Cortisol

[Guest guest]

,

I've seen the Cortislim ads. I can't tell you how effective it would be,

because I've found that any thing that promises weight loss like that can't

be lasting, or you have to stay on it forever. There is the diet patch which

is also being advertised a lot right now. i found that is it nothing more

than the Fucus vesiculosis which comes the product Deflect, which helps us

O's get rid of the lectin damage that wrong eating has caused over the

years. I have to agree with . For us O's it takes exercise and

watching what we eat to keep our cortisal levels down. Irene has a problem

most of us don't have with cortisal levels and is having good success

loosing weight with this way of eating, dispite her problem.

cortisol

> I recently heard about the stress hormone called cortisol.Seems that if

there

> is too much of it in your system, it makes losing weight(among other

things)

> hard to do.

> first, it this true? does anybody know of a saliva test to track

cortisol?

> Second, has anybody tried this new product called cortislim which

addresses

> this issue?

[Guest guest]

vincent ricciardi wrote:

> I recently heard about the stress hormone called cortisol.Seems that if there

> is too much of it in your system, it makes losing weight(among other things)

> hard to do.

> first, it this true?

Hi , Yes it is very true.

Cortisol is the flight or fright stress hormone and it is produced in

higher amounts as we age, also obese people produce more as the more fat

you have the more cortisol you make. And most of all, stress causes

release of cortisol - so if you can do stress reduction things like a

laid back attitude instead of stressing, meditation and yoga and that

kind of thing - you can lower your level.

Also drinking coffee (regular or decaf) or eating liquorice, causes us

to excrete cortisol. A cup of coffee at 10am takes till evening for the

cortisol to dissipate. If you drink a lot of coffee, you'll have a lot

of cortisol. So basically coffee makes you fat :-))

The job of cortisol is to help us run from tigers if we get a fright in

the wild. It's not a great stress hormone in modern times as the

stresses we have are more likely to be emotional than tigers, and the

chances that we use up the cortisol by running after an emotional stress

are " pretty slim " - but if you did you'd get pretty slim.

What Cortisol does is to change muscle into sugar so we can run faster.

When we do not run after all from the stress, then the sugar is dumped

as fat - a special kind of fat (cushing's fat) around the lower abdomen.

Unlike regular fat, this will not readily burn just by exercise. It

needs conjugated linoleic acid to release it. that is linoleic acid

changed into active form by delta-6-desaturase. Problem is we make less

delta-6-desaturase as we age also.

So it does make sense to either take supplements that reduce Cortisol or

preferably to eat a diet that reduces it.

As it happens my own cortisol is 32 times normal (due to cortisol

producing tumours) so I have made quite a study of how to fight back.

Obviously - no coffee or liquorice.

Lots of green tea as it contains theonine which helps reduce cortisol.

Vit E reduces it, it helps to eat diabetic style - because cortisol

produces a diabetic state from all the sugar from muscle breakdown. You

need extra protein to replace the muscle breakdown, and you need to

avoid starches as those also turn to sugar inside and you have too much

from cortisol already.

Exercise burns cortisol - do lots.

All this makes sense as an O-type - and if you use the BTD and take

plenty of antioxidants - or eat them (high pigment items like

blueberries, spinach and turmeric) that also helps. Also eat EV olive

oil, a little several times a day - as that helps burn fat.

> does anybody know of a saliva test to track cortisol?

Yes there are saliva tests for cortisol. But the gold standard test to

know if yours is above normal, is the 24-hour free urine cortisol

measure. This is relevant because cortisol varies so much in a 24 hour

period (and even day to day).

> Second, has anybody tried this new product called cortislim which addresses

> this issue?

Well it claims to address it - and I had a look at the ingredients -

there are many products with better ingredients and you can certainly

decide on your own supplements and food a lot cheaper. You would be

better off to just get a supplement of CLA so that you have the

conjugated linoleic acid. Clarinol has a good liquid form with more

usable CLA than capsules. A quarter teaspoon now and then is good.

But I would not even go that far unless you really do have a high

cortisol excess. Diet can handle your situation with proper use of EVO

(extra virgin olive oil), protein, antioxidants, green tea, Vit E,

regular exercise and anti-stress life planning.

That will do a great deal more for you than any of the Cortislim,

Relacort and so forth items.

You can take that from one who knows :-))

If I was not doing what I do with diet, my cortisol level is high enough

to cause me to gain 4 lbs a week on a weight watcher's type diet.

(Which is what I was doing for 100 lbs worth before I learned more about

cortisol. I've since lost 40 of those 100, but it took 2 years as in my

case I am swimming upstream. My endocrinologist is incredulous that it

is even possible to lose instead of gain in my case - but I have been

studying cortisol and how to beat it for some years now.)

So you should have no trouble beating down a bit a extra cortisol with

diet and happy living :-) I would not waste money on the various

money-makers out there.

Namaste,

Irene

--

Irene de Villiers, B.Sc; AASCA; MCSSA; D.I.Hom.

P.O.Box 4703, Spokane, WA 99220-0703.

http://www.angelfire.com/fl/furryboots/clickhere.html

Veterinary Homeopath and Feline Information Counsellor.

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

From what little I know, lots of things can increase cortisol levels. Stress is

the

big one. Drinking coffee does too. High cortisol can be associated with

depression. It's reasonable that sex & libido will suffer.

I think this is a case where treating the causes of high cortisol is better than

trying to manipulate the chemistry. These days almost anyone can benefit

from practicing stress management techniques. I don't know much about

herbs & remedies, but ones that help stress and anxiety would probably help

reduce cortisol levels.

Does that make any sense?

Bruce

> Just realized that I had an am cortisol test a few months back and my result

> was near the very top of the range. If cortisol is high does that reduce

> libido and sex function? Are they any herbs to reduce cortisol?

>

> Best,

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

,

I have low adrenal function even though my blood cortisol lab is high

normal. When I did a saliva test it showed that my cortisol

production was low. Blood tests are not an accurate measure of

cortisol in the cells. This was confirmed when I took cortisol

boosting supplements which caused my low cortisol symptoms to

diminish. For more info about this check " Adrenal Fatigue The 21st

Century stress Syndrome " by Dr. .

You can do a saliva test at www.metametrix.com for $125 including

shipping.

> Just realized that I had an am cortisol test a few months back and

my result

> was near the very top of the range. If cortisol is high does that

reduce

> libido and sex function? Are they any herbs to reduce cortisol?

>

> Best,

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

> Just realized that I had an am cortisol test a few months back and

my result

> was near the very top of the range. If cortisol is high does that

reduce

> libido and sex function? Are they any herbs to reduce cortisol?

Cortisol is best tested with a 24 or 48 hour urine collection: blood

testing is not nearly so accurate.

Cortisol is known as the 'stress hormone', which simply means that it

shoots up when you're stressed and goes back to normal when you're

not. While that's probably a gross over-simplification of the

dynamics, I think it's safe to say that the less stressed you are, the

more balanced your cortisol levels will be. That is important because

consistently high cortisol levels play havoc with your body chemistry,

particularly your endocrine system. The key is to be in control of

your stress, however you can. Whatever stress management techniques

work for you, use them.

cheers,

Colin

[Guest guest]

> unatural cortisol cascading can be from many factors, from the

> sympathetic type eating the wrong kind of diet, to stress from many

> causes,

> including but not limited to hormonal imbalances, dormition(lack

> of

> sleep), lack of exertion, depression, hypoglycemia, fear, response to

> trauma. Even mercury toxicity has been linked. These things can also

> lead to adrenal dysfunctions.

True, and in fact ANY PHYSICAL STRESSOR INCREASES CORISOL RELEASE.

The most common source of physical stress is bowel dysbiosis in which

bad bowel bacteria are fluorishing in sufficient numbers to crank out

toxins 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The cure increases the good

bowel bacteria so they once again control the bad, and the cure in

this case is accomplished by simply putting their missing inulin feed

back into the modern diet. This is not a job for probiotics, which

are not up to the task.

Another very common cause of stress is malnutrition, another

complication of eating modern fare and poor nutrient absorption due

to the bowel dysbiosis noted above. In fact malnutrition is often

involved in insomnia, depression, startling (fear), and poor response

to trauma, slow recovery rate, and age-related degeneration.

Duncan

..

[Guest guest]

not sure if I am really allowed to respond to this?

all I can say is that there are so many tragic misperceptions about low dose cortisol! Definately don't stay on cortisol if you don't need it--I need it for my quality of life. McK Jefferies MD has used cortisol the same way I do for 40 years I guess. I lost 30 years of my life due to poor medical treatment, no thyroid and adrenal meds, so I do want to be medicated for life! I want a life.

II have been on the internet for several years and have never heard of the rule you are describing. No wait, that might be the allopathic rule, applied to low dose cortisol. Not accurate.

Gracia

Hi Gracia,Are you kidding? You think people should stay on Cortef for life? There are always exceptions to the rule, but the 'rule' is that Cortef use is to give your adrenals a break, not to kill them off through disuse. I want to be healthy, not medicated for life. So yes, I got off.And yes, I sucessfully got off my thyroid meds as well. Sharon> why do you have to "get off"? Are you getting off your thyroid med too?> gracia

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[Guest guest]

> From: " Gracia " circe@...

>

> not sure if I am really allowed to respond to this?

> all I can say is that there are so many tragic misperceptions about low

>dose cortisol! Definately don't stay on cortisol if you don't need it--I

>need it for my quality of life. McK Jefferies MD has used cortisol

>the same way I do for 40 years I guess. I lost 30 years of my life due

>to poor medical treatment, no thyroid and adrenal meds, so I do want to be

>medicated for life! I want a life.

> II have been on the internet for several years and have never heard of

>the rule you are describing. No wait, that might be the allopathic rule,

>applied to low dose cortisol. Not accurate.

oups.com

It's best to stay off medicine if you can. If one can have an active life

without thyroid meds and Cortef, they are healthier. That being said, if

one needs Cortef and doesn't take it, their quality of life will be very,

very poor.

For some of those with thyroid problems, the low thyroid is the cause of the

low cortisol, so some hypos do fine simply resting their adrenals in the

beginning with Cortef, because they were just tired and overworked from the

low thyroid.

Jeffries said that for those who needed low dose hydrocortisone, their

adrenal reserve for emergencies would actually be higher if they took

Cortef. I know there is a worry that Cortef will shut down the adrenal

feedback loop. However, when my ACTH (It tells the adrenals to produce

cortisol like TSH tells the thyroid to produce T4 and T3) was high on

Cortef, my cortisol levels were still low. Which means the feedback loop

wasn't shut down. Jeffries opinion is that 20 mg of Cortef daily is not

enough to shut it down.

For people like us, Cortef is necessary. No, I don't have 's. Yes,

my family doctor of five years told me it was time to find another doctor

when I asked for Cortef based on my AM cortisol level. ( Teitalbaum in

" From Fatigued to Fantastic " said a trial wa warranted if AM cortisol was

under 12.)

When I went on Cortef, symptoms of frequent urination, rheumatoid in the

hips, and chest pain went away.

My need for Cortef isn't desperate like those with 's have. If I go

a few days without it, there are no negative consequences. But, eventually

I slowly decline, and remember that I haven't been taking it so I better

start..

Dr. Mercola's website said that only 10% of the population have cholesterol

lower than 180. Mine is 110. I've wondered if that's the real reason I

need Cortef, because cholesterol is where cortisol, testosterone, estrogen,

Vitamin D, and bile come from. Not from the " good " cholesterol either but

from what the medical profession calls " bad " cholesterol.

My mother also had low cholesterol, so it's probably genetic. Some sites

say that it can be cause by mercury exposure, like from fillings, so that

could be too. Even if it's not, mercury is called a " specific adrenal

toxin " so my fillings could be the ultimate cause of the adrenal problems.

One of these days I'll have to have them removed, but not everyone is happy

with the results of that.

Adrenal problems can be short term or long. A lot of people only need

Cortef for the short term, but some of us need it forever, or until we have

our fillings out, find a way to increase our cholesterol, or fix whatever

the problem is that causes us to need it.

I've tried Dr. Rind's vitamins, and I can't say they helped me. Actually,

he's heavy on the B vitamins and every time I take B vitamins I've noticed

feeling more fatigued. Which is why I take some supplements, but won't take

B complex or any multi vitamins. They have a negative effect.

I also won't take magnesium. It does a lot of good for my wife. However, I

read somewhere that those with low cortisol tend to have too high levels of

magnesium, and those with high cortisol tend to have low levels of

magnesium. Our labs seem to agree with this as my blood levels are high,

and my wife who has high cortisol, has low readings. ('s comments on

magnesium seem to agree with that concept as he mentioned stress depletes

magnesium, it's likely the excess cortisol in stress that pushes out the

magnesium.) I had an epsom salts bath once, felt exhausted / sick for a

couple days after, which is why I researched the question a bit.

That being said, obviously Dr. Rind's supplements work for some. But not

everyone is the same.

Skipper

_________________________________________________________________

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[Guest guest]

Lots of good things to think about. Thanks, Skipper.

Sharon

> It's best to stay off medicine if you can. If one can have an

active life

> without thyroid meds and Cortef, they are healthier. That being

said, if

> one needs Cortef and doesn't take it, their quality of life will

be very,

> very poor.

>

> For some of those with thyroid problems, the low thyroid is the

cause of the

> low cortisol, so some hypos do fine simply resting their adrenals

in the

> beginning with Cortef, because they were just tired and overworked

from the

> low thyroid.

>

> Jeffries said that for those who needed low dose hydrocortisone,

their

> adrenal reserve for emergencies would actually be higher if they

took

> Cortef. I know there is a worry that Cortef will shut down the

adrenal

> feedback loop. However, when my ACTH (It tells the adrenals to

produce

> cortisol like TSH tells the thyroid to produce T4 and T3) was high

on

> Cortef, my cortisol levels were still low. Which means the

feedback loop

> wasn't shut down. Jeffries opinion is that 20 mg of Cortef daily

is not

> enough to shut it down.

>

> For people like us, Cortef is necessary. No, I don't have

's. Yes,

> my family doctor of five years told me it was time to find another

doctor

> when I asked for Cortef based on my AM cortisol level. (

Teitalbaum in

> " From Fatigued to Fantastic " said a trial wa warranted if AM

cortisol was

> under 12.)

>

> When I went on Cortef, symptoms of frequent urination, rheumatoid

in the

> hips, and chest pain went away.

>

> My need for Cortef isn't desperate like those with 's

have. If I go

> a few days without it, there are no negative consequences. But,

eventually

> I slowly decline, and remember that I haven't been taking it so I

better

> start..

>

> Dr. Mercola's website said that only 10% of the population have

cholesterol

> lower than 180. Mine is 110. I've wondered if that's the real

reason I

> need Cortef, because cholesterol is where cortisol, testosterone,

estrogen,

> Vitamin D, and bile come from. Not from the " good " cholesterol

either but

> from what the medical profession calls " bad " cholesterol.

>

> My mother also had low cholesterol, so it's probably genetic.

Some sites

> say that it can be cause by mercury exposure, like from fillings,

so that

> could be too. Even if it's not, mercury is called a " specific

adrenal

> toxin " so my fillings could be the ultimate cause of the adrenal

problems.

> One of these days I'll have to have them removed, but not everyone

is happy

> with the results of that.

>

> Adrenal problems can be short term or long. A lot of people only

need

> Cortef for the short term, but some of us need it forever, or

until we have

> our fillings out, find a way to increase our cholesterol, or fix

whatever

> the problem is that causes us to need it.

>

> I've tried Dr. Rind's vitamins, and I can't say they helped me.

Actually,

> he's heavy on the B vitamins and every time I take B vitamins I've

noticed

> feeling more fatigued. Which is why I take some supplements, but

won't take

> B complex or any multi vitamins. They have a negative effect.

>

> I also won't take magnesium. It does a lot of good for my wife.

However, I

> read somewhere that those with low cortisol tend to have too high

levels of

> magnesium, and those with high cortisol tend to have low levels of

> magnesium. Our labs seem to agree with this as my blood levels

are high,

> and my wife who has high cortisol, has low readings. ('s

comments on

> magnesium seem to agree with that concept as he mentioned stress

depletes

> magnesium, it's likely the excess cortisol in stress that pushes

out the

> magnesium.) I had an epsom salts bath once, felt exhausted / sick

for a

> couple days after, which is why I researched the question a bit.

>

> That being said, obviously Dr. Rind's supplements work for some.

But not

> everyone is the same.

>

> Skipper

[Guest guest]

--- Skipper Beers <lsb149@...> wrote:

> >From: Abbe <abbe_online@...>

>

> >--- Skipper Beers <lsb149@...> wrote:

> >

> > > Of course, some recognize high cortisol as one

> of

> > > the first signs of adrenal

> > > fatigue.

Do you know: what are the *symptoms* (not test

results) of low cortisol?

Abbe

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

> Do you know: what are the *symptoms* (not test

> results) of low cortisol?

For low cortisol, there's a lot of symptoms.

Thyroid hormone needs adequate cortisol to convert T4 to T3. If it

doesn't get it, the T4 is simply excreted. (High cortisol causes

elevated rT3, an inactive form of T3, low cortisol just leaves it as

T4 which is always inactive.)

So, any low thyroid symptom can actually be caused by low adrenals.

Some people really don't need thyroid treatment for their thyroid

symptoms to get better, only adrenal treatment.

I'm sure some people are on thyroid medication because their adrenals

were stressed for a while which gave them the appearance of low

thyroid. With adequate thyroid hormone, in some people the adrenals

will improve.As Langer said in " Solved the Riddle of Illness " , when

the thyroid is treated the cortisol usually increases, because the

adrenals need thyroid hormone to operate.

So, some people only need hydrocortisone temporarily and wound up on

thyroid meds for the rest of their life.

Anyways, symptoms include

fatigue

weakness (On the TV show Howse, they gave someone cortisol and he

could walk again. That's not unrealistic.)

Rheumatoid type pains

frequent urination

Low body temp, usually inconsistent pattern.

Here Dr. Rind puts thyroid vs. adrenal in perspective -

http://drrind.com/scorecardmatrix.asp

I think it's quite subjective, but it is helpful to some.

Skipper

[Guest guest]

Thanks, Skipper, for this overview of low cortisol.

Do you know of any research that documents this: "Thyroid hormone needs adequate cortisol to convert T4 to T3." ?

I've heard it mentioned many times, but I don't know where the info comes from. A doctor friend challenged this idea (and the idea that adequate cortisol is needed for thyroid hormones to get into the cell) , and I would like to know more.

Thanks.

Zoe

----- Original Message -----

From: skipster149 For low cortisol, there's a lot of symptoms. Thyroid hormone needs adequate cortisol to convert T4 to T3. If itdoesn't get it, the T4 is simply excreted. (High cortisol causeselevated rT3, an inactive form of T3, low cortisol just leaves it asT4 which is always inactive.)So, any low thyroid symptom can actually be caused by low adrenals. Some people really don't need thyroid treatment for their thyroidsymptoms to get better, only adrenal treatment. I'm sure some people are on thyroid medication because their adrenalswere stressed for a while which gave them the appearance of lowthyroid. With adequate thyroid hormone, in some people the adrenalswill improve.As Langer said in "Solved the Riddle of Illness", whenthe thyroid is treated the cortisol usually increases, because theadrenals need thyroid hormone to operate.So, some people only need hydrocortisone temporarily and wound up onthyroid meds for the rest of their life.Anyways, symptoms includefatigueweakness (On the TV show Howse, they gave someone cortisol and hecould walk again. That's not unrealistic.)Rheumatoid type painsfrequent urinationLow body temp, usually inconsistent pattern.Here Dr. Rind puts thyroid vs. adrenal in perspective -http://drrind.com/scorecardmatrix.aspI think it's quite subjective, but it is helpful to some.Skipper Iodine

[Guest guest]

>From: " Zoe & " <ZOEA@...>

>Thanks, Skipper, for this overview of low cortisol.

>

>Do you know of any research that documents this: " Thyroid hormone needs

>adequate cortisol to convert T4 to T3. " ?

>

>I've heard it mentioned many times, but I don't know where the info comes

>from. A doctor friend challenged this idea (and the idea that adequate

>cortisol is needed for thyroid hormones to get into the cell) , and I would

>like to know more.

http://www.salugenecists.com/genpage.php?tname=disease & dbid=21

Once T4 is in the blood, another part of the body's network takes over,

using cortisone, a hormone secreted by the adrenal gland, to convert T4 to

T3 in the peripheral tissues, primarily the liver and kidneys, from which T3

is sent into the bloodstream.

http://endo.endojournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/103/4/1453

Available evidence suggests that the prenatal increase in fetal serum T3

levels is mediated by a cortisol-induced increase in T4 to T3 conversion in

fetal tissues.

http://www.chiroweb.com/archives/18/07/03.html

Too little cortisol, or other nutrients listed above, can result in a slowed

conversion of T4 to T3. Therefore, borderline hypoadrenalism or

hyperadrenalism can result in functional hypothroidism and persistently low

axillary temperatures, even when the patient is on significant dosages of

exogenous thyroid hormones.

http://www.pedresearch.org/cgi/content/full/55/2/248

glucocorticoid hormones and thyroid hormones are known to be functionally

interrelated with respect both to maturational effects and to influencing

each other’s regulatory pathways

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ltagline

[Guest guest]

Referring to low cortisol,

>

> Anyways, symptoms include

>

> fatigue

>

> weakness (On the TV show Howse, they gave someone cortisol and he

> could walk again. That's not unrealistic.)

>

> Rheumatoid type pains

>

> frequent urination

>

> Low body temp, usually inconsistent pattern.

>

> Here Dr. Rind puts thyroid vs. adrenal in perspective -

>

> http://drrind.com/scorecardmatrix.asp

>

> I think it's quite subjective, but it is helpful to some.

Indeed, that chart is very helpful! I found myself to be

bouncing between the poor adrenal and middle columns than

the thyroid, where my initial TSH tests had directed me.

Hmmmm... and the therapy for this is usually hydrocortisone?

Ugh.

Thanks,

-

[Guest guest]

some of the best stuff I have read on cortisol comes from Tinterra MD but I would have to look for the internet sources. http://www.drlam.com had some good stuff as I remember. My own personal experience was that cortisol (and estrogen) made a huge difference and allowed me to take the right amount of thyroid meds. I could only tolerate 90mg Armour b4 cortef and enough estrogen.

gracia

Thanks, Skipper, for this overview of low cortisol.

Do you know of any research that documents this: "Thyroid hormone needs adequate cortisol to convert T4 to T3." ?

I've heard it mentioned many times, but I don't know where the info comes from. A doctor friend challenged this idea (and the idea that adequate cortisol is needed for thyroid hormones to get into the cell) , and I would like to know more.

Thanks.

Zoe

----- Original Message -----

From: skipster149 For low cortisol, there's a lot of symptoms. Thyroid hormone needs adequate cortisol to convert T4 to T3. If itdoesn't get it, the T4 is simply excreted. (High cortisol causeselevated rT3, an inactive form of T3, low cortisol just leaves it asT4 which is always inactive.)So, any low thyroid symptom can actually be caused by low adrenals. Some people really don't need thyroid treatment for their thyroidsymptoms to get better, only adrenal treatment. I'm sure some people are on thyroid medication because their adrenalswere stressed for a while which gave them the appearance of lowthyroid. With adequate thyroid hormone, in some people the adrenalswill improve.As Langer said in "Solved the Riddle of Illness", whenthe thyroid is treated the cortisol usually increases, because theadrenals need thyroid hormone to operate.So, some people only need hydrocortisone temporarily and wound up onthyroid meds for the rest of their life.Anyways, symptoms includefatigueweakness (On the TV show Howse, they gave someone cortisol and hecould walk again. That's not unrealistic.)Rheumatoid type painsfrequent urinationLow body temp, usually inconsistent pattern.Here Dr. Rind puts thyroid vs. adrenal in perspective -http://drrind.com/scorecardmatrix.aspI think it's quite subjective, but it is helpful to some.Skipper Iodine

[Guest guest]

one thing that I read from MD, holistic doc, is that low adrenal patients are usually treated as psych patients! (anxiety, depression, phobias, OCD).

gracia

> Do you know: what are the *symptoms* (not test> results) of low cortisol?For low cortisol, there's a lot of symptoms. Thyroid hormone needs adequate cortisol to convert T4 to T3. If itdoesn't get it, the T4 is simply excreted. (High cortisol causeselevated rT3, an inactive form of T3, low cortisol just leaves it asT4 which is always inactive.)So, any low thyroid symptom can actually be caused by low adrenals. Some people really don't need thyroid treatment for their thyroidsymptoms to get better, only adrenal treatment. I'm sure some people are on thyroid medication because their adrenalswere stressed for a while which gave them the appearance of lowthyroid. With adequate thyroid hormone, in some people the adrenalswill improve.As Langer said in "Solved the Riddle of Illness", whenthe thyroid is treated the cortisol usually increases, because theadrenals need thyroid hormone to operate.So, some people only need hydrocortisone temporarily and wound up onthyroid meds for the rest of their life.Anyways, symptoms includefatigueweakness (On the TV show Howse, they gave someone cortisol and hecould walk again. That's not unrealistic.)Rheumatoid type painsfrequent urinationLow body temp, usually inconsistent pattern.Here Dr. Rind puts thyroid vs. adrenal in perspective -http://drrind.com/scorecardmatrix.aspI think it's quite subjective, but it is helpful to some.Skipper

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[Guest guest]

>From: " Gracia " <circe@...>

> some of the best stuff I have read on cortisol comes from Tinterra

>MD but I would have to look for the internet sources. http://www.drlam.com

>had some good stuff as I remember. My own personal experience was that

>cortisol (and estrogen) made a huge difference and allowed me to take the

>right amount of thyroid meds. I could only tolerate 90mg Armour b4 cortef

>and enough estrogen.

> gracia

Yes, Tintera was pushing the concept of adrenal insufficiency in the 1940s.

He used Adrenal Cortical Extract with great success -

http://www.westonaprice.org/healthissues/whatweknew.html

" Also in 1968, Dr. Tintera published his book Hypoadrenocorticism,

documenting his ability to reverse alcoholism, hypoglycemia, arthritis and

certain types of schizophrenia using a high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet

along with adrenal cortical extract (ACE). He stated that his only failures

were with patients who had been on prednisone first, which he found to be

very toxic. "

But, in one of the many favors that the FDA has done for consumers, they

removed it from the market -

http://www.westonaprice.org/healthissues/whatweknew.html

In 1978, the FDA submitted false data, characterized by then Congressman

Barry Goldwater, Jr. as " sloppy and suspect, " to justify removing adrenal

cortical extract (ACE) from the marketplace, in order to make the public a

captive audience for prednisone, which the FDA said was safe. For forty

years, Physicians Desk Reference recorded no adverse effects from ACE. Today

mainstream medical journals identify prednisone as very toxic, even on a

short-term basis. "

Skipper

_________________________________________________________________

Windows Live Spaces is here! It’s easy to create your own personal Web site.

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[Guest guest]

http://stress.about.com/od/stresshealth/a/cortisol.htm

Jill maybe you just need to find a way to reduce stress levels instead

of tests etc.

***********************

now that site says the total OPPOSITE of the other one~

it says that signs of cortisol deficeincy are high blood pressure and the other

site said low blood pressure.

The only reason that I thought that pershaps that was my issue is bcz it said

dry skin and low blood pressure,(and my bp isnt dangerously low~

it is stellar awesome)

but the description on the above site doesnt sound like anything I can relate

to.

So who knows why I eat the healthiest diet a person can and I still have all

these skin issues.

I have tried every natural approach I read over the years and nothing seems to

help.

hmmmmmmmmm

But thanx for the advice on relaxing Sally. I consider myself a pretty mello

person most of the time(except when dealing w/ worry and coughing babies) but I

spose it is us non-complainers that are more prone to internalize stress and I

am sure I could always learn to rechannel those daily stresses.

and Stuck~

if you come up w/ any names of eczema helps let me know.

Your dd would cry when you put a particular ointment on bcz eczema BURNS and

many ointments hurt feel like salt on a wound,

particularly if it is an area that was recently scratched.

warmly,,,,jill

[Guest guest]

---> http://stress.about.com/od/stresshealth/a/cortisol.htm

>

Jill i think there is two different issues here. One is too much

cortisol being produced.High blood pressure. Over time if stress

levels continue then it can turn into adrenal insufficiency or burn

out. Low cortisol levels. Low blood pressure. I'm not certain i'm

right but this is what it appears from what i've read. Dry skin can

be thyroid problems. You need B5 to make cortisol. For Adrenalin

B3,B12 and C. It could be caused by an allergy.Wheat or Dairy and a

lack of fatty acids or both.

> Jill maybe you just need to find a way to reduce stress levels

instead

> of tests etc.

> ***********************

> now that site says the total OPPOSITE of the other one~

> it says that signs of cortisol deficeincy are high blood pressure

and the other site said low blood pressure.

> The only reason that I thought that pershaps that was my issue is

bcz it said dry skin and low blood pressure,(and my bp isnt

dangerously low~

> it is stellar awesome)

> but the description on the above site doesnt sound like anything

I can relate to.

> So who knows why I eat the healthiest diet a person can and I

still have all these skin issues.

> I have tried every natural approach I read over the years and

nothing seems to help.

> hmmmmmmmmm

> But thanx for the advice on relaxing Sally. I consider myself a

pretty mello person most of the time(except when dealing w/ worry

and coughing babies) but I spose it is us non-complainers that are

more prone to internalize stress and I am sure I could always learn

to rechannel those daily stresses.

> and Stuck~

> if you come up w/ any names of eczema helps let me know.

> Your dd would cry when you put a particular ointment on bcz eczema

BURNS and many ointments hurt feel like salt on a wound,

> particularly if it is an area that was recently scratched.

> warmly,,,,jill

>

>

[Guest guest]

i think there is two different issues here. One is too much

cortisol being produced.High blood pressure. Over time if stress

levels continue then it can turn into adrenal insufficiency or burn

out. Low cortisol levels. Low blood pressure

****************

but then if I am reading you right,

a person would have too much cotisol first~

and would have high bp until it burns out and then they would have low bp????

I have never had hbp in my life

********

Dry skin can

be thyroid problems.

****************

no, dont think that is me as I have no other symptoms of thyroid troubles

* & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & &

You need B5 to make cortisol. For Adrenalin

B3,B12 and C.

****************

ok, thanx for tips,

but I dont think I am lacking in any vitamins

*********

It could be caused by an allergy.Wheat or Dairy

*****************

no, have done elimination diets in the past and I am not allergic to either.

like I say,

it is pretty mysterious

warmly,,,jill

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

How are ya, Girlfriend?

Your doc is right; thyroid hormone can sometimes make cortisol worse,

but the reverse is also true. It's a complicated relationship between

the hormones. What about taking iodine instead? This is a milder

approach to the thyroid.

You can take melatonin with all of the other stuff you are on. It

won't help your cortisol directly, but indirectly, if it helps you to

sleep better, then it will help your adrenals for sure.

Good luck

Hugs,

Connie

www.lymebytes.blogspot.com

>

> Hi everyone,

>

> I have some questions for ya'll. I had my blood work done and my

> pituitary is to low which means cortisol is to low and my thyroid is

> also out of range. I can't remember if it was to high or low, but my

> doc said he could put me on a thyroid hormone but it will cause a

> loopback to my cortisol and make it even lower. I am currently only

> using diflucan to keep my lyme symptoms tolerable. this year has been

> my lowest. I also have a 2 year old, almost 3 and he makes me cry a

> couple of times a day.

> Anyways, I was just wondering if I took melatonin at night if it

> would help my cortisol? I also have to low of tryglycerides. I take

> xanax to sleep and sometimes ambien cr if it is really bad. Can I

> take melatonin with these?

> Thanks,

>

[Guest guest]

My understanding of cortisol is that it goes up any time you experience

stress.

It is what prepares you for either " Fight or Flight. " It's a coping hormone.

Certain other body activities/systems go into action to support you during

this time such as pupil dilation, increase in blood pressure, and most notably

for us...and increase in blood sugar. This happens so we can quickly and

easily fuel our muscles in the event we need to run or do battle.

However, these days we experience stress not only when we are being chased

by a tiger, but at all times of almost every day: think traffic, lights on

after dark, fast-paced movies (heck! commercials are designed to create an

excitatory response!), trying to keep up with your to-do list. All that

hormone

circulating leads to all that excess sugar circulating and you know that

whatever we don't use for our own benefit...well, one of the internal critters

will. That's the yeast connection as I see it.

I'm new here, but I hope that was helpful.

Shana

**************It's Tax Time! Get tips, forms and advice on AOL Money &

Finance. (http://money.aol.com/tax?NCID=aolcmp00300000002850)

[Guest guest]

>Does anyone know anything about cortisol? I have high levels of cortisol

and I'm wondering if it's connected to yeast.

>

Hi ,

Cortisol is a corticosteroid hormone produced by the adrenal cortex in the

adrenal gland. I am not sure what you mean by it being high. Cortisol should

be higher in the morning right after waking and will decline during the day

and should be lowest at bedtime and during the night. If you are constantly

stressed, this rhythm may not work properly. There is an article in the

folders on adrenal insufficiency that might be a good read for you.

How was your cortisol tested? Blood or saliva? Also, it should be tested

AM, mid-day, afternoon, evening, and night to get a picture of what is going

on.

a

[Guest guest]

I had mine tested by blood test and saliva test. The saliva test was

done 4 times during the day. Mine was high at all points causing all

sorts of problems especially sleep. My ND put me on Phosphatidyl

Serine which worked great. I was retested a few months ago and all my

levels were back to normal except at 5PM which had gone down. I could

really feel it too. I now started myself on Ashwagahnda and this seems

to be helping my energy around this time. Mine got out of whack

because of stress.

>

>

> >

>

[Guest guest]

>

> Does anyone know anything about cortisol? I have high levels of

cortisol and I'm wondering if it's connected to yeast.

==>Yes, cortisol is produced by the adrenal glands and most people with

candida have low adrenal function. This is mainly caused by candida

toxins which makes all of the body's cells rigid/stiff which causes a

lot of organs to malfunction. The focus should be on treating the

cause, and not the symptoms, which is candida. There are some things

you can do to help your adrenals which I do recommend, i.e. dry skin

brushing or rebounding on a mini trampoline or jumping rope which helps

the lymphatic system circulate better and helps decongest the adrenals

and other parts of the endocrine/lymphatic system. Coffee enemas help

decongest too. See " Adrenal Malfunction & How To Improve It " ;

http://www.healingnaturallybybee.com/articles/menu4_7_1.php

When you have candida the body is on high alert and it will be running

on its sypathetic nervous system a lot of the time, which also

increases cortisol and adrenaline. It is very beneficial to help the

body switch over from running on its sympathetic to its parasympathetic

nervous system by doing deep breathing exercises;

http://www.healingnaturallybybee.com/articles/menu1_4_1.php

Luv, Bee