• Welcome to Phoenix Rising!

    Created in 2008, Phoenix Rising is the largest and oldest forum dedicated to furthering the understanding of and finding treatments for complex chronic illnesses such as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), fibromyalgia (FM), long COVID, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), and allied diseases.

    To become a member, simply click the Register button at the top right.

Mending adrenal glands - rising cortisol and feeling DRASTICALLY improved

Athene

ihateticks.me
Messages
1,143
Location
Italy
Hi Trif,
I like your Vicks vapo rub analogy!
I take choline and it certainly livens up my brain. I don't notice any difference with omega 3 but I take it anyway because my doctor is insistent it helps control inflammation.

I guess if rhodiola makes you feel happy, and therefore not get stressed about things in life, that would be putting less pressure on/making less demands of your adrenals. I once took prozac briefly, many years ago now, and it gave me lots of energy, so perhaps it was doing the same thing - taking the stress pressure off my adrenals.


I just wanted to report on another thing.

I mentioned early in this thread that I took Siberian Ginseng (adrenal adaptogen recommmended in the Wilson book and also by my doctor) when I had only just started on the nutritional supplements, and that it over stimulated me - I felt great for about 2 weeks then burnt out. I think it took me immediately up to the optimal level of functionality for my adrenals, which I was not used to, and then after a while they ran out of the nutrients they needed because they were so depleted.

Well I tried it again this week. I figured I am doing great on nutrients, and wondered if it could make me feel even better. It did absolutely nothing! I think, since it is an adaptogen, that means my adrenals are working at bang on the right level, and don't need stimulating further or calming down either. (Yes I did check the expiry date, the tablets are still fully viable and in perfect condition!)
 

triffid113

Day of the Square Peg
Messages
831
Location
Michigan
ramakentesh

No, you are right. Tyrosine makes my brain feel like it's been rubbed with Vicks Vaporub and rhodiola does not do that. But both are happy pills for me. Rhodiola makes me not care about stress so since stress is a big part of my life, that makes me very happy. Tyrosine just makes me happy for no reason that I can see at all. Thanks for all the info!

btw, choline and high dose (9g/day) omega-3 also make my brain feel like Vicks Vaporub has been applied. Now THOSE despite being quite different may affect dopamine production is some way? I have not felt those to be happy pills though. The omega-3 is the only way I know to naturally help with allergies (nettle works but it raises my insulin). Omega-3 prevents production of LOX and other(?) fatty acid breakdown products that lead to inflammatory cytokines.

Trif

Athene,
I started having severe (undeserved) low blood sugar attacks in my 40's and from the research I had time to do (not much) I concluded it was my adrenal gland that was not telling my liver to break down glycogen. I did not want to take glandulars since I was vegetarian, so further research turned up Rhodiola as helpful for the adrenal gland. I bought some, do not know the brand that worked actually as that store went out of business after I tossed the last empty bottle, but it was not a wimpy dose. It took about a month but it worked. Before Rhodiola if I had a close call due to some bozo in traffic doing a daring cut off, etc (you'd be surprised how much that happens - you don't notice if you don't get low blood sugar that won't go away) and I would have to pull over and eat something or I could not continue on. A year after stopping the Rhodiola for no longer needing it, I had the problem start happening again and had to go back on the Rhodiola. Now Life Extension reported on several studies that show that Rhodiola increases glycogen in the liver. All I know is I have tried ashwaghanda and Schizandra and they do nothing for me, but Rhodiola really helps.

Now after 50 either the Rhodiola doesn't work for me anymore (or I suspect I just have too low a dose now). But that's ok, I take that tyrosine AND iron and I am fine. My ferritin keeps going below 20 even though I had a hysterectomy. So I need iron and can't make cortisol w/o it.
I'll check your blog tomorrow. I stay up too late on school night cuz I am one of those OCD-ish people who once started can barely stand to stop until done.

Take care
 

Beyond

Juice Me Up, Scotty!!!
Messages
1,122
Location
Murcia, Spain
It contains threobromine which overstimulates the adrenals and makes them crash out in no time. And I can guarantee this is true through personal experience!!

Fabulous thread. That is true in my experience too, what a trip high dark chocolate gave me, first I had more energy and a manic feeling (did some weights, dragged myself around the city for an hour and wrote two poems) coupled with a restless depression. The day after felt weaker and worse than before eating it, mini-crash I guess. It was truly like taking a recreational drug.

I plan to use this protocol of Dr Wilson when I can.
 

LisaGoddard

Senior Member
Messages
284
Hi decided to give this protocol a try. I cut out caffeine - I used to drink buckets of strong coffee. Cutting it out has been a loss, but I am going to stick to it. I am up to 1500mg with panthothenic acid. I was already on the high vit c as part of methylation treatment. Early days yet but a little increased energy.
 

perchance dreamer

Senior Member
Messages
1,691
Athene, you made reference to avoiding heat-damaged fats, such as saturated fats.

I thought that trans fats were the ones that were heat damaged, not saturated fats.
 

Beyond

Juice Me Up, Scotty!!!
Messages
1,122
Location
Murcia, Spain
Hi decided to give this protocol a try. I cut out caffeine - I used to drink buckets of strong coffee. Cutting it out has been a loss, but I am going to stick to it. I am up to 1500mg with panthothenic acid. I was already on the high vit c as part of methylation treatment. Early days yet but a little increased energy.

Lisa keep us posted. I will try this after some months with my gut treatment.
 
Messages
1
However when I am exposed to androgen receptor blockers (flea medicine) which blocks my DHEA (which allows me to tolerate or actually lowers cortisol) THEN I feel BOTH exhausted and wired (AND irritable - that is when I cant stand for anything to touch my skin).
Rydra

Rydra, I just came across this old thread and I see that flee medicine gives you a lot of trouble. Have you tried http://www.cedarcide.com/product/das-domestic-animal-spray? It is made from a cedar base and rather non toxic to mammals yet quickly lethal to flees.
 
Messages
11
Whats peoples thoughts on progesterone and high cortisol? Can it cause high cortisol or does it bring it down? My cortisol is high in the am,but it feels like its high all the time as I cant switch off, I am getting tested for cushings and doing a saliva test next week but I have been using progesterone cream in my luteal phase as I was low and now wonder if this is having an affect on my cortisol. I have been under a lot of stress since 09 so I suspect my adrenals are gasping for air! I eat a good diet and try to look after myself, I started on Methlyb12 in oct 13 and wow I felt so amazing but now I feel crap, my b12 level on my last test last week was 940 and the Dr told me this was too high and should be around 600! I really don't like this high cortisol feeling at all!
 

Fogbuster

Senior Member
Messages
269
Very interesting thread. I have had a Adrenal Stress Profile by Genova Diagnostics (think its them), results came back normal.

I have always thought I've had something wrong with my adrenals but testing has said otherwise. I've just done the Iris contraction test and as soon as my pupil contracts it dilates immediately after and then goes back and forth from contracted to dilated in VERY quick succession. I wake up every morning with blood sugar issues and feeling like im on a painful power plate. This is clearly functional adrenal problems, right? I've had horrible unhealable leaky gut for ages so I must of been taxing them so much.
 

Fogbuster

Senior Member
Messages
269
@Beyond Right, some people can have more exhausted adrenals than others so the way I look at is because mine are so exhausted they are contributing quite heavily to affecting my gut healing. Another reason I believe I have exhaustion rather than burnout is because all my symptoms point to elevated cortisol being very low stress tolerance, constantly in symphathetic state, very shaky, jumpy, most often feel better in the late afternoon/evenings and I feel like I get a second wind at 11pm, so I don't get to bed very easily before 2am.

Could you recommend any specific supplementation for this? Thanks
 

heapsreal

iherb 10% discount code OPA989,
Messages
10,089
Location
australia (brisbane)
Dhea helps counter balance cortisol. Generally the initial stages when cortisol is high they fing dhea starting to drop. Occasionally initially some get a very high dhea but then it crashes. Dhea seems to drop before cortisol does.
I would also look into Phosphatidylserine at around 500mg as this can help some to lower cortisol by making the brain more sensitive to cortisol and down regulates cortisol production. The herb withania can also be helpful with high cortisol. The antidepressant mirtazipine is also known to lower cortisol.

Nothing written in stone and one really has to try these things to know if they will help them.
 

LisaGoddard

Senior Member
Messages
284
Hi Fogbuster,
I had an adrenal test which didn't show up anything. But all my symptoms seem to fit so recently I've been trying the supplements recommended on the first page of this thread (high b5 and Vit c), and cut out all caffeine, chocolate and sugar (very hard to do but not impossible). It took about 2 months or so but I began to feel much better. I have the severe form of CFS so am housebound, but not bedbound. I began to be able to go out a bit.
I went back on the sweet stuff at Christmas though and the fatigue returned.

Ps I'm also on Freddd's methylation protocol and cold baths to get down the inflammation.
 

Beyond

Juice Me Up, Scotty!!!
Messages
1,122
Location
Murcia, Spain
Hey Fogbuster sadly I am in a similar state and therefore cannot tell what works cause I haven´t found it yet. I have been now two weeks with the supplements recommended in this thread. Haven´t felt much improvement yet but for adrenals these are the things that make most sense. For example, vitamin C is crucial for the adrenals and that is scientifically established. They always recommend PS serine for high cortisol though.

I will be trying things and investigating about the HPA axis and posting in this forum. I have bought St Johns Wort and Rojal Jelly for my depression, OCD, reactivity, sympathethic dominance, etc Antidepressants actually modulate the HPA axis, it is one of the main ways they alleviate symptoms.

For what is worth I think that at least in my case treating the gut is more important at this moment because of how it feels, although I also need something for my livelong anxiety and depression problems that actually led me to adrenal fatigue, hypothyroid, leaky gut and pelvic pain. Treating the gut-brain axis will make a big difference.

I normally feel my best at night.
 
Last edited:

Beyond

Juice Me Up, Scotty!!!
Messages
1,122
Location
Murcia, Spain
OK it´s been now a month on the "mending adrenals protocol" so I can give a review if anyone wants to try. First of all I had to give up vitamin c because it is slightly irritating for my leaky gut and increases the loosiness of stools, which I definetely cannot afford. Vit C is the most important adrenal supplement so my review is partially useless. Now, I have noticed benefits from the other supplements.

The B Complex clearly augments alertness and energy, possibly also enhances neurology as I have been speaking more complexly as it should be for a book and analythical freak like I am, panthetine improves energy and libido via lowering prolactin (for men), vitamin E possibly enhances any of these too but I am not sure. I take all of these sublingually and that really makes a difference. Just put the capsule whole or just the powder/softgel under your tongue and wait. Tastes nasty by the way.

Magnesium oil calms but takes 2 freaking hours to absorb. I won´t use it ever again lol Calcium Glycinate at night seems to decrease the number of night wakings.

If your digestive and sleep issues overweight the energy/libido (vitality) issues I wouldn´t recommend this protocol unless you have money to do it and at the same time treat gut and sleep which are more crucial for recovery.
 
Messages
7
Athene,

A piece of the low cortisol puzzle. It turns out low iron causes low cortisol. http://content.karger.com/ProdukteDB/produkte.asp?Doi=177633. For me, correcting iron status corrects this. And now I read that tyrosine may prevent stress-related rises in cortisol: http://www.johnberardi.com/articles/reviews/tyrosine.htm

And this site says something interesting - that if you measure your temp for thyroid status and find that the temp itself is unstable - that indicates an adrenal problem: an unstable average temperature between successive days indicates low adrenals which will need supporting http://thyroid-rt3.com/adrenals.htm Rhodiola has helped my adrenals out in the past.

But iron is the most important one for me. Apparently it does not matter if you have a normal hemoglobin, it is the ferritin reading that counts and should be about 70.


Ok...can you help me on this iron puzzle: Im low ferritn 33 and low iron (wont know that number until tomorrow)......Im on 25mgs of hydrocortisone, 1 tab of florinef and 90mgs of natural dessicated thyroid....doc told me to take more iron based on these numbers....Im currently taking 90mgs of elemental iron for a month and a half now.......I have a question: Ive been experiencing terible anxiety this week, just had a terrible period.......went for labs and found out my ferritn was still low....so I took 30 extra mgs of iron two nights in a row.....yesterday, i oke up took my 10mgs of HC, florinef and 60mgs of NDT.....I was so sick to my stomach, panic attacks, out of it...I then took my 10:30am dose of HC 7.5 mgs and worse...I was a mess......Here's my question: Does iron increase the eficiency of Hydrocortisone or florinef???? If i increase my iron intake will I not need as much HC? Im so lost.....this has all of the sudden happened.....can you help me????? Im desperate
 

Ema

Senior Member
Messages
4,729
Location
Midwest USA
Ok...can you help me on this iron puzzle: Im low ferritn 33 and low iron (wont know that number until tomorrow)......Im on 25mgs of hydrocortisone, 1 tab of florinef and 90mgs of natural dessicated thyroid....doc told me to take more iron based on these numbers....Im currently taking 90mgs of elemental iron for a month and a half now.......I have a question: Ive been experiencing terible anxiety this week, just had a terrible period.......went for labs and found out my ferritn was still low....so I took 30 extra mgs of iron two nights in a row.....yesterday, i oke up took my 10mgs of HC, florinef and 60mgs of NDT.....I was so sick to my stomach, panic attacks, out of it...I then took my 10:30am dose of HC 7.5 mgs and worse...I was a mess......Here's my question: Does iron increase the eficiency of Hydrocortisone or florinef???? If i increase my iron intake will I not need as much HC? Im so lost.....this has all of the sudden happened.....can you help me????? Im desperate
It sounds like your thyroid dose is too high for you for some reason now, especially since you were tolerating iron just fine for some time prior. Did you test your free thyroid hormones when you had labs recently? I would consider dropping your thyroid dose down a bit ( or splitting it up even more) to see if that helps.

Thyroid hormone function depends on iron and it helps your body's hang onto iron. You will need less iron to maintain good stores when your thyroid is right.