Reducing high cortisol levels

[Jefner]

Thought mine had calmed down a bit last bank hols when i had a few brilliant days and felt so well. But i might have overdone things and am back to square one. I can feel in my back that my levels have risen again and the nausea and anxiety is very severe.

Have been taking holy basil but despite notching up to 3 at each high, they arnt working for me.

What is everyone doing to bring their levels down that works for them please? I need some help

[Naomi8]

Hi Jefner-I have suffered from anxiety all my life-always worst on waking(I am now 66)After 18 years on T4-only I believe my adrenals crashed & the anxiety & nausea(worst on waking)became acute.Dry wretching every morning with excess cortisol/adrenaline.A 24 saliva test confirmed what I was experiencing.

Last August I went T3-only,taking my first,largest dose in the 4 hour window when morning cortisol production is peaking,following Paul Robinson's adrenal healing protocol.

My anxiety levels were the best ever,until I experimented with NDT for 7 weeks from April.I stopped because I felt morning anxiety rising & 3 weeks after stopping NDT I am still experiencing my old pattern,with improvements daily,as T4 slowly leaves my body.(Anxiety peaking on waking,improving after 11am,better still after 1pm,relaxed from 5pm)

I have tried Holy Basil,Siberian Ginseng,Rhodiola,Shizandra.These adaptogens are not strong enough to resolve anything for me.Ditto over-the-counter adrenal support recommended by Dr P.

The only things that have helped me are SAMe & T3.

I took SAMe for 18 months after 2 years of anxiety-hell & this kick-started an improvement.I stopped SAMe a few months before starting T3.

[Jefner in reply to Naomi8]

Hi honey am so tired if feeling so ill, on the couch today having a rest day, thought it might help lower my levels. Barely eating again and just want to die, cant live like this for much longer. My irrational thoughts are just fuelling my anxiety. Have tried everything but nothing helping. Just popping pills to get thru the day. Have had the anxiety that long now my stomach is upset and everything is now out of sync what can i do to help myself, i am at a loss now. I know its my cortisol levels bothering me again. Just so frustrating after feeling so well for those few dys. Dont know y it happened so i can get it back again.

You have been thru so much for do long hun, been there with u. 54 now and had probs on and off with anxiety and agoraphobia since i was a child also.

What is SAMe?

[Naomi8 in reply to Jefner]

SAMe is short for S-Adenosyl-methionine.There is a lot about it on the web now.I found it myself after my doctor prescribed an SSRI recommended when anxiety is present that made me feel a much worse.I read all about SAMe on the web & bought it from Ebay.Its an antidepressant that's been prescribed for many years in Italy.it works differently to other antidepressants.

I do hope you get some relief again soon.Anxiety is hell.We all need hope to keep going.

Have you tried T3-only?

[Jefner in reply to Naomi8]

My gp just told me to double my ssri antidepressant which had worked well for me for 15yrs but increase isnt having any effect :(. If i can get my cortisol levels down i know i can manage better. Thought they were coming down when i had those good days, but now back to where i started. Bought some t3 to try cus mine is low and i am not converting but my endo did some microbiology tests and said t3 was low due to stress.

[Naomi8]

My endo & GP think I am on T4/T3 combo,for poor conversion,but I know T4 causes me anxiety,tachycardia & ectopic beats plus many other hypo symptoms.I am self-medicating on T3 only,buying my own extra T3 to top up.This has slashed my anxiety & my heart symptoms are hugely improved.

Listen to Dr JC Lowe interviewed by Dr Mercola online,to hear how T3 cured his suicidal thoughts.