Trying To Figure Out If Im Hyper Or Hypo Cortisol

[Blossom]

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.

Sorry for the misunderstanding!
It sounds like you are responding positively to the food so you must need it. I'm not an expert of any sort just someone who has been around here for awhile on my own healing journey. What we do know for certain is that prolactin and cortisol can both be elevated in undernourishment (and other types of stress) so I think it's wise to avoid that type of scenario as much as possible.
I don't think you'll know for certain about your cortisol until you test it. My levels were normal for example but the rhythm was off from working night shift but I wouldn't have known had I not tested. We can all speculate of course but I think it would be doing you a great disservice since you've had issues before.

 

[fendertele]

Sorry for the misunderstanding!
It sounds like you are responding positively to the food so you must need it. I'm not an expert of any sort just someone who has been around here for awhile on my own healing journey. What we do know for certain is that prolactin and cortisol can both be elevated in undernourishment (and other types of stress) so I think it's wise to avoid that type of scenario as much as possible.
I don't think you'll know for certain about your cortisol until you test it. My levels were normal for example but the rhythm was off from working night shift but I wouldn't have known had I not tested. We can all speculate of course but I think it would be doing you a great disservice since you've had issues before.

I believe this also to be the case for me, i work nightshift but even when i did day shift i felt like it was going out of whack at different times of the day... and when i got the test done even though it appeared normal ( well i think it was as the endo never mentioned anything about needing to put me back on hydrocortison) it could fluctuate with stress etc...

they run a synthacten test not sure if thats how it's spelt... i'm going to try the progesterone cream at low doses just to see if it can help with the adrenal normalizing and possible estrogen dominanace.... this prolactin tumor really does a number on our hormonal system and even when things seem better i don't believe our bodies ever tick along normally due to it.

 

[Blossom]

this prolactin tumor really does a number on our hormonal system

I agree. I think Peat's work has helped me do better than I probably would have otherwise. Progesterone sounds worth a try. I've been using it (progest-e, simply progesterone and progestene) off and on for close to 5 years and I do feel better when I use regularly.

 

[fendertele]

I agree. I think Peat's work has helped me do better than I probably would have otherwise. Progesterone sounds worth a try. I've been using it (progest-e, simply progesterone and progestene) off and on for close to 5 years and I do feel better when I use regularly.

which part of the world are you at blossom ? im in the uk and prog cream seems like a mission to get hold of here.

 

[Blossom]

which part of the world are you at blossom ? im in the uk and prog cream seems like a mission to get hold of here.

I'm in the US. I think @healthnatura and IdeaLabs both ship to the U.K. if you can't find progesterone where you live. Neither one of their products is cream but IdeaLabs is topical.

 

[Mreqsol]

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.

Hi there @fendertele .

I feel pretty much as you do, I had thought I might have high cortisol in the evening because I was sleepy in the morning, crashed continuously during the day (thx to Intermittent Fasting) and then was wide awake all day. However, I took a salivary test and revealed I was low cortisol all day except at 4.00 pm.

I’m still working on my energy levels, but since peating I dont crash during hard workouts, but cant sleep at night insted. I wonder if my hypocortisolism makes the cranky adrenals work too hard and I’m overactive yet at night.

Regarding feeling estrogen dominant, I fear to try any androgenic therapy in case of subsequent downregulation of androgen production after therapy. I asked @haidut about niacinamide so I could use it along with taurine and glycine as a pro-androgenic combo, but I’m not sure if using it would make cortisol even lower. He pointed as well that salivary tests are not so precise and it might be better taking morning/evening cortisol blood test for better acciracy.

 

[fradon]

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.

my health improved so much when i stopped working out all the time. I even lost weight which wasn't coming off when i was working out 3-4 times a week. I also have adrenal weakness.

I also used to bloat and feel weak and tired. eating at junk food like chocolate frosted cake or BURGER KING(whopper fries and coke) will lean me out and almost kick start my metabolism.

so i've found that weak addrenals means overactive pancreas. Since addrenals and pancreas balance each other out. Insulin from the pancreas shuts off cortisol/addrenaline FROM THE ADDRENALS. When one goes up the other goes down. In reverse Cortisol will usually shut down or lower insulin.

it is this elevated insulin that will increase msucle mass quickly. since you have weak addrenals my guess is your pancrease over compesates buy releasing a lot of insulin that can make you gain muscle quick but also lead to over developed muscles.

my guess is you are BONKING. Your body either is running out of glycogen or can not break it down and release fuel because of LOW CORTISOL or CORTISOL RESISTANCE.

since you were on hydrocorisone which is cortisol i am guess your addrenals at times can not rlease cortisol/adrenaline so then it makes you sick. so then eating all that food stimulates you and activates your adrenals.

too much working out and stress will lower dopamine and raise prolactin and for you that is bad.

my symptoms didn't hit me bad till i tried the KETO DIET. bad for people with adrenal/methylation problems as you need a lot of cortisol and adrenaline to break down your stored body fat. so what has helped me is eating more carbs. jasmine rice (white) is great. also back off on the coffee and other stimulants as they can make syptoms worse.

 

[Lisalou]

In biochemistry Insulin is the hierarchy hormone then Thyroid etc etc. .if anyone of the hormones are out. .unbalanced. .they're all out and if you trace it back it starts with insulin ie not enough sugar to set off all the other reactions. .Not enough sugar means high cortisol. .hence crashing when over working out.

 

[fendertele]

my health improved so much when i stopped working out all the time. I even lost weight which wasn't coming off when i was working out 3-4 times a week. I also have adrenal weakness.

I also used to bloat and feel weak and tired. eating at junk food like chocolate frosted cake or BURGER KING(whopper fries and coke) will lean me out and almost kick start my metabolism.

so i've found that weak addrenals means overactive pancreas. Since addrenals and pancreas balance each other out. Insulin from the pancreas shuts off cortisol/addrenaline FROM THE ADDRENALS. When one goes up the other goes down. In reverse Cortisol will usually shut down or lower insulin.

it is this elevated insulin that will increase msucle mass quickly. since you have weak addrenals my guess is your pancrease over compesates buy releasing a lot of insulin that can make you gain muscle quick but also lead to over developed muscles.

my guess is you are BONKING. Your body either is running out of glycogen or can not break it down and release fuel because of LOW CORTISOL or CORTISOL RESISTANCE.

since you were on hydrocorisone which is cortisol i am guess your addrenals at times can not rlease cortisol/adrenaline so then it makes you sick. so then eating all that food stimulates you and activates your adrenals.

too much working out and stress will lower dopamine and raise prolactin and for you that is bad.

my symptoms didn't hit me bad till i tried the KETO DIET. bad for people with adrenal/methylation problems as you need a lot of cortisol and adrenaline to break down your stored body fat. so what has helped me is eating more carbs. jasmine rice (white) is great. also back off on the coffee and other stimulants as they can make syptoms worse.

Sorry i have been so busy and missed this excellent post a lot of it i don't understand truely but will research more of what you wrote, yes i too have the strangest reaction to eating what is termed crap junk food because to me it is whats good for my body and the healthy steamed chicken and veg just doesnt give me what i need... i just always chalked it up to the high levels of sugar/salt/protein/carbs all in one meal replenishing whatever i lost during my intense workouts... maybe they replaced my glycogen that potatoes and chicken couldnt do ?

I know for a fact when i work out i gain massive muscle... almost steroid like gains... however i always seem to retain a lot of water the following days and my nice muscular physique i had leaving the gym becomes stay puft marshmallow man over the next few days.... i can look thin one day and like ive gained 2 stone the next....

Some morning i wake up with imprints of my bedding all over my body.... and then there is the bane of my life... my puffy (left esp) nipple that poke through my t shirt like a pubertal teen girl.... the fact it can be gone at times and then other times be so bad i need to push them down with a thick top..... tells me something is see sawing.

Right now i'm taking a load of supps mostly natural to try and help.... some including Ashghwanda powder ( cortisol support ) DIM I3C ( estrogen metabolising ) Probiotic, Omega Fish oil, Curcumin powder, Grape Seed Extract powder, multi vit, Zinc, Vit c, Iron ... etc.

But the biggest cause of my issues i think is lack of decent sleep.... i work night shift anywhere from 9-12 hours depending on what i need to make £££ wise and can be 6 days a week..... on top of that instead of sleeping all day to recover for my next shift i can be up and about after 3 hours sleep as i have things to sort out that requires to be done during normal working hours of 9 am to 5pm.... so not only am i working long shifts but still doing things during the time i should be sleeping.

So i do have a constant stress of work going 24 hours a day.... infact sometimes when my work is stressing me out so much i stop doing everything else in my life including working out.... and until i get that stressor fixed i wont return to other things.



Also having just re-read for a second time - i had no idea that working out could lower my dopamine and in return increase my prolactin.... might just be a coincidence but the time i was most lean and cut was when i was splitting my cabergoline doses and taking half a tablet after every workout ( 4 times a week) instead of just taking the full tablet twice a week....

You might be onto something there maybe taking a half post workout can increase the dopamine that drops during the workout quite fast... i would be interested to hear what other changes you would recommend to my diet and timing to combat my workouts and workload.

I usually rise around 4pm in the day.... have something to eat and head to the gym around 5/6 pm do a workout lasting an hour of weights then 20 mins running.... head home eat another meal shower and get out for work around 8pm... then i work till 6 am during my work i tend not to eat just fluids... i then eat when i finish work and if im lucky fall straight asleep - same routine 4 days a week with gym/ 3 days without gym.


anyways im rambling on thanks for the replies.

 

[fendertele]

In biochemistry Insulin is the hierarchy hormone then Thyroid etc etc. .if anyone of the hormones are out. .unbalanced. .they're all out and if you trace it back it starts with insulin ie not enough sugar to set off all the other reactions. .Not enough sugar means high cortisol. .hence crashing when over working out.

Now you have my interest is this the reason after working out if i scoff 3 double cheese burgers and a mcflurry i feel and look champion but if i go for the chicken veg and potatoes it doesnt quite do the trick ?

I have found grapes help a little... but not quite on the level of what i get from crapdonalds....

I have always read to avoid sugar as it's bad for people and can cause spikes and then crashes.... why would certain individuals require more sugar ? obv fruit being the better source.

 

[Blossom]

But the biggest cause of my issues i think is lack of decent sleep.... i work night shift anywhere from 9-12 hours depending on what i need to make £££ wise and can be 6 days a week..... on top of that instead of sleeping all day to recover for my next shift i can be up and about after 3 hours sleep as i have things to sort out that requires to be done during normal working hours of 9 am to 5pm.... so not only am i working long shifts but still doing things during the time i should be sleeping.

My prolactinoma was not secreting and stable without meds for years with my levels staying between 10-18 until I had to go back to working 12 hour night shifts this past year.
Believe me I completely understand that sometimes we have to do things that aren't ideal to support ourselves/family but if you can get on day shift I highly recommend doing so for your health.

 

[fendertele]

My prolactinoma was not secreting and stable without meds for years with my levels staying between 10-18 until I had to go back to working 12 hour night shifts this past year.
Believe me I completely understand that sometimes we have to do things that aren't ideal to support ourselves/family but if you can get on day shift I highly recommend doing so for your health.

blossom last year i worked day shift outdoors manual labour scorching sun everyday and felt amazing... slept like a baby etc... i'm now a night shift cab driver no sun... sleeping two hours at a time unforunently i'm stuck for the meantime... but i plan on getting out or at least visiting the tanning beds to get some rays even though i know they are bad.

 

[Blossom]

blossom last year i worked day shift outdoors manual labour scorching sun everyday and felt amazing... slept like a baby etc... i'm now a night shift cab driver no sun... sleeping two hours at a time unforunently i'm stuck for the meantime... but i plan on getting out or at least visiting the tanning beds to get some rays even though i know they are bad.

I feel better using the tanning bed v. not getting any sunlight period. You can also try home red light therapy especially before falling asleep. I found blackout curtains, an eye mask and ear plugs helpful for sleeping during the day.

 

[fendertele]

I feel better using the tanning bed v. not getting any sunlight period. You can also try home red light therapy especially before falling asleep. I found blackout curtains, an eye mask and ear plugs helpful for sleeping during the day.

Whats this red light therapy you mention ? is it safe enough and does it tan the skin in anyway ?

i'm quite lucky my room faces out into a wooded area so no sun gets through and room remains chilled my sleeplessness comes from what i imagine to be hormonal spikes of some sort .... some morning i sleep like a baby but when i have any stress i can stay tied but wired.

 

[Blossom]

Whats this red light therapy you mention ? is it safe enough and does it tan the skin in anyway ?

i'm quite lucky my room faces out into a wooded area so no sun gets through and room remains chilled my sleeplessness comes from what i imagine to be hormonal spikes of some sort .... some morning i sleep like a baby but when i have any stress i can stay tied but wired.

Red light doesn't tan the skin but it's helpful for relaxing before sleep imo. There are lots of threads on the forum and it has numerous benefits for metabolism and general health. @LifeGivingStore has a few options and some people use halogen, or brooder bulbs (which appear more warm white not red) but those can get hot in the summer.
You can encourage your circadian rhythm to adjust better to night shift for now by eating mostly at night and using some type of red light before and after work. I'd also consider blue blocker glasses when using screens for a few hours before bed.

 

[managing]

Sorry i have been so busy and missed this excellent post a lot of it i don't understand truely but will research more of what you wrote, yes i too have the strangest reaction to eating what is termed crap junk food because to me it is whats good for my body and the healthy steamed chicken and veg just doesnt give me what i need... i just always chalked it up to the high levels of sugar/salt/protein/carbs all in one meal replenishing whatever i lost during my intense workouts... maybe they replaced my glycogen that potatoes and chicken couldnt do ?

I know for a fact when i work out i gain massive muscle... almost steroid like gains... however i always seem to retain a lot of water the following days and my nice muscular physique i had leaving the gym becomes stay puft marshmallow man over the next few days.... i can look thin one day and like ive gained 2 stone the next....

Some morning i wake up with imprints of my bedding all over my body.... and then there is the bane of my life... my puffy (left esp) nipple that poke through my t shirt like a pubertal teen girl.... the fact it can be gone at times and then other times be so bad i need to push them down with a thick top..... tells me something is see sawing.

Right now i'm taking a load of supps mostly natural to try and help.... some including Ashghwanda powder ( cortisol support ) DIM I3C ( estrogen metabolising ) Probiotic, Omega Fish oil, Curcumin powder, Grape Seed Extract powder, multi vit, Zinc, Vit c, Iron ... etc.

But the biggest cause of my issues i think is lack of decent sleep.... i work night shift anywhere from 9-12 hours depending on what i need to make £££ wise and can be 6 days a week..... on top of that instead of sleeping all day to recover for my next shift i can be up and about after 3 hours sleep as i have things to sort out that requires to be done during normal working hours of 9 am to 5pm.... so not only am i working long shifts but still doing things during the time i should be sleeping.

So i do have a constant stress of work going 24 hours a day.... infact sometimes when my work is stressing me out so much i stop doing everything else in my life including working out.... and until i get that stressor fixed i wont return to other things.



Also having just re-read for a second time - i had no idea that working out could lower my dopamine and in return increase my prolactin.... might just be a coincidence but the time i was most lean and cut was when i was splitting my cabergoline doses and taking half a tablet after every workout ( 4 times a week) instead of just taking the full tablet twice a week....

You might be onto something there maybe taking a half post workout can increase the dopamine that drops during the workout quite fast... i would be interested to hear what other changes you would recommend to my diet and timing to combat my workouts and workload.

I usually rise around 4pm in the day.... have something to eat and head to the gym around 5/6 pm do a workout lasting an hour of weights then 20 mins running.... head home eat another meal shower and get out for work around 8pm... then i work till 6 am during my work i tend not to eat just fluids... i then eat when i finish work and if im lucky fall straight asleep - same routine 4 days a week with gym/ 3 days without gym.


anyways im rambling on thanks for the replies.

Surprised nobody has yet mentioned this. Curcumin, fish oil, grape seed extract, are all estrogenic. Fish oil just downright toxic and inflammatory too.

DIM can cause a rebound (of estrogen).

Probiotics are either pointless, or, possibly, harmful (increase endotoxin).

I think if you cut these things out, and added a high quality Vitamin D3 you'd feel better in a few weeks and the puffy nipple would go away.

 

[Blossom]

Surprised nobody has yet mentioned this. Curcumin, fish oil, grape seed extract, are all estrogenic. Fish oil just downright toxic and inflammatory too.

DIM can cause a rebound (of estrogen).

Probiotics are either pointless, or, possibly, harmful (increase endotoxin).

I think if you cut these things out, and added a high quality Vitamin D3 you'd feel better in a few weeks and the puffy nipple would go away.

Thanks, I meant to say something but I got sidetracked about night shift work and prolactinomas. Those are very important points!

 

[Blossom]

Just yesterday I mentioned in another thread that it takes a team effort because rarely does one person think of all the relevant points in any given situation.

 

[SOMO]

If you're euphoric or speedy at times, you likely have HYPERcortisolism.

Take concentrated licorice root to RAISE Cortisol.

 

[fendertele]

If you're euphoric or speedy at times, you likely have HYPERcortisolism.

Take concentrated licorice root to RAISE Cortisol.

but if im hyper and not hypo why would i want to raise cortisol even more ?