Cannabinoids, dosing and the endocrine system

[Jampuppy]

I have seen articles about how certain cannabinoids reduce cortisol. Does that mean it would interfere with getting the right dose?

Since they also can reduce inflammation, might they help heal the glands if they are inflamed thereby improving function?

[Marz]

Have you had the 24 hour saliva test to check the adrenals ?

Do you have any links to your findings ?

Sorry not able to help with cannabinoids ...

Do you take VitC ?

[Jampuppy in reply to Marz]

No I haven't had a test, which is woefully negligent (I have only just discovered) on my health care people's parts! I have been extremely ill but will provide links if I remember.

No vitamin C - just lots of fruit.

[leoopard]

I have only been able to find articles that indicate Cannabinoids increase Cortisol and Lower prolactin production. I could only find one study of significant size though.

researchgate.net/publicatio...

Can you give an example of a study please?

[Jampuppy in reply to leoopard]

I love this place - people don't take others on their word but want evidence to back it up! How refreshing. As mentioned above, I have been very ill and don't recall where my links are or even if it was a solid study. It probably wasn't since there has been little research on the subject.

Either way, it would potentially interfere. Right?

[leoopard in reply to Jampuppy]

Its something I had only recently read up on. The reason being I had an amino acid in my blood that stimulats the cannabinoid (CB1) receptor and I also have high Cortisol.

I lost of alot of information on my 'sources' myself when my laptop was stolen this time last year.

[BadHare in reply to leoopard]

I have way too much prolactin, is this a good excuse?

[Eddie83]

It seems to me that you should have a 5-sample (including a sample at ~3am) adrenal saliva test before trying cannabinoids. Just to see where you stand. Having said that: I live in a cannabis-legal state, and have never seen anything about cannabis affecting cortisol. However, the question you should answer is: what is the symptom you are trying to deal with? Is it insomnia? If so, it would be interesting to see if a micro-dose (say, less than 15mg) of a 1:1 THC:CBD tincture improves sleep (but only after having that saliva test!). If cannabinoids happen to provide symptomatic relief, fine - but it's not something you should use for a long time, you need to normalize your nutritional and hormone levels for a real solution.

A casual google on "cannabis cortisol" produces a lot of results, like ukcia.org/research/Endocrin..., but I don't see definitive answers in the list of items. Probably would be best to search at NIH or similar site.

[Jampuppy in reply to Eddie83]

No I sleep great. I seldom use the stuff but find that it helps with PTSD symptoms....which aren't too strong but once in a while CBD evens me out very nicely

[Eddie83 in reply to Jampuppy]

It's my memory that the conditions for which cannabis can be prescribed in Colorado, have expanded to include PTSD. MAPS has done a lot of work on the effect of cannabis on PTSD. Seems to me that cannabis is safer than most of the drugs (benzodiazepines, anti-depressants, anti-psychotics, beta blockers, etc.) which allopathic medicine uses for PTSD.

[Jampuppy in reply to Eddie83]

I agree! It is a rather magic plant.

About the adrenal test - can I do that through the mail? Or does a doc have to order it? If I can do it through the mail, could you suggest a company?

[Eddie83 in reply to Jampuppy]

I'm in the U.S. Last time I took a saliva test, back in 2009, I used Neuroscience/Pharmasan. This was when I was still pretty sick, note high cortisol , low melatonin, low serotonin, slightly high epinephrine, high GABA, high glutamate. About 3 years after this, I discovered that hypoproteinemia (due to gut destruction by gluten) was playing a big role in what you see below.

Neuroscience/Pharmasan Labs saliva test 19 Jul 2009 @ 0335

Cortisol-Saliva 17.3 <1.0 0200-0400

Melatonin-Saliva 9.6 25-60 night

Epinephrine-Urine 7.2 3-6 night

Norepinephrine-Urine 23.2 15-25 night

Dopamine-Urine 193.7 80-120 night

Serotonin-Urine 76.3 100-175 night

GABA-Urine 9.9 1-3 night

Glutamate-Urine 35.7 10-25 night

PEA-Urine 58.7 21-50 night

Histamine-Urine 22.1 5-15 night

Creatinine-Urine 165.6 N/A

[Jampuppy in reply to Eddie83]

I am in the US as well. It seems these tests are far more expensive here than in the U.K.

So was all that from a single kit?

[Eddie83 in reply to Jampuppy]

My recollection is that it was a 5-tube kit, but I'm not sure of that.

[leoopard in reply to Eddie83]

Those results seem odd!!

You have high levels of every stress hormone, NE or E normally operate on a sea-saw relationship. You also have all of your Catechols, GABA and Glutamate high!

The low Serotonin high Dopamine result is more to be expected, one tends to be high at once. It might be worth trying 5-HTP to get your Serotonin up and retest to see what happens with Dopamine, NE and E.

What is PEA short for?

[Eddie83 in reply to leoopard]

That test was taken almost 8 years ago. Fortunately, I got things fixed about 5 years ago. 5-HTP was not sufficient at that time to do the job, as my levels of multiple amino acids were tanked by gut damage due to gluten intolerance. Phenylethylamine is a CNS stimulant, I had a lot of high stimulants at that time.

[Eddie83 in reply to Jampuppy]

BTW this was done via mail, you pack up your saliva tests and fast-ship them.

[Jampuppy in reply to Eddie83]

Thank you. It takes very little for me - 2 drops of CBD tincture under the tongue is plenty. I have two different THC tinctures but haven't found them very helpful unless I'm in pain.

[Jampuppy]

Related article but very in-depth and is with regard to the whole endocrine system.

oup.silverchair-cdn.com/oup...