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Complications
By Mayo Clinic staffBecause pituitary hormones control so many aspects of your metabolism, Sheehan's syndrome can cause a number of problems, including:
- Adrenal crisis, a serious condition in which your adrenal glands produce too little of the hormone cortisol
- Low blood pressure
- High cholesterol
- Unintended weight loss
- Menstrual irregularities
Adrenal crisis: Life-threatening situation
The most serious complication is adrenal crisis, a sudden, life-threatening state that can lead to extremely low blood pressure, shock, coma and death.
Adrenal crisis usually occurs when your body is under severe stress — such as during surgery or a serious illness — and your adrenal glands produce too little cortisol, a powerful stress hormone.
Because of the potentially serious consequences of adrenal insufficiency, your doctor is likely to recommend that you wear a medical alert bracelet.
- Feinberg EC, et al. The incidence of Sheehan's syndrome after obstetric hemorrhage. Fertility and Sterility. 2005;84(4):975-979.
- Soares DV, et al. Clinical, laboratory and therapeutics aspects of Sheehan's syndrome. Arquivos Brasileiros de Endocrinologia e Metabologia. 2008;52(5):872-878.
- Dokmetas HS, et al. Characteristic features of 20 patients with Sheehan's syndrome. Gynecological Endocrinology: The Official Journal of the International Society of Gynecological Endocrinology. 2006;22(5):279-283.
- Schrager S, et al. Sheehan syndrome: A rare complication of postpartum hemorrhage. The Journal of the American Board of Family Practice. 2001;14(5):389-391.
- Sert M, et al. Clinical report of 28 Patients with Sheehan's syndrome. Endocrine Journal. 2003;50(3):297-301.
- Pham PC, et al. Sodium and water disturbances in patients with
- Sheehan's syndrome. American Journal of Kidney Diseases. 2001;38(3):E14.
- Kelestimur F, et al. Sheehan's syndrome: Baseline characteristics and effect of 2 years of growth hormone replacement therapy in 91 patients in KIMS-Pfizer International Metabolic Database. European Journal of Endocrinology. 2005;152(4):581-587.
- The Pituitary Gland. In: Ganong WF. Review of Medical Physiology. 22nd edition. The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc.; 2005. http://www.accessmedicine.com/resourceTOC.aspx?resourceID=11. Accessed Nov. 28, 2008.
