cortisol

[Bluecat101]

What is normal cortisol lever for females, and what do medics do if its 25% down

[Bluecat101]

l am still waiting to hear from Consultant but read in a few places that Ashwganda is esp

good for energy and expect to get it, and Mate tea is also suggested

[Juliatom in reply to Bluecat101]

Serum cortisol comes with reference range. What is 25 % down?.

Ashwagandha helps both adrenal and thyroid.

[gactor in reply to Bluecat101]

Wish I could take Ashwagandha - it increased my psoriasis.

[Bluecat101 in reply to gactor]

Thats a shame. lve not ordered it yet. If only you could find an exceptional Healer - they cd likely help you. l went to one in Bmth for 20 years who put thyroid etc right every few months after one year's weekly treatment, but he was taken from us - leaving me going faster down hill. There are lots of other listed remedies in Medical Medium by Anthony William - Hay House (available on line from usual places) and useful article.

[Bluecat101 in reply to gactor]

forgot to add the Chapter in Medical Medium is under Adrenal Fatigue - which is of course all related

[Bluecat101 in reply to gactor]

Al Sears

(Just got this in me email from Dr Sears - US medic who uses herbs

etc) posted by Bluecat101. Not tried it of course

Al Sears, MD

11905 Southern Blvd.

Royal Palm Beach, FL 33411

February 6, 2017

Dear Helen,

If you told your doctor you were feeling really stressed, suffering from frequent headaches, and your hair was thinning, he'd probably suggest you go on an antidepressant, take a Tylenol and wear a hat!

Most conventional doctors look at symptoms separately and treat them separately. Especially if the symptoms don't seem to be connected.

And that means they often miss the big picture.

If a patient came to me with those symptoms, one of the first things I'd do is check their thyroid.

This little organ has a huge impact on how you feel. If it's not working up to par, you could have more than 200 different symptoms.

Low energy… abnormal heart rate… poor memory… thinning eyebrows… high blood pressure… and the list goes on and on.

The fact is, low thyroid function is one of the most commonly misdiagnosed conditions. According to a major study in the Archives of Internal Medicine, 13 million Americans are undiagnosed. They're totally unaware they have thyroid issues.1

For those who DO get a proper diagnosis, the standard treatment is the synthetic drug Synthroid. Ironically, Synthroid can make you feel miserable, too. It can cause headaches, hair loss, weight gain/loss, excessive sweating, diarrhea, hives, mood swings and heart palpitations.

Today, I want to tell you about an ancient herb that can keep your thyroid humming along… without drugs. But first I want you to understand why your thyroid matters so much.

Your thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland in the front of your neck. It produces two thyroid hormones — thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3). T3 is the active form of the hormone. It's much stronger than T4.

Your body needs the right balance of these two hormones to regulate your metabolism. If your metabolic rate is too slow, your thyroid converts more T4 to the active T3. If your metabolism is running too fast, your body slows down the conversion.

A blood test from your doctor should tell you whether your thyroid is underactive. But the sad truth is most doctors misread the lab results. They'll tell you your numbers are in the "normal" range even when you have symptoms.

You can test yourself at home by checking your basal body temperature. To see if you might have an underactive thyroid:

Keep a glass thermometer — not digital — next to your bed.

As soon as you wake up — before you get out of bed — tuck the thermometer in your armpit for 15 minutes. Any movement will affect the reading, so lie still and relax.

Write down your temperature.

Do this for three days in a row.

After three days, add up the numbers and divide by three.

If your average temperature is below 97.6, there's a good chance you have low thyroid.

As I mentioned, the standard treatment for low thyroid is Synthroid. But that only contains T4. If you're having trouble converting T4 to T3, it won't help you.

Instead, I recommend guggul. It's a natural extract of the sap from the Indian myrrh tree. Ayurvedic medicine has used guggul for centuries. The Sanskrit word for it is "guggulu." It means "protector from disease."

Guggul has powerful compounds called guggulsterones. Studies show these compounds significantly increase the amount of iodine the thyroid absorbs.2 That's important because the more iodine your thyroid can take in, the healthier your thyroid function will be.

Guggul also supports the conversion of T4 to T3. That means it helps stimulate metabolism.

Guggulsterones have been shown to help restore metabolism to normal function.3 That can help your body burn fat and calories the way it was designed to. In fact, in one study guggul proved more effective than diet and exercise alone for controlling weight.4

Guggul is available as tablets, capsules, powders and liquid extracts. Look for a supplement standardized to at least 6% guggulsterones.

But don't waste your money. Some products add tiny amounts of guggul. It's a marketing ploy called "pixie dusting." They add just a sprinkle — not enough to have a real effect.

I recommend a dose of 300 — 400 mg of guggul two to three times a day for a cycle of about six weeks. Then recheck your temperature.

And if you're already on thyroid medication, check with your doctor. Your thyroid drug dose may have to be adjusted to account for the effects of guggul.

To Your Good Health,

Al Sears, MD

Al Sears, MD, CNS

1. Shomon M, "Thyroid Disease Is Far More Widespread Than Originally Thought – 13 Million May Be At Risk and Undiagnosed." 11/19/08.

2. Panda S, Kar A. "Guggulu (Commiphora mukul) potentially ameliorates hypothyroidism in female mice." Phytother Res. 2005;19(1):78-80.

3. Tripathi YB, Malhotra OP, Tripathi SN. "Thyroid stimulating action of Z-guggulsterone obtained from Commiphora mukul." Planta Med . 1984;1:78-80.3.

4. Antonio, J., et al. (1999). "Effects of a standardized guggulsterone phosphate supplement on body composition in overweight adults: A pilot study." Current Therapeutic Research Clinical and Experimental, 60, 220-227.

[Josiesmum]

If cortisol is significantly lower than reference range (i.e. under 400 in the U.K.) you may be referred for a short synacthen test to rule out Addison's. As far as I'm aware you'll only be treated for low cortisol by the NHS if diagnosed with Addison's.

[Bluecat101 in reply to Josiesmum]

Hi yes went for results of that test and consultant said everything is normal. l was gob smacked and stunned since 2x original blood tests showed cortisol 100 down. any other ideas. l'm trying ashwaganda and rhodiola but little difference if any so far. she was pleasant at least and suggested referring me to Fibro or for ME but that doesnt make sense when l have so much facial hair getting worse since Meno, and failing energy most days. Am at a total loss as was sure this young lady wd help. l cant go on with most days only 30% energy to do things. Only poss help that comes to mind is bril Medical Herbalist in Hove - now hard to do in one day. Unless l can find another exc Healer

[Josiesmum in reply to Bluecat101]

Re facial hair, have your GP investigated PCOS? Inositol is apparently good for PCOS, it works by increasing insulin sensitivity and can also improve fatigue:pcosdietsupport.com/lifesty...

Diet is very important, you could try the Paleo Autoimmune Protocol in case you have food sensitivities:

thepaleomom.com/start-here/...

Also, try to reduce stress and make time for relaxing activities like yoga, mindfulness and lavender baths.

Good luck.

[Bluecat101 in reply to Josiesmum]

Thanks for that; PCOS came rather late for me but worth mentioning to gp and l'll look up that fatigue site. Used do Chi Gong but that stopped and do Lavender baths. Avoiding stress not always easy with rotten neighbours; been trying move for over 2 years. Not too sure on Paleo as am off most meat stuff these days. Otherwise am more laid back. Many thanks

[Bluecat101]

l think it was 342 and Lab report appears to say it shd be 455

[Bluecat101 in reply to Bluecat101]

When l left Consultant at Bournemouth, she said she wd see me in 3 months and wd likely send a prescription via GP

[Juliatom]

My serum cortisol at 9am - 350nmol/L Ref ( 101-536). Saliva test shows morning -afternoon low cortisol.NHS endo refused treatment based on saliva test .

I take adrenal glandular -2 tabs.

Does your report has 455 as minimum ?

[Bluecat101]

Mine was similar @0am and 455 appears to be Laboratory minimum - as l got copies of test. Low cortisol lowers the thyroid T4 and the FSH appears too high according to books, Also gather that different Labs have different limits. The temp GP (who l didnt really need to see) said its a BIT low which didnt please me after decades of not coping. Also of course we all are differnt and may need different levels to be normal for us 'individually'. Waiting to see what

Consultant decides to do. l gather also that taking hormones can have unwanted side effects!

[Bluecat101]

Sorry it is 9am and they didn't do saliva test