But that's the point -- I was putting out too much cortisol in the late mornings -- it was too high by NOON -- so she told me to make sure not to take it. Plus, many people take B5 for acne -- oily, greasy, acne-prone sking. My skin is already on the dry side, so if I take even 100 mgs or so, my skin dries out big time.
If your cortisol isn't peaking until later in the day than between c.4-7am, then you have a delayed cortisol curve.
Some people peak even later than noon, and yes, that also causes insomnia. It's a delayed cortisol curve, causing a delayed surge of cortisol. Essentially, adrenal activity isn't kicking in at the usual time and everythig gets shunted forwards by several hours. Adrenal exhaustion is usually the cause, and they need supporting, not ignoring.
We treated it at the clinic by giving people hydrocortisone in 4 divided doses, top-loaded to mimic the normal cortisol day curve.
This regulates the adrenal output, and the delay is corrected. If the adrenals are supplied with either hydrocortisone, or B5 in the early morning, there is no need for the adrenals to surge later than is normal and the delay is corrected. Taking B5 in the mornings won't exacerbate your adrenal surge.
Dry skin is commonly due to a testosterone or an oestrogen deficiency, or a cortisol excess in relation to the amount of sex hormones being produced. The adrenals also produce testosterone and oestrogen. Women's adrenals produce smaller amounts of testost than men's do, and men's adrenals produce less than their testes, but it's still a significant amount. Men's adrenals produce smaller amounts of oestrogen than women's adrenals do, and women's ovaries produce more oestrogen than the adrebals, but again, it is still a significant amount.
The quickest way to replace missing or lacking levels of testost and oestrogen in both men and women is to supplement with DHEA. It is the most abundant steroid hormone in a healthy body, and it is the immediate precursor for both sex hormones. The standard dose is 25mg/d for women and 50mg/d for men.
Vitamin C is also extremely useful in nourishing poor adrenals, and again, should be taken earlier rather than later in the day as it can also mimic the same effects of an adrenal surge if taken later, which will cause insomnia.
You might want to have a look at the role of iodine in human health. It is needed by every cell, every function, every hormone and every gland, including the adrenals.
I have come to understand recently that a fundamental iodine deficiency might well lie at the very root of the cause of both hypothyroidism and hypoadrenalism. Because of this, I started supplementing with Lugol's in late March, and once I hit 50mg/d, I found I didn't need my last dose of hydro anymore. I've managed to reduce it significantly. I've also been able to reduce my thyroid meds., equally significantly.
20% of the body's total iodine is stored and used by the skin. Dry skin and inability to sweat are signs of skin-iodine deficiency, because the sweat glands and the sebaceous glands both need iodine in order to secrete their respective substances.
