Would You Treat Low Cortisol or Thyroid First??

[Caroline369]

I am 46 and I have high functioning cfs ,vi have a job, can life weights at the gym but only 3 times per week but have to push myself I feel tired most of the morning and would have poor stamina but I have a really bad case of loss of motivation and interest in things I used to do for about 12 years now. I used to love experimenting with cooking new healthy recipes, making things like sauerkraut, kefir and had passion for things. Seems like my brain just doesn't have that spark anymore even though I would love it too.

I used to eat healthy and was really really fit but now I crave chocolate and junk food a lot. I miss who I used to be.

So not sure if I even have a problem with thyroid, but I have read the book by Paul Robinson RecoveringwithT3 to increase cortisol.

I tried T3 Thybon but could only last about 2 days as 5mcg at 6.30am left me so tired until about 1pm. I know I gave it very little time !!! But I starting reading so much I got overwhelmed!!

My recent thyroid bloods are, but not sure if I really need thyroid meds .

TSH 2.09 (0.27 - 4.2)

FT3 4.5 (3.1 - 6.8)

FT4 14.4 (12-22)


Saliva cortisol results are

9am 11 (14 -25 optimal range) (7 - 30 Ref Range)

12pm 6.7 (5 - 10 optimal range) (2.1 - 14) Ref Range)

So I have just started Thorne adrenal cortex again today as thought should try and maybe raise cortisol first

Is there anything else that can raise it ??

 

[wabi-sabi]

Your thyroid labs look normal. Have you talked with your doctor about them?

 

[lyran]

Are you sure you have CFS or something else? How comprehensively you have been tested?

I agree with wabi-sabi, your thyroid values are fine. Your cortisol is lowish. Adrenal cortex supplement may help but if it doesn't, you may need to take low dose hydrocortisone (like 10mg in the morning and 5mg in the afternoon).

 

[wabi-sabi]

now I crave chocolate and junk food a lot.

Is menopause becoming an issue?

 

[wabi-sabi]

Or maybe sleep deprivation?
https://news.berkeley.edu/2013/08/06/poor-sleep-junk-food

 

[Mouse girl]

Go to a doctor, to get adice about thyroid issues. You sound uber healthy and fit, working full time and working out three days a week. Perhaps you are just a bit depressed or in peri menopause or not happy with something in your life. It's normal to slow down in middle age and it's also normal to feel down sometimes and stuck in life which can cause lack of interest.

Best of luck to you and be careful with people who have no qualifications to treat you. There are endless people out there ready to take you money with quick fixes and even dangerous advice.

Maybe take a trip, do something different that inspires you or just takes you out of the doldrums. Maybe you need less stress. Stress can suck the life out of anyone.

 

[wabi-sabi]

Maybe take a trip, do something different that inspires you or just takes you out of the doldrums. Maybe you need less stress. Stress can suck the life out of anyone.

Such good advice. I think too much stress is the biggest source of junk food and chocolate cravings too. I know it is for me!

 

[Judee]

Licorice and grapefruit can both extend endogenous cortisol levels. However, licorice can raise bp and lower potassium levels. Still it used to help me a lot I think maybe because I have POTS and low bp.

James L Wilson in his book called Adrenal Fatigue said people with adrenal fatigue tend to be low sodium but elevated potassium. That's the only place I read that though so not sure how true that is.

Ken Lassessen also likes licorice and recommends it for ME/CFS though not the sugar sweetened candy kind. https://cfsremission.com/2012/11/26/licorice-glycyrrhiza/ [He has other posts regarding it there. Just do a search Ctrl + F (if you're on a PC) for "Licorice" on the Alphabetical Listings of Posts page.]

Grapefruit also extends cortisol but can interact with so many other medications. Drugs.com for some reason doesn't include it in the Interaction Checker but https://hellopharmacist.com/drug-herbal-interactions does. I think Goodrx does as well.

Plus, I found this article: https://archive.kpcc.org/blogs/news...ruit-drug-interactions-rise-85-prescription-/

It sounds like taking the T3 crashed you. I think it does that to me as well. I tend to think of some of these things as exercise in a bottle because they make me feel rev'vd up but in a slightly uncomfortable way and then like you I'm much more tired the next day than I would have been without them.

That's bad if you do happen to have mild ME because the medication affects the metabolism. Dr Bob Naviaux Phd believes people with ME/CFS may exist in a kind of hibernation-like metabolic state as a protective mechanism and that we may be doing further damage if we try to push our way out of that.

Anyway, just my thoughts. Do you do okay with the cortex? Something else I read somewhere, recommended the whole adrenal instead but I can't remember where I read that. Maybe it was in James L Wilson's book as well. ???

This doctor is retired but you might find this page interesting as well: https://ndnr.com/womens-health/a-craving-for-licorice/

One final note, I would say, if you suspect ME I would recommend that you slow down a bunch on exercising. If you have to, do stretching and isometic exercises at home instead. Here's my page on Aggressive Rest Therapy. You might have a chance to heal but only if you adopt some of that for your lifestyle. https://forums.phoenixrising.me/members/judee.28070/#about

 

[triffid113]

Your thyroid is close enough to normal (should e TSH < 2.0, see Lifeextension.com) and I'm not sure how significant your cortisol differences are - maybe a coffee in the morning, or, life extension says mint improves alertness. You might look into your dopamine levels, since dopamine governs motivation. And perhaps your DHEA levels, since you peak out in DHEA at age 30 and by age 50 most people can feel the difference. You are a little young, but close. All the studies are with age 50+, you can examine them.

 

[Alvin2]

If you actually have ME/CFS you should be looking at doing less to stabilize yourself and preparing for a future where you are housebound or bed bound.
If you have something else like depression then you need to treat that instead of juicing up your thyroid or raising your cortisol.
Also i hope its not overtraining syndrome.