Other potential signs include:
- Skin that bruises easily
- Large purple stretch marks
- Weakness in your upper arms and thighs
- A reduced sex drive and fertility problems
- Depression and mood swings
Cushing's syndrome can also cause high blood pressure.
The condition usually gets better with treatment, but it can take a long time to recover completely.
If it's caused by taking steroids, a person's dose will be gradually reduced or stopped.
In rare cases, Cushing's can be caused by a tumour in the pituitary gland in the brain or adrenal glands above the kidneys.
In these cases, patients may require surgery, radiotherapy or medicines to reduce the effect of cortisol on the body.
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Amy, who is known for Last Comic Standing, Snatched, and I Feel Pretty, also suffers with endometriosis, where cells similar to those in the lining of the womb grow in other parts of the body.
In 2021, she revealed that she had to get her uterus and appendix removed as a result.
At the time, she wrote on Instagram: "The doctor found 30 spots of endometriosis that he removed.
"He removed my appendix because the endometriosis had attacked it.
"There was a lot, a lot of blood in my uterus and I'm, you know, sore and I have some, like, gas pains."
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Amy and her husband Chris Fischer have one child together, , who was born by C-section in May 2019. They live in New York.
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