Cortisol

[Guest guest]

Hi Shana. You are correct. Also when you have candida it cause

stress too, so naturally the body will be running on higher

adrenaline and have higher cortisol levels. Deep breathing exercises

help switch the body over to the parasympathetic nervous system. Also

there are many helpful suggestions in my article " Adrenal Malfunction

& Hot to Improve It " ;

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

Bee

>

>

> 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

[Guest guest]

Hi Sheila,

I have always used IPS the manufacturer varies, but all seems fine I’m using West-ward,

last lot was , at the moment $31.31 plus $8.50 p & p.

Subject:

Cortisol

Hi everybody

For those of you who are taking

Cortisol - please can you tell me where the best (and possibly the cheapest)

place is to buy this product. I need this for a contact outside the group.

Luv - Sheila

[Guest guest]

I have always bought from internationalpharmacy.com - both the expensive cortef & the generic by West.... which is cheap. For cortef be careful to go for the 10mg rather than the 5mg which on first glance looks a similar price per mg as the price is roughly half but then so is the quantity (50 pills rather than 100) - I say this because I got caught this way. The 10mg pills are easy to cut up.

I use the generic 20mg pills also for any 5mg doses during the day, but these are too difficult to cut into smaller doses.

Val

For those of you who are taking Cortisol - please can you tell me where the best (and possibly the cheapest) place is to buy this product. I need this for a contact outside the group.Luv - Sheila

[Guest guest]

So could combat veterans also suffer some of these consequences due to

high and unrelenting levels of ... adrenaline or ....cortisol...?

triggered by stress, flashbacks, PTSD etc?

Sorry for the clumsiness of the question, but still trying to

understand the pathways.

Heidi

Chuck B <gumboyaya@...> wrote:

>

> For Venizia's question, some side effects are almost universal among

> patients taking long term corticosteroids, even at modest doses. These

> include fluid retention, blurry vision (caused by pressure changes in

> the anterior chamber), mild euphoria or other mood changes, insomnia,

> weight gain and redistribution of body fat, and immunocompromise.

>

> Longer term, you can have metabolic effects (eg, hyperglycemia,

> hypertension, osteoporosis), thinning of the skin, muscle weakness

> (myopathy), acne, dyspepsia, Cushingoid habitus, adrenal suppression,

> hypertriglyceridemia, and dyslipidemia. Also included is the poorly

> understood proatherogenic effect of corticosteroids, which is not fully

> explained by changes in levels of low-density or high-density

> lipoprotein cholesterol or triglycerides.

>

[Guest guest]

Actually that's a very good question. I'd like to know the answer if anyone

knows. I was diagnosed with PTSD from surviving physical abuse as a small

child into my 20's. I do have flashbacks, just like a vet, of some of the

abusive 'sessions'.

Dusty

_____

From: hypothyroidism [mailto:hypothyroidism ]

On Behalf Of htbacon

Sent: Thursday, May 29, 2008 10:12 AM

hypothyroidism

Subject: Re: Cortisol

So could combat veterans also suffer some of these consequences due to

high and unrelenting levels of ... adrenaline or ....cortisol...?

triggered by stress, flashbacks, PTSD etc?

Sorry for the clumsiness of the question, but still trying to

understand the pathways.

Heidi

Chuck B <gumboyaya@...> wrote:

>

> For Venizia's question, some side effects are almost universal among

> patients taking long term corticosteroids, even at modest doses. These

> include fluid retention, blurry vision (caused by pressure changes in

> the anterior chamber), mild euphoria or other mood changes, insomnia,

> weight gain and redistribution of body fat, and immunocompromise.

>

> Longer term, you can have metabolic effects (eg, hyperglycemia,

> hypertension, osteoporosis), thinning of the skin, muscle weakness

> (myopathy), acne, dyspepsia, Cushingoid habitus, adrenal suppression,

> hypertriglyceridemia, and dyslipidemia. Also included is the poorly

> understood proatherogenic effect of corticosteroids, which is not fully

> explained by changes in levels of low-density or high-density

> lipoprotein cholesterol or triglycerides.

>

[Guest guest]

There's more and more research out there on this topic, but my science

background is so poor it's really difficult for me to decipher and

comprehend and make the connections of the studies. I'm hoping someone

here knows and has the patience to help me get it. (urgh on not trying

harder in science classes!!)

Heidi

>

> Actually that's a very good question. I'd like to know the answer

if anyone

> knows. I was diagnosed with PTSD from surviving physical abuse as a

small

> child into my 20's. I do have flashbacks, just like a vet, of some

of the

> abusive 'sessions'.

>

> Dusty

>

>

[Guest guest]

Heidi,

You wrote:

>

> So could combat veterans also suffer some of these consequences due to

> high and unrelenting levels of ... adrenaline or ....cortisol...?...

Not a clumsy question at all. In principle, the answer is yes. The first

to relate disease to chronic severe stress was an endocrinologist named

Hans Selye:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_Selye

He called the effects of chronic stress the General Adaptation Syndrome,

but that was long before they knew about adrenal glucocorticoids. His

second stage of " exhaustion " is probably the closest to what people are

today calling adrenal fatigue. The most common conditions that result

include peptic ulcers in the stomach and upper intestine, high blood

pressure, heart accidents, and nervous disturbances. Thus, PTSD may in

some sense be symptoms of adrenal fatigue.

The parts that are controversial is whether low dose cortisol and DHEA

beneficially affect this exhaustion stage, and whether stress (or

autoimmune disease) comparable to combat is common in suburbia, as those

pushing these treatments would have us believe.

Chuck

[Guest guest]

Hi Chuck, Thanks for your patience. I'm curious about not so average

suburban stress, such as (not to be morbid or disrespectful) these

poor women and children who lived in captivity in australia.

Living with that sort of heightened alert and abject terror year after

year must do damage to the HPA axis, as well as it's ability to self

regulate, yes? I wonder if it is possible to heal the system from that

sort of long term insidious damage which must be like combat, but in a

different form. Maybe? I wonder if docs consider meds to help get them

to self regulate-- not pyschopharmaceuticals so much, but cortisol/

hormone support....? Or maybe the damage to the body is irreparable

because of what's happened to the mind and spirit, perhaps like

addison's so long term hc therapy is the only option? If that were the

case they would test as positive for addison's wouldn't they? Just

who would think to check, I wonder. I wonder what therapies are used

for returning vets and ptsd other than talk/ group therapy.

If the body is constantly pumping adrenaline(?) out of fear..... what

happens w/ the cortisol? or have I got it backwards? Lost, again. NOt

trying to be morbid, just curious and concerned about what happens to

people.

Heidi

> The parts that are controversial is whether low dose cortisol and DHEA

> beneficially affect this exhaustion stage, and whether stress (or

> autoimmune disease) comparable to combat is common in suburbia, as

those

> pushing these treatments would have us believe.

>

> Chuck

>

[Guest guest]

what women and children in Australia?

a really good book on hormones is Hormone Solutins by Thierry Hertoghe MD

Gracia

Hi Chuck, Thanks for your patience. I'm curious about not so average

suburban stress, such as (not to be morbid or disrespectful) these

poor women and children who lived in captivity in australia.

Living with that sort of heightened alert and abject terror year after

year must do damage to the HPA axis, as well as it's ability to self

regulate, yes? I wonder if it is possible to heal the system from that

sort of long term insidious damage which must be like combat, but in a

different form. Maybe? I wonder if docs consider meds to help get them

to self regulate-- not pyschopharmaceuticals so much, but cortisol/

hormone support....? Or maybe the damage to the body is irreparable

because of what's happened to the mind and spirit, perhaps like

addison's so long term hc therapy is the only option? If that were the

case they would test as positive for addison's wouldn't they? Just

who would think to check, I wonder. I wonder what therapies are used

for returning vets and ptsd other than talk/ group therapy.

If the body is constantly pumping adrenaline(?) out of fear..... what

happens w/ the cortisol? or have I got it backwards? Lost, again. NOt

trying to be morbid, just curious and concerned about what happens to

people.

Heidi

> The parts that are controversial is whether low dose cortisol and DHEA

> beneficially affect this exhaustion stage, and whether stress (or

> autoimmune disease) comparable to combat is common in suburbia, as

those

> pushing these treatments would have us believe.

>

> Chuck

>

[Guest guest]

Thank you for the suggestion, Gracia, I've read that book.

There was a terrible case in the news recently- a long term

captive/abuse case in australia. Very very horrible. Google news it if

you have the stomach. Worse than heartbreaking.

Heidi

>

>

> what women and children in Australia?

> a really good book on hormones is Hormone Solutins by Thierry

Hertoghe MD

[Guest guest]

I am sorry to hear that---what's with this stuff lately like the guy in

Austria and even the FLDS children in Texas?

can you give me a url? you are in Australia?

gracia

Thank you for the suggestion, Gracia, I've read that book.

There was a terrible case in the news recently- a long term

captive/abuse case in australia. Very very horrible. Google news it if

you have the stomach. Worse than heartbreaking.

Heidi

>

>

> what women and children in Australia?

> a really good book on hormones is Hormone Solutins by Thierry

Hertoghe MD

[Guest guest]

My bad, Gracia-- I meant Austria even though I typed Australia. Sorry!

No I'm in the US.

I was also devastated to hear of the aid workers who we sa'ing childen.

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jad2c9AYEHwyJNPkHMbjIjmCRT5wD90U5FH00

It seems to be very present in the news lately.

sad sad sad

Heidi

>

>

> I am sorry to hear that---what's with this stuff lately like the

guy in Austria and even the FLDS children in Texas?

> can you give me a url? you are in Australia?

> gracia

>

>

[Guest guest]

Heidi,

I have very limited experience with PTSD, so I don't know all the

modalities of treatment. However, they commonly report some success with

selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), a type of

antidepressant medicine. These include citalopram (Celexa), fluoxetine

(such as Prozac), paroxetine (Paxil), and sertraline (Zoloft). I'm not

aware of any treatments based on low dose cortisol, even though the

theoretical basis of such dosing would suggest that PTSD should be the

ideal place to test it.

You wrote:

>

> ... If the body is constantly pumping adrenaline(?) out of fear..... what

> happens w/ the cortisol? or have I got it backwards? Lost, again. NOt

> trying to be morbid, just curious and concerned about what happens to people.

Although they are triggered through different pathways, adrenaline and

the glucocorticoids (including cortisol) generally flow together with

stress. Cortisol is released under the influence of corticotropin

releasing hormone and the closely related adrenocorticotrophic hormone

(ACTH). Adrenaline and aldosterone are signaled more by norepinephrine

from the hypothalamus, although some of each also appear in response to

ACTH. It is all rather complicated, since adrenaline (epinephrine) and

norepinephrine both have roles as hormones and as neurotransmitters.

Stress activates both roles depending on where you look.

Chuck

[Guest guest]

Thank you again, Chuck. I especially appreciate your time knowing you

have so much happening in your life. (I hope your son is doing better.)

Your answer is great clear, logical and I understand the difficulty in

responding. The body is an amazing, interconnected system, and from

what I can tell not prone to simple answers. I think I need a class

because my questions don't stop and my foundation knowledge is too

weak. Anatomy/ Physiology, right?

Heidi

[Guest guest]

this is exactly what I mean---this is why I think huge lawsuits are coming one

day. Look at these drugs used in place of cheap cortisol. I have to give an MR

man who is dying from untreated congenital hypo fluoxetine everyday. His legs

have the hypoadrenal hyperpigmentation. What's happening to him really makes

me think most docs are very dangerous.

Gracia

Heidi,

I have very limited experience with PTSD, so I don't know all the

modalities of treatment. However, they commonly report some success with

selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), a type of

antidepressant medicine. These include citalopram (Celexa), fluoxetine

(such as Prozac), paroxetine (Paxil), and sertraline (Zoloft). I'm not

aware of any treatments based on low dose cortisol, even though the

theoretical basis of such dosing would suggest that PTSD should be the

ideal place to test it.

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7:27 AM

[Guest guest]

Heidi,

You wrote:

>

> ... (I hope your son is doing better.)

He is, thanks. The parade of nurses and therapists will take a break on

the weekend, so we are planning some serious " down time. " Maybe the lawn

will even get mowed.

> ... Anatomy/ Physiology, right?

Perhaps just Shomon.

http://thyroid.about.com/mbiopage.htm

I do question some of her reports, but she is usually good about letting

you know what is controversial and what is well established.

Chuck

[Guest guest]

Heidi,

You wrote:

> ... (I hope your son is doing better.)

Thanks, he is. The parade of nurses and therapists will take a break

tomorrow, so we are planning on serious down time. The lawn may even get

mowed!

> ... Anatomy/ Physiology, right?

Perhaps just Shomon for now.

http://thyroid.about.com/mbiopage.htm

I sometimes question her details, but she is usually pretty up front

about what is controversial and what is well established.

Chuck

[Guest guest]

Hi Shirley - Polly replied to your original message in post #8455. Also, post #8504 from Heidi appears to be in response to your message, too. Read these through, and I hope the information helps. I remember your message, and I was also looking for information.

I do understand your anxiousness, and the sleep problems. It can make you feel very washed out. Knowing the source of your anxiety you can take steps to alleviate it. You could post a message being more specfic about the cause/s. I am sure you will get some helpful responses. Could you phone your doctor, and ask him/her what the name of the supplement is?

I am sooo sorry you are going through this right now. You know you can email me, if I can help in any way. Take good care.

Loving Hugs

Carlene

>> I wrote an email about a week ago or so but got no response from anyone. It was about high cortisol levels ( which mine ar extremely high). My anxiety is off the charts, my sleep isn't worth much either. I asked the dr. last week what I could do to bring down t he cortisol llevels. He recommended some supplement but I don't remember much about it. He says we can't get the cortisol levels down until we get the anxiety down. How do you do that? Does anyone have any advice? If am just writing to Heidi I don't mean to but I don't see the note where it says "send to grop". Maybe I need more advice on this new system. Thanks for anyone who can give me info on this. I really would appreciate it.> Shirley Godbout>

[Guest guest]

Yes it was caused by adrenal stress which eventually showed up on the

24-hr saliva test.

My son had symptoms from when he was little but I did not understand

then what was happening.

He could never sleep before 10 pm from birth.

When there is adrenal stress the daily rhythm of our cortisol

production is disrupted.

I believe the first thing that happens is that in an effort to

overcome the situation, our adrenla glands produce larger amounts of

cortisol so we get high cortisol in the mornings.

When and if this not work, our adrenals then adapt again and produce

less cortisol in the mornings. They keep on trying though and often

what happens is that they DO succeed but later in the day or evening

which is the wrong time and so the high evening cortisol keeps us

awake.

When this rhythm is adjusted by supplementing adrenal support in the

earlier part of the day, then the adrenals can relax and recover, and

have no need to keep on keeping on producing cortisol at the wrong

time of the day.

If this is what is happening with your son, it will show up on the 24-

hr adrenal stress index test.

Mo

>

>

>

>

> Hi Deb and Mo,

>  

> thanks for the posts...... did you find out what was causing the

high night time levels of cortisol. Was it stress related and/or

something else ?

>  

> julia

>

[Guest guest]

Hi

I don't know about autism, but I had a 6 foot brick wall fall on me

aged 3-4yrs, breaking my leg (femur); hospitalised and put in

traction to prevent leg shortening. So, instant stressor, maternal

separation etc. but still recall having mashed potatoes, peas/beans

and corned beef for one/or more dinners.

And the characteristic fine crockery of the time, German, I believe

(just hope it wasn't Dresden).

I suspect it was the bad winter 1946-7 where the frost damage caused

the wall collapse.

I was always getting into scrapes due to hyperactivity, several scars

on my head etc. thereafter.

Latterly, it seems that I've had LOCAH, male version of PCOS. So, my

constant euphoria due to elevated cortisol would explain giving up

work some years ago......still 'working on that'.

When I had ?rebound low cortisol after stopping the crazy long hours

routine that put my cortisol up through the roof, I kept waking at

about 4.00am with a banging headache (hypnic headache), the treatment

of which appears to be either hydrocortisone, or lithium.

I tried the lithium first (very short course ~ days) at about 200mg

lithium carbonate. It worked instantly and didn't need any

hydrocortisone.

My assumption is that they (research community) know this works but

don't want to tell anyone, lest the drug companies conceal more of

their research, intended to produce patentable alternatives ..... lol

~ at this point, one wonders if that's universally true?

Lithium has an obvious role, well beyond that which it is known for

(Bipolar Disorder) and strong indicator that the Bristol University

work on treating 'intractable depression' is rightly expected to

succeed ( using only short-term hydrocortisone ).

A broader question might be posed, will very short-term lithium treat

autism???

My inferences from personal experience suggest that it sh/{w}ould

work.

advice from an very knowledgeable expert would be needed, a

specialist pediatric endocrinologist might know the whys and

wherefores ~ try Bristol Children's Hospital or similar [Professor

Stafford Lightman is Professor of Medicine at Bristol University

Medical School and should be available to the staff at the (new)

Children's Hospital]

best wishes

Bob

>

>

>

> Hi again Mo,

>  

> I can see now that you've explained it.............my son gets very

frustrated and therefore stressed through the day due to his

different way of seeing life,through autism, and it builds up and up

until by about 6pm he's had enough really.He goes to kung fu three

times a week which relieves a lot of stress but I can see now how

this pattern of excess cortisol has effected his sleep.

> Crikey, do you think too much cortisol in his system is effecting

his joints/tissues ? He's also put on quite a bit of weight lately,

even though he's really active and eats normally..... insulin

resistance ?

> Do you know if kids can take adrenal support ?

>  

> thank you for sharing your experience..... I really need to get on

top of this,

>  

> julia

>

[Guest guest]

,

Not sure how old your son is, but my friend has a 5 year old son

with autism (diagnosed very early in hospital) and he has done

extremely well since they started using a particular regime. This

website covers some of it www.hriptc.org but they are doing other

things as well. Not pushing it or anything, but if you want to know

more, she has mentioned to me that she always happy to tell people

what she has done to help her son, in case it helps other kids with

autism. She first noticed something was wrong when he was really

young and he would just walk up and down a table for ages, and open

and close a lid for hours. He didn't speak at all, nor acknowledge

family members. He is now starting to read (not guessing or

mimicking - he is actually reading) and recognises family members

and is doing really well. He has absolutely amazing and committed

parents.

No pressure here, by the way. It is up to you if you would like to

know more or not because you might be happy with the stuff you are

doing with your son already and I don't want to impose, but just

thought I'd mention it, just in case you were interested.

P

.......................

 

......my son gets very frustrated and therefore stressed through the

day due to his different way of seeing life,through autism, and it

builds up and up until by about 6pm he's had enough really.

[Guest guest]

ps - if you are interested in what I wrote in the message I just

posted on the forum, please send me a private email and I'll follow it

up. I won't have internet access for the next week or so, so it is

better to send a private email so your message doesn't get 'lost' in

the millions of messages that get posted on the forum. If you aren't

interested, that's ok too.

P

[Guest guest]

Remind me of your own situation? Do you have adrenal issues as

well as thyroid?

I am thinking that your son, if your answer is yes of course, may

have inherited an adrenal deficiency. This is likely with my son and

he may, consequently, have been struggling with his adrenals from

birth. There were signs I realise now but I did not know enough to

recognise them at the time.

Weight gain can be from high cortisol by the way.

Yes children can take adrenal support if they need it but I think you

need to establish this first. At the bottom on this post I have

included some information of self-testing and there is a

questionnaire in the files.

The definitive test is called an ASI (adrenal stress index) that is

done by taking 4 saliva samples, first at 8 am, then noon, 4 pm and

midnight (though in your son's case you would take the first one when

he usually rises and then 4 hours later etc.) Not sure how it would

work exactly for an 8 year old as the timing is geared towards adults.

Chronic high cortisol would elevate insulin. If you google high

cortisol and then his symptoms you will get a clearer idea.

But testing is the important thing so you know what you are dealing

with .

Mo

>

> TEST ONE:

To test adrenal function, take and compare two blood pressure

readings-one while lying down and one while standing.

Rest for five minutes in recumbent position (lying down) before

taking the reading. Stand up and immediately take

the blood pressure again. if the blood pressure is lower after

standing, suspect reduced adrenal gland function.

The degree to which the blood pressure drops while standing is often

proportionate to the degree of

hypoadrenalism.

(Normal adrenal function will elevate your BP on the standing reading

in order to push blood to the brain.)

TEST TWO:

Another test uses the eyes. Shine a bright light like a flashlight or

penlight in your eyes and hold it there for

about a minute. Carefully observe the pupil. In adrenal fatigue it

will get small and then after a while it

will enlarge again or sort of flutter in it's attempt to stay

constricted. In a healthy person, shining a light

in their eyes causes the pupil to constrict and stay that way as long

as it is there.

TEST THREE:

Are you very sensitive to bright light? That could be a sign of

adrenal fatigue. And this can also be true

if you have searing headaches along with the sensitivity.

TEST FOUR:

You can determine if you need more adrenal support by following Dr

Rind with a temperature graph. (www.drrind.com)

You simply have to take your temp 3 times a day, average out the

results and make a chart. If your temp is fluctuating you need

adrenal support.

>

> Hi again Mo,

>  

> I can see now that you've explained it.............my son gets very

frustrated and therefore stressed through the day due to his

different way of seeing life,through autism, and it builds up and up

until by about 6pm he's had enough really.He goes to kung fu three

times a week which relieves a lot of stress but I can see now how

this pattern of excess cortisol has effected his sleep.

> Crikey, do you think too much cortisol in his system is effecting

his joints/tissues ? He's also put on quite a bit of weight lately,

even though he's really active and eats normally..... insulin

resistance ?

> Do you know if kids can take adrenal support ?

>  

> thank you for sharing your experience..... I really need to get on

top of this,

>  

> julia

>

[Guest guest]

interesting......

( ) Cortisol

Hi,

I just wondered if anyone had heard of the research in to cortisol the "stress hormone". Some scientists have found that NT people's level of cortisol doubles when they wake, giving them enough cortisol to see them through the trials of the day ahead, it seems our guys don't do this which maybe why they get stressed about things that others take in their stride. One way of increasing cortisol is eating some liquorice or you can get liquorice capsules from health shpos. My son flat refused to try it, but I thought I'd share the info incase it helped anyone else.

Lor B

[Guest guest]

Be careful, my son can't even use over the counter cream cortisol- it makes him manic.

Jean

In a message dated 9/18/2009 8:40:38 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time, dlbalke@... writes:

interesting......

( ) Cortisol

Hi,

I just wondered if anyone had heard of the research in to cortisol the "stress hormone". Some scientists have found that NT people's level of cortisol doubles when they wake, giving them enough cortisol to see them through the trials of the day ahead, it seems our guys don't do this which maybe why they get stressed about things that others take in their stride. One way of increasing cortisol is eating some liquorice or you can get liquorice capsules from health shpos. My son flat refused to try it, but I thought I'd share the info incase it helped anyone else.

Lor B