Trying To Figure Out If Im Hyper Or Hypo Cortisol

[fendertele]

Hey everyone, Found this site while searching for cortisol issues hope some of my symptoms make some sense and maybe point me in the direction i need to go.

10 years ago was diagnosed with a prolactinoma.... was adrenal insufficient, hypogonadism and some other big words i didn't understand at the time and never looked into...

was put on cabergoline for the tumor and hydrocortisone for the adrenals.... i'm still currently taking the caber as my tumor will keep growing back if i stop, however was taken off the hydrocortisone as my adrenals started working on their own.

My issue is whenever i workout and i do workout out hard at the gym, the accumulation of sessions seems to take it's toll on me.... and i begin to show these symptoms.

i appear to gain weight ( but it is bloating and or water weight) i know this as it can dissappear within a few days of taking time off and/or eating like a pig.

my eyes look tired instead of bright/wide

face puffs up/ abdomen.... sparing legs and arms.

allergies increase/asthma etc..

and the big one for me..... my nipples esp the left puffs out like a cone shape/teen girl going through puberty and there is some tingling associated with it.


and soon enough i feel like a crash usually with some sort of flu..... at which point i will take a few days off and stay in bed... and eat such large amounts of food that it would sicken anyone if they seen it... and not all of it healthy choices.... esp chocolate... i eat more in one day than most in a week.

after those few days off, i will have leaned out... and look back to my usual self.

But i'm trying to figure out if the above are symptoms of someone with too little cortisol to deal with the workload or someone with high cortisol due to the workload ?

if it helps i dont have any issue gaining muscle... infact the opposite i make enhancing drug like gains... don't know if that contradicts either high or low cortisol but thought i'd mention it.

 

[fendertele]

forgot to mention i think i might be estrogen dominant and was planning on trying progesterone cream to see if it would help any thoughts ?

 

[nymuscle89]

In response to the trainin your adrenals respond with cortisol as the stress rises. If your adrenals are exhausted zhey cant keep up which leaves you with low cortisol then. You crash basically, adrenal fatigue. Many bodybuilders take vitamin c fo this issue.

Yes you sound estrogen dominant. High estrogen makes your nipples puffy, high estrogen makes you CRAVE AND LOVE chocolate and just the way you write here i see you are estrogen dominant. Source: i am a bodybuilder that has been through high estrogen from certain AAS use and i experienced similar. High estrogen also puts more stress on thyroid metabolism and therefore your adrenals. High estrogen just makes you a little „bitchy“ id call it. Since i also know the high DHT feeling which is the best masculine feeling and only then you realize how „bitchy“ higu estrogen makes you.

I would say decrease your workload a little bit so you dont crash. Focus on high protein diet with carbs. Avoid pufas as much as possible. Coffee aspirin bvitamins (b1 b3 b6 mainly). Get thyroid checked or check your temperature yourself. Just look around on the board how to lowrr estrogen. With high estrogen your adrenals will never really work. They overwork and crash. Also maybe get your testosterone levels checked. I bet they are lowish with your conditions

 

[fendertele]

In response to the trainin your adrenals respond with cortisol as the stress rises. If your adrenals are exhausted zhey cant keep up which leaves you with low cortisol then. You crash basically, adrenal fatigue. Many bodybuilders take vitamin c fo this issue.

Yes you sound estrogen dominant. High estrogen makes your nipples puffy, high estrogen makes you CRAVE AND LOVE chocolate and just the way you write here i see you are estrogen dominant. Source: i am a bodybuilder that has been through high estrogen from certain AAS use and i experienced similar. High estrogen also puts more stress on thyroid metabolism and therefore your adrenals. High estrogen just makes you a little „bitchy“ id call it. Since i also know the high DHT feeling which is the best masculine feeling and only then you realize how „bitchy“ higu estrogen makes you.

I would say decrease your workload a little bit so you dont crash. Focus on high protein diet with carbs. Avoid pufas as much as possible. Coffee aspirin bvitamins (b1 b3 b6 mainly). Get thyroid checked or check your temperature yourself. Just look around on the board how to lowrr estrogen. With high estrogen your adrenals will never really work. They overwork and crash. Also maybe get your testosterone levels checked. I bet they are lowish with your conditions

You've no idea how happy i am to hear i'm not imagining it.... yes i love chocolate on another level i'm eating 3 to 4 full bars a day and i could probably eat more if i didnt stop myself, i do try to combat the estrogen i take curcumin/grape seed extract and ashgwandha post workout along with 2000mg of vit c in my protein shakes but i don't think it is enough... what i have noticed is after a hard workout my estrogen symtoms are non existent for an hour or so then it starts to creep up and remains until i've had a great sleep and ate like a horse.... but the more i workout the more it seems to accumulate and becomes harder to combat.

I had read progesterone cream could help lower E and combat gyno however i have also read it can worsen estrogen symptoms and gyno so i'm procrastinating on ordering some, i'm also interested on how my writing shows i'm estrogen demoninant did you sense emotion from my post ?

Also you mentioned aspirin ? what is it good for ? i only ask as i went through a stage of using asprin on my scalp after i shaved it as it helped reduce irritation caused by shaving... i used it every second day for a few months... i also happened to be at my lowest bf at this time and never thought at the time aspirin had antyhing to do with it until now... i havent been using aspirin for 2 months and i'm also at my heaviest in a long time...

I just dont get it im making great gains and for most would look extremely manly in appearance... tall muscular and even diffuse balding...

however im always very emotional/empathetic and have this puffy nipple thing going on... i guess i dont have much body hair which at 33 isn't normal.

 

[marsaday]

What about thyroid health?

Do you have any bloods?

They and adrenals work together. Low thyroid means high cortisol.

Are you exhausting thyroid and then building it up again?

Fluid water retention is low thyroid and / or higher cortisol.

 

[fendertele]

i have had blood test run by my endo in the past, i never saw the results but was just told he was happy with them, i stopped going to see him when i got frustrated with his refusal to acknowledge i had gyno... my gyno can come and go and when the room is cold enough my nipple hardens and my chest looks normal.

I do remember when i first diagnosed with my prolactinoma my thryroid was mentioned as being slightly low, but never heard anything about it afterwards.... as far as body tempertures... when i'm tired i get very warm which when i asked others if they had the same they told me they usually feel cold, and my feet get freezing cold but heat up after eating lots.

 

[benaoao]

adrenal fatigue is a myth, cortisol is high nearly all the time and the other hormones such as dhea and steroids are low because of it.

you can order a saliva cortisol test to figure out where you are

 

[fendertele]

adrenal fatigue is a myth, cortisol is high nearly all the time and the other hormones such as dhea and steroids are low because of it.

you can order a saliva cortisol test to figure out where you are

what hormone is steroids ? i always thought cortisol was the steroid hormone as they put me on hydrocortisone to get my adrenals jump started.

When you say cortisol is always high do you mean for everyone or people that think they are adrenally fatigued ?

I ask this as it's the reason i was unsure if im high or low cortisol.... i believed my cortisol was high due to my hard training/long working hours and little sleep/broken sleep... but couldnt be sure as in the past i was adrenal insufficient and the idea of being now high cortisol seemed impossible.

 

[PowertothePeatple]

@fendertele Although adrenal fatigue might be a myth Addison's is not and it is deadly so it is important to know whether your cortisol is high or low and my guess is that you wont know until you test. So I would definitely say you need to be tested by a doctor since you have a history of a prolactinoma. It is not something to mess around with or to guess about. This forum is helpful but can't tell you whether you are high or low in cortisol.

 

[Blossom]

Hi @fendertele, If you don't mind my asking, I'm curious what your prolactin runs on cabergoline? I also have a prolactinoma and recently went back on meds so I'm asking primarily from the perspective of someone living through it too!

 

[Blossom]

@fendertele Although adrenal fatigue might be a myth Addison's is not and it is deadly so it is important to know whether your cortisol is high or low and my guess is that you wont know until you test. So I would definitely say you need to be tested by a doctor since you have a history of a prolactinoma. It is not something to mess around with or to guess about. This forum is helpful but can't tell you whether you are high or low in cortisol.

I agree with getting tested for Addison. Honestly it should have been part of the initial testing done by your endo when you were first diagnosed. My endocrinologist tested for that and Cushing IIRC.

 

[fendertele]

Hi @fendertele, If you don't mind my asking, I'm curious what your prolactin runs on cabergoline? I also have a prolactinoma and recently went back on meds so I'm asking primarily from the perspective of someone living through it too!

i've no idea tbh... just that they were happy with my levels... i will need to ask for most recent test and results to post and see whats going on.... however normal my prolactin levels were on cabergoline after a month off of it... my levels went sky high they told me its a macroprolactinoma... i've never had visual issues though

 

[fendertele]

I agree with getting tested for Addison. Honestly it should have been part of the initial testing done by your endo when you were first diagnosed. My endocrinologist tested for that and Cushing IIRC.

yes when i was first diagnosed with my prolactinoma i was told i was adrenal insufficient and put on hyrdrocortisone to kick start my adrenals.... i was then told a few years later my adrenals were working and they tapered me off the hydrocortisone.... this is why im confused as to whether i am now producting too much in response to my workouts or if im not producing enough to deal with the workload.... i wrote this at the top.

 

[Blossom]

yes when i was first diagnosed with my prolactinoma i was told i was adrenal insufficient and put on hyrdrocortisone to kick start my adrenals.... i was then told a few years later my adrenals were working and they tapered me off the hydrocortisone.... this is why im confused as to whether i am now producting too much in response to my workouts or if im not producing enough to deal with the workload.... i wrote this at the top.

Thanks, I was just wondering because I'd not heard of Addisons reversing but that's great. I'd be confused too and probably get rechecked if it were me.

 

[fendertele]

Thanks, I was just wondering because I'd not heard of Addisons reversing but that's great. I'd be confused too and probably get rechecked if it were me.

I've no idea if i was low enough for addisons just that i was adrenal insufficient and that my adrenals werent producing cortisol on their own and i need artificial cortisol ( hydrocortisone) to kick start them while the tumor was being shrunk... then i was tapered off it when they saw results...

IF i stop excercising then my symptoms improve however i also begin to put weight on through lack of excercise so just trying to figure out what is happening to me post workout...and blunt it.

cheers.

 

[Blossom]

You could always get your diurnal cortisol levels checked to see where your at currently.
I do better with gentle exercise like walking but that's just me. I believe @Luckytype lifts and might have some suggestions in that regard. I know he took a short-term break while he sorted out some hormonal issues so perhaps he wouldn't mind sharing his experience. He was also able to lower his prolactin but he doesn't have a prolactinoma like we do.

 

[fendertele]

ill aks my endo next time i see them about it cheers.

Blossom which is more likely to be fixed by overeating ? i always find that when i get the symptoms ( bloating/Water retention, Puffy nipples, Bloated face, Insomnia, Cold Feet etc..) that if i eat massive amounts of food it controls it and i get back to normal... which of the two would most likely normalize with eating massive amounts of food.

 

[Blossom]

ill aks my endo next time i see them about it cheers.

Blossom which is more likely to be fixed by overeating ? i always find that when i get the symptoms ( bloating/Water retention, Puffy nipples, Bloated face, Insomnia, Cold Feet etc..) that if i eat massive amounts of food it controls it and i get back to normal... which of the two would most likely normalize with eating massive amounts of food.

I had signs of high cortisol when I ate much beyond appetite and one of our forum members explained it well. I hope I can dig up the post.
On the other hand I'm certain under eating raises my prolactin. High prolactin is known to occur in situations of famine like in concentration camp survivors. For me it seems like a delicate balancing act of eating enough consistently but it has gotten easier with time.

 

[Blossom]

You will always burn both fat and carbs, no matter what you eat. The ratios will change based on your diet, and activity.

Any diet that does not provide adequate energy (calories and nutrition) can raise cortisol, doesn't matter if it's high fat or high carb.

Cortisol is higher when carb or protein or even fat intake isn't sufficient to meet real time needs. This can happen in any diet composition.
The mitochondria will adjust to different dietary input which will change the cortisol response as well.

I have enjoyed reading @James IV's posts on cortisol. I didn't find the particular post I was looking for but if you search his posts and type in word 'cortisol' I think will find them very informative.

 

[fendertele]

I had signs of high cortisol when I ate much beyond appetite and one of our forum members explained it well. I hope I can dig up the post.
On the other hand I'm certain under eating raises my prolactin. High prolactin is known to occur in situations of famine like in concentration camp survivors. For me it seems like a delicate balancing act of eating enough consistently but it has gotten easier with time.

Sorry blossom i think you might have misread my reply... i was asking which of the two is eleviated by over eating, as in i can control it by eating vast amounts of food esp junk food.... basically if i eat sickening amounts of junk food my water retention/puffy nipple overall bloatedness disappears and i also start to feel less on edge/depressed etc... Chocolate is the big one for correcting me.