Recently, the Central Endocrinology Hospital (Hanoi) said that doctors there had just received two patients, brothers (15 and 11 years old), suffering from adrenal insufficiency due to using nasal sprays containing corticosteroids.

Specifically, both brothers are currently obese, with BMIs of 36.22 (the older brother) and 32.1 (the younger brother). Both brothers have round, hairy faces, thin skin, purple-red stretch marks on the abdomen and thighs, edema of the lower extremities, and a clear Cushing's phenotype.

According to the patient's family, in the past 3 years, due to allergic rhinitis, the two brothers have continuously used nasal spray.

Ten days before being admitted to the hospital, the two patients were taken for a nutrition check-up and found to have low blood cortisol levels. The doctor advised them to stop using the nasal spray. After stopping the medication, the patients experienced fatigue, loss of appetite, and bloating.

According to doctors at the Central Endocrinology Hospital, to prevent Cushing's syndrome, patients should always take medication as prescribed by their doctor and not arbitrarily use too many steroid-containing drugs for a long time.

In addition, non-prescribed drugs (including traditional Chinese medicine) used to treat bone and joint diseases, or drugs to treat colds, coughs, runny noses, sinusitis, etc. that have strong anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving effects are all derived from corticosteroids. In this case, if the patient buys and uses them without strict supervision from a doctor, it is very easy to cause pseudo-Cushing's syndrome.

Thu Phuong