Hi, I was listening to the excellent GE podcast with @haidut and Danny Roddy, and a common theme is cortisol rising with estrogen, serotonin etc.
What I'd like to know is in what situations does cortisol stay low, even though DHEA-S, androgens and estrogens are all high?
I ask because I recently looked over Dutch test results for a friend after I pointed out some excess estrogen symptoms, such as water retention, painful periods, cellulite and cold body temperature, as well as a history of migraines. I thought it was just liver and gut problems not getting rid of the hormone load - but looking more closely we saw that cortisol is probably the feedback switch for ACTH, and without it DHEA isn't being switched off leading to high DHEA and higher hormones all through the cascade, eventually finishing with high estrogen metabolites. Her progesterone was in the middle.
Right now I'm thinking it could be reduced enzyme function in the CYP21A1 or CYP11B1 leading to abnormally low cortisol. Obviously beneficial to have cortisol low, but not so much if we have a surge of estrogens out the other side.
As a proof of concept, she had to take exogenous cortisol for a few weeks a while back and felt amazing with boundless energy all throughout the day. (a little too much!)
Liquorice helps a bit - but any other ideas on how to normalise cortisol without being excessive?
Thanks!
What I'd like to know is in what situations does cortisol stay low, even though DHEA-S, androgens and estrogens are all high?
I ask because I recently looked over Dutch test results for a friend after I pointed out some excess estrogen symptoms, such as water retention, painful periods, cellulite and cold body temperature, as well as a history of migraines. I thought it was just liver and gut problems not getting rid of the hormone load - but looking more closely we saw that cortisol is probably the feedback switch for ACTH, and without it DHEA isn't being switched off leading to high DHEA and higher hormones all through the cascade, eventually finishing with high estrogen metabolites. Her progesterone was in the middle.
Right now I'm thinking it could be reduced enzyme function in the CYP21A1 or CYP11B1 leading to abnormally low cortisol. Obviously beneficial to have cortisol low, but not so much if we have a surge of estrogens out the other side.
As a proof of concept, she had to take exogenous cortisol for a few weeks a while back and felt amazing with boundless energy all throughout the day. (a little too much!)
Liquorice helps a bit - but any other ideas on how to normalise cortisol without being excessive?
Thanks!