Cortisol

[judithclaire]

Hi does anyone know if it’s high cortisol that makes you wake an hour after going to bed with hypo? If so, what can be done?

[Tugun]

Hi,

Sorry can't help you with that one but what a good thought.

[Laurien]

I had adrenal issues before being diagnosed hypothyroid and my cortisol was very high at bedtime (when it should be low) and in the morning when it should be high mine was almost zero. Tested by my USA Naturopath. I had to work on correcting adrenals first and once that was done we could work on thyroid.

[Laurien in reply to Laurien]

Meaning I couldn’t sleep at night and worked away until 2 in the morning and couldn’t get out of bed in the morning.

[judithclaire in reply to Laurien]

Wow. Thanks for your response, Laurien. You’ve described exactly what happens to me.

That leaves the burning question- what were you able to do to address your adrenal issues?

[Laurien in reply to judithclaire]

Hi judithclaire - I worked with a naturopath doctor in USA - it’s quite complex once your cortisol and adrenals are out of whack. There are saliva tests you can do to check your circadian rhythm cortisol and DHEA levels at different times of the day - make sure the test takes saliva at least four separate times during day/evening. It was ten years ago so I can’t totally remember the regime I was on. I used an adrenacalm cream as part of the regime. You should find a holistic doctor to help. Tpauk has a comment on the saliva test process. You need to try and get your stress under control - not easy if you have been stressed for a long time. Just recognize it’s not normal to have a surge of energy at night time. I didn’t realize that and tapped into that energy every evening for years as I was very creative between 10 - 2 pm!! If you do this for years it puts huge stress on your adrenals. Try to wind down around 9;30 pm no blue light from pc/smart phones. I also found a night mask helped shut out the light and helped me to sleep. I still use a good quality night mask if I can’t sleep. It took me at least six months of supplements to help change the pattern. I wouldn’t recommend self treating especially if you also have thyroid issues. All the best on your journey to health.

[25joyce in reply to Laurien]

Yes how did you correct your adrenal problems?

[Laurien in reply to 25joyce]

Hi Joyce - see above post. I was pretty far gone so spent time and money with a naturopath (holistic doctor) - she prescribed natural solutions for at least six months - I wouldn’t self prescribe as everyone is different and I had tests along the way to make sure I was on track. The worst case is Addisons Disease (which I didn’t have) but I did need help to change my circadian rhythms back to being alert in the morning and tired at night. De-stressing is key to recovery.

[Laurien in reply to Laurien]

Do some research on adrenal fatigue and circadian rhythm to start understanding what’s going on with your body. I understand not everyone can afford treatment so do as much research as you can. No idea what NHS is doing to help but even in USA Endo specialist is only looking for the extreme of Addison’s disease and Cushings and seem to miss being able to help with the adrenal fatigue due to high stress. I visited Endo in USA prior to being helped by naturopath and he was of no use whatsoever. I did a 24 hour urine test with Endocrinologist that did not pick up the same level of detail as the 24 hour saliva test. I was at my wits end by the time I found my naturopath who helped with that issue and my subsequent hypothyroid condition. I did recover!

[judithclaire in reply to Laurien]

That is unbelievably helpful. Thank you so much!

Although I have seen naturopaths in the past, unfortunately that is not an option now, as I live in an alternate health desert. I do see an endocrinologist for my thyroid, (NHS) which is only geared toward treating desperately ill people with standard prescriptions. They do blood work every 6 months to monitor my levels. So I am pleased to say I no longer have to pay for those. However, the endos that I have seen have no idea why I have such poor sleep (along with burning feet and joint pain). I’ve tried all sorts on my own- from melatonin to valerian, yam cream, l-theanine, niacin, Melissa, pain remedies, etc etc.

Only melatonin has worked, sometimes. However, going on holiday also seems to do wonders!

So, with what you’ve been able to tell me, I will have the saliva tests done immediately (by post) and have ordered a good book.

Again, I’m deeply grateful.

[Laurien in reply to judithclaire]

I so hope you find how to resolve this Judith as I know how you must be feeling. Melatonin helped me for a while but I didn’t want to take it for a prolonged time. The mask at bedtime or blackout curtains to darken your room actually help with the melatonin and that’s why they work! I also found that wearing a mask when I can’t sleep is also a trigger for my brain that it’s time to sleep if that makes any sense!

Look into “toe tapping” - this also helped me heartdrumbeat.com/toe-tapping/ Google for more than this link - I am just pasting this one so that you find the right toe tapping!! If you can rest well and de stress this will help with your adrenals.

[judithclaire in reply to Laurien]

Thanks Laurier. You’ve given me much to hope for. We do have blackout blinds and I too am concerned about taking melatonin too long. I’ve read that some say very small doses are ok. Feels better than taking ibuprofen and paracetamol, which was what I had to do before to get to sleep. Now I can more fully explore the options. I also agree that the gut is first and worry about taking any medication for that reason.

[Hidden in reply to judithclaire]

Burning feet? I take LDN and haven't had burning feet or restless legs since. Do you have Hashimoto's? LDN can help if you have an autoimmune condition.

My cortisol is also out of whack 🙂

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

I second what Laurien said about a blackout eye mask at night. That's been a life saver. Keeps me lying down and calm even when I'm awake at 3 am.

[judithclaire in reply to Hidden]

Thank your! I will look into that for my hypo.

There are so many pieces to the puzzle, I’m glad you replied. It has been such a long journey trying to find out what is happening in my body and this seems to be the best way to find out. Much appreciated.

[25joyce in reply to Laurien]

Hi Lauren

Yes I have done research but it’s much the same here as in US you just can not get any help so what did the naturopath recommend?

[Laurien in reply to 25joyce]

Hi Joyce - it was ten years ago and I am sorry I can’t remember the exact homeopathic regime. I do remember the Adrenacalm cream that I applied to my wrists at least an hour before bed. I forced myself to go to bed at 9:30-10:00 for more than a month until I got into the habit of it- ND (naturopath) also recommended the eye mask to help with the melatonin production. It was hard to wind down after 8pm as that was my “best” time of day but I persevered and slowly got better. It was not an overnight recovery and so easy to give up thinking there is no progress. I was exceptionally stressed at the time so I had to work on getting my stress levels under control. My tell tale sign even today if I stress is that the quality of my voice just disappears and I can barely talk without effort. The minute I feel that now I know I need to de-stress. I still try getting to bed no later than 11:00 and to be honest it is still hard for me to go to bed early but as long as I do, it keeps the adrenals under control. Also make sure you heal your gut as so many issues start in the gut. I stayed on a Ketogenic diet for a year with under 20 net carbs a day (don’t need to count the carbs if green veggies) Dr Eric Berg is a fantastic educator on this way of eating and has thousands of short videos (less than 4 minutes usually) under every health issue you can think about. I also lost 20 lbs after years of putting on weight with being hypo and catefully watching my diet without any success for years. I now eat less than 50 net carbs a day as I have added some fruit back into my diet. I feel that now I have healed my gut so many other issues also disappeared - memory loss, joint pain, constipation, dry skin to name but a few. I feel healthier now at 64 than I have felt for 20 years. I still have issues but I have learned what triggers most of them.

You need to dedicate time into researching what will help your particular challenges. It is not a fast journey back to health but it is worthwhile when you start to see progress.

[25joyce in reply to Laurien]

Thank you for your reply like you it has been a long...........journey and I have most things sorted it’s hard to stop research I have to know everything lol

[Laurien in reply to 25joyce]

You are on the right track when you are prepared to research and learn about what makes you work!! Sometimes learning what works for others helps our journey move a little faster - but we are so different and what works for one doesn’t work for everyone so being patient is key. I found out about healing my gut only 18 months ago - I wish I found out and persevered with that piece of the jigsaw a lot sooner! But sometimes we are just not ready even although we know if might work! It’s all part of life’s journey!

[Hidden]

It night be worth asking your gp to do an early morning blood cortisol, high cortisol levels can cause Cushing's which causes insomnia, as well as excessive weight gain & other symptoms.

[judithclaire in reply to Hidden]

Thanks Pauline, but I think I’ll get a private saliva test. My gp only offers blood tests.