High Estrogen, Cortisol, Adrenaline, Serotonin, Prolactin Symptoms

[sunmountain]

I would find a listing of symptoms under each category very helpful. Since the hormones are interrelated, many symptoms might be common. Below is an ongoing summary of posts listing symptoms.

So far:

High Estrogen:
- pain in breasts
- pelvic pain
- night wakings and sweats
- hot flashes
- Edema, puffiness, waterlogging
- increased risk of migraine
- low body temp (can also be low thyroid)
- brain fog
- heavy, irregular periods, clotting, cramping, flooding

High Cortisol:
- insomnia
- fat around my middle
- increased risk of diabetes

Adrenaline:
- racing heartbeat
- cold hands and feet

High Serotonin:
- gut issues
- increased risk of migraine
- light sensitivity
- nausea

High Prolactin:
- Pain or headache at the top of the head
- hair loss
- decreased libido
- sore nipples
- painful breasts
-

 

[charlie]

For high prolactin, pain or headache at the top of the head. My dr said thats because the pituitary gland will get really big but I am not sure about that part. I know Blossom and someone else said they had the top of the head headache and it was prolactin.

Estrogen- waking at night, night sweats.

 

[Peatri Dish]

Estrogen - edema, puffy face

 

[sunmountain]

So far:

High Estrogen:
- pain in breasts
- pelvic pain
- night wakings and sweats
- hot flashes
- Edema, puffiness, waterlogging

High Cortisol:
- insomnia
- fat around my middle

Adrenaline:
- racing heartbeat

High Serotonin:
- gut issues

High Prolactin:
- Pain or headache at the top of the head

 

[tara]

Adrenaline: cold hands and feet.
High cortisol: increased risk of diabetes?
High serotonin, estrogen, and histamine: increased risk of migraine
For me, I associate high estrogen with brain fog, because progest-e seems to often relieve it.

 

[tara]

High estrogen: low body temperature (can also be low thyroid function)

 

[charlie]

sunmountain, you are able to edit your first post to update the list.

 

[jyb]

Adrenaline: cold hands and feet.
High cortisol: increased risk of diabetes?
High serotonin, estrogen, and histamine: increased risk of migraine
For me, I associate high estrogen with brain fog, because progest-e seems to often relieve it.

I used to take protest-e for brain fog. However I think the effect wasn't directly related to estrogen, rather it was useful to derive important hormones for the brain that I wasn't producing due to low thyroid or health. I have the typical symptoms of high cortisol but not of estrogen, although stress hormones work together so it doesn't mean much.

 

[Blossom]

In addition to the scalp pain that Charlie mentioned I noticed hair loss, decreased libido and sore nipples when my prolactin was high. My pituitary tumor was very small (less than 1 mm in size) but it still secreted quite a large amount of prolactin. Large pituitary tumors can effect the optic nerve and cause vision changes or blindness but that's a very extreme circumstance.

 

[SQu]

Painful breasts with cycle was my main prolactin symptom.
Heavy periods, clotting, cramps - also irregularity - estrogen
Serotonin - migraine and I think light sensitivity and nausea

 

[tara]

Adrenaline: cold hands and feet.
High cortisol: increased risk of diabetes?
High serotonin, estrogen, and histamine: increased risk of migraine
For me, I associate high estrogen with brain fog, because progest-e seems to often relieve it.

I used to take protest-e for brain fog. However I think the effect wasn't directly related to estrogen, rather it was useful to derive important hormones for the brain that I wasn't producing due to low thyroid or health. I have the typical symptoms of high cortisol but not of estrogen, although stress hormones work together so it doesn't mean much.

Could be. I think progesterone has some direct brain protective effects in itself - maybe this effect is not just from its opposition to estrogen.

 

[lindsay]

In addition to the scalp pain that Charlie mentioned I noticed hair loss, decreased libido and sore nipples when my prolactin was high. My pituitary tumor was very small (less than 1 mm in size) but it still secreted quite a large amount of prolactin. Large pituitary tumors can effect the optic nerve and cause vision changes or blindness but that's a very extreme circumstance.

Blossom, did you ever have your serum Prolactin measured? When I last had blood tests, my prolactin was quite high and the endocrinologist just kind of said it was no big deal, despite having amenorrhea and a host of endocrine related issues.

 

[Blossom]

In addition to the scalp pain that Charlie mentioned I noticed hair loss, decreased libido and sore nipples when my prolactin was high. My pituitary tumor was very small (less than 1 mm in size) but it still secreted quite a large amount of prolactin. Large pituitary tumors can effect the optic nerve and cause vision changes or blindness but that's a very extreme circumstance.

Blossom, did you ever have your serum Prolactin measured? When I last had blood tests, my prolactin was quite high and the endocrinologist just kind of said it was no big deal, despite having amenorrhea and a host of endocrine related issues.

Yes, I had a pituitary tumor that I was treated for years ago because my levels were in the 120 range. Most recently my prolactin was 10.9 after following a Peat Inspired approach for 1 year.

 

[lindsay]

In addition to the scalp pain that Charlie mentioned I noticed hair loss, decreased libido and sore nipples when my prolactin was high. My pituitary tumor was very small (less than 1 mm in size) but it still secreted quite a large amount of prolactin. Large pituitary tumors can effect the optic nerve and cause vision changes or blindness but that's a very extreme circumstance.

Blossom, did you ever have your serum Prolactin measured? When I last had blood tests, my prolactin was quite high and the endocrinologist just kind of said it was no big deal, despite having amenorrhea and a host of endocrine related issues.

Yes, I had a pituitary tumor that I was treated for years ago because my levels were in the 120 range. Most recently my prolactin was 10.9 after following a Peat Inspired approach for 1 year.

@Blossom: wow - prolactin in the 120 range? crazy! mine was about 25 after about 6 months of a changed diet (and two weeks following 2 grains of Cynoplus), but I still had a host of other endocrine issues (goodness knows what it was 10 months prior to when I had that blood test - that was when my health fell apart). After about 2 months on 2 grains of Cynoplus my prolactin fell to 15, but all the other endocrine markers were still high (except TSH). What sort of health issues did you have as a result of high prolactin?

 

[Blossom]

At the time I had been experiencing multiple hormonal issues (post partial hysterectomy), chronic fatigue syndrome, IBS and depression. My lifestyle was crazy from working 12 hour night shifts in a trauma center so my sleeping and eating schedules were screwed up. I'm sure all my issues were not solely related to high prolactin and I suspect many of the pharmaceutical drugs I took contributed to my elevated prolactin as well. If I remember correctly you mentioned taking zelnorm for IBS? That was one of the drugs I took and I have wondered if it could have contributed to the increased prolactin similar to Prozac due to its involvement with serotonin (which I unfortunately took as well). I never understood all of this until I discovered Peat's work. Medicine honestly made the situation much worse for me although the endocrinologist did have me on bromocriptine for a couple years which brought my prolactin down to the 30 range. My prolactin came down to a more acceptable level after taking the bromocriptine and discontinuing the other meds but I'm sure I could have done better had I known about Peat, and I have done much better over the last 15 months! Hope that answers your questions Lindsay. I'm rushing to get to work but I will check back later today.

 

[lindsay]

At the time I had been experiencing multiple hormonal issues (post partial hysterectomy), chronic fatigue syndrome, IBS and depression. My lifestyle was crazy from working 12 hour night shifts in a trauma center so my sleeping and eating schedules were screwed up. I'm sure all my issues were not solely related to high prolactin and I suspect many of the pharmaceutical drugs I took contributed to my elevated prolactin as well. If I remember correctly you mentioned taking zelnorm for IBS? That was one of the drugs I took and I have wondered if it could have contributed to the increased prolactin similar to Prozac due to its involvement with serotonin (which I unfortunately took as well). I never understood all of this until I discovered Peat's work. Medicine honestly made the situation much worse for me although the endocrinologist did have me on bromocriptine for a couple years which brought my prolactin down to the 30 range. My prolactin came down to a more acceptable level after taking the bromocriptine and discontinuing the other meds but I'm sure I could have done better had I known about Peat, and I have done much better over the last 15 months! Hope that answers your questions Lindsay. I'm rushing to get to work but I will check back later today.

That's very interesting Blossom. Yes - I took Zelnorm for IBS when I was young - I think 21 when I started and the doctors gave me free samples before I had health insurance, so when all was said and done, I took the stuff for 2 years (until it was taken off the market) and then got gallbadder disease shortly after I stopped taking the drug. I think it altered my hormonal profile for quite some time, as I lost a lot of weight during the gallbladder disease and stopped menstruating for a year then. And a couple years ago, I got really stressed (from life changes and coping through diet/exercise). That was when I developed the ovarian tumor (which I had surgically removed). After that, my body never went back to normal. I stopped menstruating again and found out months after changing my diet/lifestyle that I was in early menopause (I was 30 at the time). My prolactin was also elevated and I had no progesterone running in my blood. So I started the Cynoplus and progesterone and my prolactin came down, but I still haven't been able to resume menstruation. I'm hoping my body will bounce out of the funk it's in, but I don't really know what else to do. I've gained about 15 or more lbs. since my ovarian surgery and I haven't felt like myself. What does your diet look like? I find it really hard to eat well without putting on lbs. or developing more digestive issues. Antibiotics really helped (following appendectomy in Sept - that was the last straw for me), but I cannot easily get them and I don't want to have to rely on all sorts of supplements or prescriptions forever. I just want to resume some sort of normalcy.

 

[Blossom]

My diet is pretty typical of many here with dairy (milk and cheese) and fruit (mostly oj and aj) being a big portion of what I eat daily. I still typically have one starch per day usually white rice or potatoes and lately some sour dough bread. I eat red meat, low fat seafood, eggs and make oxtail and chicken neck broth regularly. I use butter and coconut oil for cooking. Chocolate, Hagan daaz ice cream and coca cola also make the menu regularly. I eat quite a lot because I consider myself recovering from an eating disorder. My old doctor had me on the paleo diet (which about killed me) so I expected some weight gain as I was emaciated when I found Peat's work. If you go by calories alone I should have gained 3 times what I have so obviously my metabolism has increased! I suppose one day my weight might taper but right now I'm holding steady and trying not to force anything. I'm just infinitely grateful to finally be well.

 

[lindsay]

My diet is pretty typical of many here with dairy (milk and cheese) and fruit (mostly oj and aj) being a big portion of what I eat daily. I still typically have one starch per day usually white rice or potatoes and lately some sour dough bread. I eat red meat, low fat seafood, eggs and make oxtail and chicken neck broth regularly. I use butter and coconut oil for cooking. Chocolate, Hagan daaz ice cream and coca cola also make the menu regularly. I eat quite a lot because I consider myself recovering from an eating disorder. My old doctor had me on the paleo diet (which about killed me) so I expected some weight gain as I was emaciated when I found Peat's work. If you go by calories alone I should have gained 3 times what I have so obviously my metabolism has increased! I suppose one day my weight might taper but right now I'm holding steady and trying not to force anything. I'm just infinitely grateful to finally be well.

That's good to hear Blossom!! That's pretty similar to my diet, except I don't eat red meat often - I would like to, but it's so pricey and I don't always digest it well (due to the lack of gallbladder). I also never eat ice cream, but love Fro-yo :) I really need to make broths more often - I love soup and now is the season. Are you taking thyroid? I would really like to come off the stuff, but I really just feel horrible when I'm not taking it. I don't know what's wrong with my system, but the dark clouds started to lift when I started the thyroid and progesterone together. I stopped having emotional outbreaks and depression and am able to cope with life much better. Diet didn't help me there, but I may not have given it long enough. I no longer worry about losing weight, but I certainly don't want to gain any more. I lost weight following appendicitis and it stayed off until the effects of the antibiotics wore off. Now I have to be more careful.

But I'm glad to hear you are feeling well!! I think one day I will no longer need thyroid, but until then I'm happy to take it. I'm really hoping that it will bring back my cycle - RP advised me to take it thinking it would, but I need new blood work done to see where I'm at and I just can't afford it right now. What do you do for a job now?

 

[Blossom]

I forgot coffee, liver, honey and sugar! I'm currently taking 1/4 cynoplus twice per day. I've been adjusting my thyroid dose over the last year. My last TSH was 1.12 so it's not perfect but moving in the right direction. For me this has been an unfolding process with a few minor set backs due to extreme stress from family issues but the important thing is I'm still continuing to notice progress. Thanks for your kind thoughts Lindsay! I think things will continue to improve for you as well! You seem very attuned to your body and needs. I'm currently taking a break from the medical field and hope to never go back. I'm doing office type clerical work for now until I figure out what I want to be when I grow up.

 

[lindsay]

I forgot coffee, liver, honey and sugar! I'm currently taking 1/4 cynoplus twice per day. I've been adjusting my thyroid dose over the last year. My last TSH was 1.12 so it's not perfect but moving in the right direction. For me this has been an unfolding process with a few minor set backs due to extreme stress from family issues but the important thing is I'm still continuing to notice progress. Thanks for your kind thoughts Lindsay! I think things will continue to improve for you as well! You seem very attuned to your body and needs. I'm currently taking a break from the medical field and hope to never go back. I'm doing office type clerical work for now until I figure out what I want to be when I grow up.

Oh yes - coffee, honey and sugar!! Staples in my diet as well - I just wish I liked liver, but I can't stomach the stuff. I supplement K2 and sometimes A to make up for it, but I want to try a new recipe and also some beef tongue, which I've heard is delicious :) I haven't had a blood test in awhile (aside from pre-surgery blood work), but when I was taking 2 grains of Cynoplus last year, it was close to zero. However, I don't think it's that low anymore. I'm glad to hear that you realized you needed a career change - that takes a lot of courage. I think most people are miserable (or at least terribly stressed) by their jobs. I turned to freelancing shortly after getting married because I couldn't handle the stress. I hope you will find your path and a career that suits you and your health better :) Best wishes to you!!