The New Appendix

The pineal gland is a small orb-like structure located in the center of the brain near the optic nerves. It is sometimes referred to as the ‘third eye’ and is known to regulate our circadian rhythm. It also produces hormones such as melatonin, serotonin, and DMT, which stands for N-Dimethyltryptamine. DMT is what releases into the brain when dreaming and also when dying. This gland can also calcify and grow in size.

These pineal gland growths can take the form of a cyst or a tumor. The enlarged cysts or tumors can cause many symptoms such as headaches, blurry vision, nausea, and more. These gland growths can also over produce one of the three hormones mentioned earlier. Most medical professionals would have patients believe they are asymptomatic and because of the location of the gland, they are hesitant to remove them. However, those who perform a resection successfully note almost complete relief of symptoms in patients. It seems that the pineal gland acts like the appendix in that the gland does not seem to cause issues until it starts to grow or becomes damaged somehow.

Rare, but Worth Studying

Pineal gland cysts and growths affect between 1-5% of the population and the most common demographic is usually women in their 20’s and 30’s. Why this happens in women more so than men is unclear, but there is a case of a 34 year old male who was suffering from schizophrenia who also had a large pineal gland growth. According to the article written about his case on Pubmed.com, his damaged pineal gland was resected and his schizophrenia symptoms were significantly lessened. Another source even listed anxiety and depression as symptoms of pineal gland cysts or tumors. This begs the question: What if a small portion of people who are suffering from severe mental illnesses just have a damaged pineal gland that may be worth removing and studying?

Medication and Treatment

To date there are no medications that can decalcify or shrink the pineal gland. In the case of brain tumors, doctors will sometimes prescribe hormones or anti-seizure medication to offset some of the more challenging symptoms of impaired brain functionality such as seizures or mood swings. It is worth noting, however, that if other oral medications for different ailments do not work properly or they have adverse side effects; the number one reason is usually attributed to a brain tumor or abnormality.

The only treatment of a pineal gland growth or tumor to relieve symptoms is removal. There are few qualified neurosurgeons who will do this considering where the gland is located, but it is possible.

The Brain Needs WATER: A Drinkard Tale

As someone who lives with a 1.36 cm calcified pineal gland cyst myself, I have noticed my symptoms worsen when I am too dehydrated. I would get these scary psychosis-like attacks, usually after a night of heavy drinking, especially when I was younger. Those around me including doctors simply stated it was “anxiety”, but it was like my brain was telling me I was dying. If I had to guess, knowing what I know now after thorough research, experience with having one for perhaps several years before diagnosis, and visiting a neurosurgeon who removes pineal gland growths and studies them who was able to confirm my theories, is that my pineal gland possibly ran out of serotonin and then proceeded to produce the death DMT hormone even though I was and still am very much alive. This is why antidepressant medications and sedatives fail to work properly on me because the first medication dries out the brain to make it secrete serotonin and the latter tries to manually activate my pineal gland to secrete melatonin and it will secrete DMT instead. Because of this I carry water with me wherever I go making my last name so apt considering my circumstance.

So What Now? Are Pineal Gland Growths DEADLY?

Some sources claim that these growths can be deadly because they can cause hydrocephalus or increased fluid on the brain, which can cause brain damage. Other sources say they can cause sudden death syndrome or they can fill with blood and rupture, but that is rare. It is mostly believed that they are not dire, but need to be monitored for growth every year via MRI. It should be considered as an underlying condition because it is an abnormality in a vital organ, but mainly these growths affect quality of life.

References:

Pineal Gland Cysts and Tumours Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment

www.pinealglandcystsandtumours.com

Surgical Resection of Pineal Gland Cyst Case Study

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov