Can’t sleep in. Can’t nap. Misery. Anyone have this symptom?

[Therunningman]

Since CFS came back in January, I have a very frustrating symptom. When I awake at 5am my cortisol is very high. I can actually feel it. If I try to fall back asleep, my body will jolt me awake then I get a dump of anxiety. What’s worse though is if I get a bad nights sleep I cannot nap. The same thing happens, anxiety or jolting awake. This makes taking anything that causes drowsyness terrible as I will dose off and be forced awake continually. My cortisol is just so high and I have tried to lower it with no success.


Anyone experienced this with CF?

 

[Mary]

@Therunningman - what have you tried to lower your cortisol?

Mine used to be very high in the middle of the night which caused severe insomnia - I discovered this through the Adrenal Stress Index Test which uses 4 saliva samples to measure cortisol levels through the day/evening. I was given Seriphos (phosphorylated serine, NOT phosphatidyl serine) and it worked like magic. I had to find the right dose by carefully titrating up until I reached an effective dose. Initially I needed 8 capsules a day which is a lot and I don't recommend people start with that dose. I'd start with one or 2 and see how I did. I also discovered it works best when taken in the morning, it has to do with the circadian rhythm. When I took it at night it caused horrible weird insomnia, but taken in the morning I just felt calmer, though not sleepy, and then did sleep better at night.

Have you had an adrenal stress index test done?

Also, high cortisol is not a rare symptom with ME/CFS. It's actually quite common. You might edit the title of your post to reflect that you are dealing with high cortisol. Many here have had similar problems and can probably offer advice.

 

[Thinktank]

Yes, i've experienced it for years due to benzodiazepine withdrawal and an adverse effect to antibiotics.It's terrible, i feel for you.
Have you been on a benzodiazepine or antidepressant in the past?

You mention your cortisol being high, have you tested it? Salivary and blood?

 

[Therunningman]

Yes i was on Ativan and zopliclone in 2016 for sleeping. Became dependant on both and led to horrific withdrawals. Withdrawing from Lexapro as we speak. Again brutal. I did a 4 timed saliva test that showed very high in the morning. And average to high at bed. It seems easy to raise cortisol with cortef, but how you lower is much harder. No stress, clean diet is all I hear. Once I am off the ssri which makes me feel so much sicker and switch to 5htp, maybe my cortisol will balance out. God only knows. What is the severity of you’re cfs? Sleep? Etc etc

 

[caledonia]

Seriphos or Relora will lower cortisol. If your cortisol is high at night, take it at bedtime.

ps. I just saw a post from @Mary who said taking Seriphos in the morning worked better for her sleep at night.

 

[Kenshin]

Can you feel if your cortisol is high, ie effect of cortisol = Stress/adrenaline?
When I wake up in the morning I have to get up, even if I have to drag myself back half hour later.

Would testosterone therapy reduce cortisol since they are opposing hormones supposedly if one goes up the other goes down.

 

[Thinktank]

Yes i was on Ativan and zopliclone in 2016 for sleeping. Became dependant on both and led to horrific withdrawals. Withdrawing from Lexapro as we speak. Again brutal.

There you go, that's probably the reason for the cortisol surges. It's very common during and post-withdrawal but it will eventually improve and level out.