How do stimulant drugs effect adrenals?

AlisonG

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I just got back the saliva cortisol test for my 18-year-old daughter and was surprised to see that three out of four of the testing times showed "very low" levels. I was surprised to think she could be old enough to have arrived at "Adrenal Burnout"?? Her childhood has been a fairly happy, easy one, so I'm trying to figure-out the culprit. She took a stimulant medication for a couple years in high school. Does anyone have any experience with stimulants impacting the adrenals? Or having other potential metabolic costs to taking them?
Of course, there's also just being hypothyroid as a possible reason. We''ve been working with an integrative MD who put her on NDT a year ago, though I think we need to raise it as her temperatures aren't in range yet. I'm also thinking of adding the Adrenal Cortex supplement to address the Low Cortisol, but not sure. This is the suggestion in the "Stop the Thyroid Madness" book to treat Low Cortisol, prior to raising NDT.
Her symptoms are anxiety, fatigue, brain fog, depressive mood swings, flushing, occasional fainting from psychological triggers.
Would SO appreciate any thoughts, suggestions or personal stories! Thank you!
 
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I just got back the saliva cortisol test for my 18-year-old daughter and was surprised to see that three out of four of the testing times showed "very low" levels. I was surprised to think she could be old enough to have arrived at "Adrenal Burnout"?? Her childhood has been a fairly happy, easy one, so I'm trying to figure-out the culprit. She took a stimulant medication for a couple years in high school. Does anyone have any experience with stimulants impacting the adrenals? Or having other potential metabolic costs to taking them?
Of course, there's also just being hypothyroid as a possible reason. We''ve been working with an integrative MD who put her on NDT a year ago, though I think we need to raise it as her temperatures aren't in range yet. I'm also thinking of adding the Adrenal Cortex supplement to address the Low Cortisol, but not sure. This is the suggestion in the "Stop the Thyroid Madness" book to treat Low Cortisol, prior to raising NDT.
Her symptoms are anxiety, fatigue, brain fog, depressive mood swings, flushing, occasional fainting from psychological triggers.
Would SO appreciate any thoughts, suggestions or personal stories! Thank you!
The fainting sounds like me at that age. Is she underweight?
 

ReSTART

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@YourUniverse is correct, however, contrary to common belief… stimulants actually lower cortisol in most people, particularly in depressed people.


If your health is perfect, and you have normal cortisol levels, stimulants will have less effect on you. In a depressed or hyperactive person, stimulants often have a paradoxical calming and mood stabilising effect.
 
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AlisonG

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The fainting sounds like me at that age. Is she underweight?
Yes! It was always impossible for me to keep her within the weight "range". Of course her bone structure is slight, so that can make a difference, too...
Her fainting is related to needles/injury. Did you overcome your fainting?
 
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Yes! It was always impossible for me to keep her within the weight "range". Of course her bone structure is slight, so that can make a difference, too...
Her fainting is related to needles/injury. Did you overcome your fainting?
I was not able to put on healthy weight until my late 20’s. I didn’t eat much meat until then, when we craved it during my first pregnancy. I was always underweight until then. Looking back I think my diet was severely lacking tryptophan and other essential amino acids as Ray Peat says….

“In my article on gelatin, I pointed out that the absence of methionine, cysteine, and tryptophan in gelatin made it especially beneficial in aging, because those amino acids, essential for growth in youth, contribute to inflammation and aging.” -Ray Peat
 

A.R

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I was not able to put on healthy weight until my late 20’s. I didn’t eat much meat until then, when we craved it during my first pregnancy. I was always underweight until then. Looking back I think my diet was severely lacking tryptophan and other essential amino acids as Ray Peat says….

“In my article on gelatin, I pointed out that the absence of methionine, cysteine, and tryptophan in gelatin made it especially beneficial in aging, because those amino acids, essential for growth in youth, contribute to inflammation and aging.” -Ray Peat
This is interesting. So would you say becoming pregnant contributed to improved health (craving meat, thus putting healthy weight on)?
 
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This is interesting. So would you say becoming pregnant contributed to improved health (craving meat, thus putting healthy weight on)?
I ate some meat like chicken, but no seafood or much meat, and definitely no gelatin, until after having my first child. Becoming pregnant did change my desire for red meat, but I wouldn’t say it improved my health, just my underweight issue, and the health problems that come with that, like headaches, fainting spells, insomnia, hair breakage and skin issues. Once my weight was in the normal zone, I developed new health issues like gaining too much fat. I think the quality of the meat and milk that I was buying was more to that issue though, plus I was still heavy on the starches, and getting older.

I didn’t eat honey and sugar AT ALL until 7 years ago, when I discovered Ray Peat, because I just never liked sweet flavors. Up until then occasional fruit in the summer was all the sugar I ever ate, and a lot of lemon water. So there is a lot to factor in where my health and weight are concerned..
 

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