HELP!!! PLZZZ!!! cortisol levels out of whack!!!

[SilverTest]

hey guys,

I did a test for free cortisol and it came back as 38 ug/dl

the normal reference range is 5-25 ug/dl

do i have cushing's syndrome or am i just a stressed out and overtrained individual !???

some of my symptoms are as follows:

depression
joint and tendon extreme pain
extreme weakness and fatigue
irritability
excessive sweating
lack of muscle growth
fat gain around the midsection
bloated face and eyes

ALL the other hormones are EXCELLENT including thyroid, total test etc... i also did a MRI for my hypothalamus-hypophyse and there is nothing abnormal.

I know this is probably not appropriate to ask here in this forum but i just need some opinions on the matter... do you think i should check it out with a doctor ? or am i just stressed out...etc..

Im 26 yo.

HELP!! need quick answer.

[je909ki]

I had the same question for my doc a few days ago because my cortisol came back low (Addison's Disease). He said to get the real picture of cortisol you need a 24 saliva test and an ACTH stimulation test. Have you been on glucocorticoids? I've heard long term use of glucocorticoids can lead to Cushing's.
I'm no expert, this is just what the Doc told me a couple days ago.

[SilverTest]

I had the same question for my doc a few days ago because my cortisol came back low (Addison's Disease). He said to get the real picture of cortisol you need a 24 saliva test and an ACTH stimulation test. Have you been on glucocorticoids? I've heard long term use of glucocorticoids can lead to Cushing's.
I'm no expert, this is just what the Doc told me a couple days ago.

no i have never used glucocorticoids.

anyone else BIIIIGGG BUMPPPPP

[steroid.com 1]

High levels of Cortisol (Cushing's syndrome) can be caused by tumors not only in the pituitary gland and all the adrenal glands but also in some other parts of the body as well like the lungs.

Or, it can be caused simply by high stress levels from things like life events or over training.

Hyperthyroidism can cause high levels of Cortisol so when you say that your thyroid is excellent what does that really mean?

If you can rule out all pathologies then you need to assess what's happening in your life brother because it's most likely environmental and not physiological.

There are drugs you can take to lower Cortisol but most are AD and/or anti-anxiety.

Stressing out about your high Cortisol can increase the serum levels as well.

[bass]

and cortisol fluctuates thorough out the day, like JE909 said a 24 hour test would be better for accurate results. i agree with GD, based on your post its probably over training and stress.

[Brohim]

I had high cortisol due to over training and under eating. What I did was get some Vitamin C and take 2x per day especially after training. Increased my cals especially after training and took a product called Adrenal support. The main ingredient was Pregenolone. I also took some DHEA and my cortisol went down.

[steroid.com 1]

Both Preg and DHEA are excellent for Cortisol modulation.

edit: Try adding in Phosphatidylserine to your supplements as well.

Read: One of the best known and most effective ways to lower excess cortisol levels is with the nutrient Phosphatidylserine (PS). Phosphatidylserine is believed to facilitate the repair (actually I believe it re-sensitizes receptor cells) of the cortisol receptors in the hypothalamus. It is believed that the cortisol receptors get damaged by high cortisol levels reducing the ability of the hypothalamus to sense and correct high cortisone levels. Because Phosphatidylserine helps repair the feedback control apparatus, it is useful in correcting both high and low cortisol levels. Phosphatidylserine is also useful for preventing short-term memory loss, age-related dementia and Alzheimer's disease. Typical dosages are one to three 100 mg. capsules per day.

I've been taking Phosphatidylcholine for years and it behaves very similar as well.

^^^^This is excellent for everyone here to remember!!!

[steroid.com 1]

Bumping this; want guys to see above re PS.

[SilverTest]

guys thanks for the helpfull replies !!!

its probably overtraining i talked to my doctor he said the levels are not really high enough such as in cushing's.

I am taking panax ginseng to heal my HPA system because its over secreting cortisol.

i will report back in a week or 2 because it takes around that time to start its adaptogenic effect.

[SilverTest]

hey guys i tested my total morning cortisol today at 7 am, it came back as 18.2 ug/dl , range 6-19.4 ug/dl.

I did the test after i stopped every supplement, including ginseng.

its on the upper limit, do you think its worth investigating if i have some kind of cushing's syndrome ?

tell me what you think please...

[SilverTest]

bump

[xtitan1]

Cortisol is naturally high in the morning. If your morning cortisol was within limits it's only going to get lower throughout the day. I think you're good. Do you have any striae on your torso or a buffalo hump on your back?

[xtitan1]

BTW sorry for double post but just for clarification the AACE and Johns Hopkins both recommend a two night salivary cortisol draw, a 24 hour total cortisol urine draw, and a dexamathasone suppression trial (take ddexamathasone the night before and measure blood cortisol next morning) when Cushing's is suspected. It's a hard diagnosis to make so if any are positive then further testing is necessary.

Also Cushing's Disease: where cortisol is too high because of a benign tumor on the pituitary either causing the pituitary to release too much ACTH or is actually secreting it itself

Cushing's syndrome: too much cortisol for any other reason



Signs and symptoms can be found on the internet pretty easily for those looking for more information.

[SilverTest]

thanks for the reply X, no i do not have a buffalo hump, i do have traps though :P, no striae on my torso either. i did an MRI for my pituitary everything is perfect no tumours or anything also.

its probably just overtraining, stress and too much coffee.

it was actually much higher from a few months, it was 38 ug/dl, now i feel much better but not quite myself.

PROPER weight training is actually making me feel a lot better, one thing i learned is to NEVER go to failure on my primary sets, once i begin to go to failure while

off gear, im screwed...

this way i am feeling more energetic, i get out of the gym relaxed and feeling good instead of feeling torn down, heck i puked 8 times and fainted 3 times in the

gym in the earlier years. I think this is what got me like this, my HPA system got chronically stressed.

Something for all of you guys to remember while training natural...

[lovbyts]

Honestly it sounds more like a little bit of hypochondria than cushings. Relax. It's good to be informed and aware but not always looking for something wrong.

[SilverTest]

Honestly it sounds more like a little bit of hypochondria than cushings. Relax. It's good to be informed and aware but not always looking for something wrong.

lol ya i think im getting a bit hypochondriac :P, i'll chill :P

[lovbyts]

That's what happens when we start looking at WebMD to much. lol

[Renholder]

http://forums.steroid.com/showthread...now&highlight=

What test is this? Urine? Blood? Saliva?

First of all, cortisol tested in blood is known to be inaccurate, so you would want to confirm it with a saliva test and urine test.

Since your BW is already down, it probably is not a problem.

If you read the link, you`ll see that I got the same test result and I was NOT overtrained, nor stressed, but I drank a lot of coffee from morning to evening. Caffeine raises cortisol. So, I quit coffee 100% and I noticed that I feel calmer in my body. Flaccid penis hangs lower and is more relaxed, etc. I also started PS a few weeks later, but quitting caffeine was really what made the difference.

Unfortunately, I did not experience any alleviation of other symptoms.

[kelkel]

http://forums.steroid.com/showthread...now&highlight=

What test is this? Urine? Blood? Saliva?

First of all, cortisol tested in blood is known to be inaccurate, so you would want to confirm it with a saliva test and urine test.

Since your BW is already down, it probably is not a problem.

If you read the link, you`ll see that I got the same test result and I was NOT overtrained, nor stressed, but I drank a lot of coffee from morning to evening. Caffeine raises cortisol. So, I quit coffee 100% and I noticed that I feel calmer in my body. Flaccid penis hangs lower and is more relaxed, etc. I also started PS a few weeks later, but quitting caffeine was really what made the difference.

Unfortunately, I did not experience any alleviation of other symptoms.

Somehow we always find a way to relate things to our weiners don't we! (not just you Ren)

[SilverTest]

Somehow we always find a way to relate things to our weiners don't we! (not just you Ren)

lol ya, my test result is from a blood test.

By the way, about the weiner thing, its actually truly accurate, mine always was really really tight when my cortisol gets out of control its so uncomfortable, the balls get really tight all the friggin time its so annoying.

anyway thanks for making me laugh my ass off this morning loooollzzz hahaha

[Renholder]

Somehow we always find a way to relate things to our weiners don't we! (not just you Ren)

Hehe.

Lack of libido and poor erections is one of my symptoms, so I thought it was relevant to mention.

[Renholder]

lol ya, my test result is from a blood test.

By the way, about the weiner thing, its actually truly accurate, mine always was really really tight when my cortisol gets out of control its so uncomfortable, the balls get really tight all the friggin time its so annoying.

anyway thanks for making me laugh my ass off this morning loooollzzz hahaha

Blood tests are known to be inaccurate. You need cortisol in urine and a 4X or at least morning and night saliva test to confirm.

[vetvso]

This is great info..I think I will lay off the coffee some.