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How does Cortisol fit in and what treatment might be necessary?

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Posted 11/20/2015 12:30 PM (GMT -5)
Before going dark, my LLMD gave me a lab order that included Cortisol.

My number was really high. She is sick herself and is rebooking for Spring so I can't really ask her what to do.

My bloodwork was done in the afternoon so it shouldn't high. Does it do any damage? Is there a treatment? Do I need to worry?

Kim
Posted 11/20/2015 1:13 PM (GMT -5)
Cortisol is the hormone that comes from your adrenal glands. Your doctor is trying to monitor the strength of your adrenals.

https://www.adrenalfatigue.org/cortisol-adrenal-function


http://health.howstuffworks.com/human-body/systems/endocrine/the-adrenal-gland.htm

High cortisol means that your body is stressed.

Posted 11/20/2015 2:12 PM (GMT -5)
Ashwagandha, it really works. And ofc part of Buhner's protocol.

It lowers cortisol. There is a randomized double blind placebo controlled study for this, so you know it's effective:
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23439798

"The treatment group that was given the high-concentration full-spectrum Ashwagandha root extract exhibited a significant reduction (P<0.0001) in scores on all the stress-assessment scales on Day 60, relative to the placebo group. The serum cortisol levels were substantially reduced (P=0.0006) in the Ashwagandha group, relative to the placebo group. The adverse effects were mild in nature and were comparable in both the groups. No serious adverse events were reported."

I take 500mg at night (but in your case you should take during the day, too) and it helps me stay asleep the whole night. There is a cortisol spike around 2-3am, part of the sleep cycle, but if your initial cortisol levels are high to begin with, that spike will wake you up and you will not be able to fall back to sleep.
Posted 11/20/2015 2:15 PM (GMT -5)
gka-I did the saliva test. My cortisol was sky high at night. My LLND asked if I was having trouble sleeping. I just laughed. He gave me phosphytidal serine powder. I might not have spelled that right but I'm too lazy at the moment to get up. I take 1/4-1/2 a teaspoon before bed and fall asleep much faster.

This has to do with the messages our sick stressed bodies send our brain and our brains response. My hormones are all messed up because of Lyme
Posted 11/20/2015 3:02 PM (GMT -5)
jrpsf - I read about phosphatidyl serine (however you spell it) a while back - when my cortisol was high (total was only checked)...and then a few months later, my total cortisol was back in range.
I don't have trouble falling asleep, or fatigue during the day...so I figured I didn't need to pursue it.

When I read about it...there was a protocol that would result in lowering the cortisol in the evening, and increasing it in the a.m. when you need it.
I tried to quickly find the website - but couldn't find it. I can't remember what else was taken with the PS.

Do you stay asleep...or have frequent wake-ups?
Posted 11/20/2015 3:19 PM (GMT -5)
I'm staying asleep and that wasn't the case before. It was taking me hours to fall asleep and then I might sleep for 3 hours, wake up and then toss and turn for an hour or so before falling asleep again.
Posted 11/20/2015 3:20 PM (GMT -5)
Girlie, if you are asking me then the answer is I have trouble falling asleep and then I wake frequently. Would this mess with the cortisol levels through out the day. I know I read that Cortisol is higher in the morning. When I had the blood drawn, it was definitely afternoon. I asked if there was a special time I needed to have the blood drawn and they said no.

Thanks. Kim
Posted 11/20/2015 3:40 PM (GMT -5)
Kim , I was asking both of you...lol

I have no problem falling asleep - but I do wake up a couple times during the night - and get right back to sleep...sometimes I don't sleep in long enough - I like 8-9 hours...but sometimes after 7 I am awake and can't get back.
I figure considering I have lyme and co's - that's not too bad.

The best cortisol test is one that is done 4 X during the day/evening.
It will see if you're cortisol levels are appropriate for the time of day. It's a saliva test.

When I looked into it, I found a lab called ZRT labs and they test for that...no Dr. needed to sign anything.
Posted 11/20/2015 4:00 PM (GMT -5)
Girlie-I did the ZRT labs test. It was from those results that I went on PSP.
Posted 11/20/2015 4:07 PM (GMT -5)
Good to know jrpsf - I have used that lab prior to my diagnosis to test my estrogen/progesterone. But, I haven't heard it mentioned here - so was wondering if it was a good lab.

I'm thinking I want to recheck those hormones as well as check cortisol.
Posted 11/20/2015 5:28 PM (GMT -5)
Girlie-I did a blood test recently to test my hormone levels. The ZRT test said I was post menopausal. I disagree.
This gets confusing so I'll try and make this as short as possible. I had my uterus removed about 8 years ago. I was having crazy periods (cramping that was similar to labor pains because of huge clots) which they would normally treat with hormones but my sister had very aggressive hormone positive breast cancer so that wasn't an option.
I still have my ovaries and as of March/April could still tell I was still cycling every four weeks. I lost track of my cycles when I went on Alinia and toughed out that protocol.

The blood test showed I was right. My LLND wants me to do one more test before he fixes my hormones. It's called the Dutch test. It's the most accurate of the hormone tests. It's just over $200. Their in Oregon also.
Research the differences between the ZRT test and the Dutch test and decide which is best for you.

If I didn't have Lyme I would be looking into seeing a top notch ND so I wouldn't have to deal with menopause on my own.
Posted 11/20/2015 5:37 PM (GMT -5)
Thanks for the name of the lab.

I have found myself in a rather sticky position. The LLMD I saw is sick (with Lyme and maybe something else?) and going in for surgery and rebooking appointment starting in March. It was already a 2 month wait to get in so that pushes things out to at least May since I do not have a follow up scheduled.

I just found out my Rheumatologist "has a medical condition that prevents him from seeing patients." This is someone I have worked with for 13 years. I mad at him right now because when I looked at my records I found that there were lots of errors. They used a template that listed all the Rheum symptoms saying things like "No fatigue, no dry mouth, no balance ..." and never changed it for the symptoms I do have for example dry mouth, fatigue, balance...

I just got the letter from SSDI asking if there were any changes in my condition, which means that they could request my records.

He joined a practice two years ago and the records beginning then are full of errors. about a year ago, before I even suspected Lyme, he started writing things that made me sound like a hypochondriac which he has never done before. Add to that the nurse he was assigned was the laziest most incompetent person I have ever met. The last time I was there we argued for 20 minutes about what 8 times 30 is. She insisted it was 120. i had picked up a script and ran out. When I looked at the bottle, it was for 2 tabs 4xdaily but for a total of 120. She insisted that it had always been written that way. NOT!

Based on my experience and complaints I saw in reviews online I expecting that he was diagnosed with early stage Alzheimers.

So there are now other Rheumatologist in the practice (there weren't until he joined), but no one has made any effort to get me assigned to a new doctor and new appointments scheduled.

So no LLMD, an awol Rheum and maybe a new Rheum that doesn't know me from Adam (or Eve, LOL).

I've decided to go the herbal route and keep everything off my records. I'm not going to argue with anyone anymore about Lyme. Insurance won't pay anyway and they could stop paying for my Fibro treatments if they can blame it all on Lyme.

So having access to a lab to get some tests run is good.

Thanks, Kim
Posted 11/20/2015 7:29 PM (GMT -5)
jrpsf - My GP did my blood work - and my estrogen was almost non-existent.
This was in the first few months of Lyme symptoms. Prior to that my periods were irregular...but still happening. I have never had bad ones - no pain, and no emotional roller coaster.
I think I was peri-menopause stage.
Then they stopped same time I got my first lyme symptoms...and I got emotional - Dr. did blood work and estro - in menopause range - hardly anything there. Progesterone wasn't measured - as they medical community doesn't see progesterone as significant (stupidity)
She put me on the bio-identical estrogel and prometrium (for some reason they don't pair bio-identical progest with the estrogel)....I felt good for three days or so...and then that was it...so was told to raise the dose (I started on 1/4 dose) - so I did...I got worse (mood-wise)...told to raise it again to full dose and that's when I got the vibrations in my body. I got two more opinions - both were to stay on it. I had given it a fair trial so stopped.
Then I got Dr. John Lee's book on progesterone. Got a prescription for bio-identical progest. This was several months later. Went through two months prescription and didn't seem to make any difference...that i could tell.

Interesting thing the low estrogen was in August, 2013...supplemented until October.
In january, I asked my GP for another test...and the estrogen was high. It was not in the perimenopause range - it was the level of a fertile woman...lol.
That kind of freaked me out - from almost non-existant to high. just from two months of supplementation and then nothing for three months- good thing I didn't continue.
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