High cortisol and levothyroxine increase

[Lenaa]

I’m a little lost in yesterday’s thread and not sure if I missed some answers. I thought I’d do a new one and include a more close up picture but I can’t attach two pictures it seems. I will also address cushings: I do not have any symptoms of cushings. I have not gained weight. In fact I’ve lost weight since getting up to 100ug levo in spite of doing nothing and eating. I’ve hand blood cortisol test in the morning recently and it was normal. Average body temp around 36.5 ish so I don’t seem over or under medicated with wobbles that I’ve been told by Dr Myhill indicate adrenal problem. What I really want to know is: can fast increase in levo cause such high cortisol? I thought it would make cortisol low. Around the time of that test I was feeling the worst and had more trouble sleeping. I was also having major cardiac symptoms. Fatigue much worse. This is all a little better now and sleep much better so if it’s cortisol related, then my cortisol is going down perhaps maybe as a result of adrenals getting used to higher levo?? So do I just wait till it sorts itself out by itself?

Here’s my post from yesterday for reference

Need help please. Cortisol test results. I am really shocked tbh. I thought my cortisol would be on the floor with how I’ve been feeling lately. I don’t have any stressors I can currently remove. This is against a background of upping levothyroxine to 100ug over three months ago. Then a few weeks ago I crashed in spite of resting from work. I thought it was cos my adrenals crashed. But seems like they’re at it like crazy. What shall I do? I have Thorne adrenal cortex to try. I thought this is for low cortisol but I’ve noticed people take it for both?? As in perhaps it gives own adrenals a rest?? Please don’t tell me to mediate more etc. That will just stress me more as I try my best to be as calm as I can be in an awful life situation 🙏🏻. Can this high cortisol be the reason I crashed?? I thought I should feel energetic. Wired. I’ve done my thyroid test so waiting for that. I’m sure I’m not over medicated as my temp readings are up and down but around normal. Not entirely sure what to make of all this. Quite gutted really because I expected low cortisol to be the answer for feeling suddenly worse after feeling the best I have for two years. I am so shocked it is almost double of normal in the mornings. I feel like shit first things. Mornings are my absolute worst. I thought it would be very little. Should I take the adrenal gland? I’ve just spent a ton of money on other supplements so can’t buy any more stuff. Thank you 🙏🏻

[humanbean]

There is a relationship between thyroid hormone levels and cortisol.

If thyroid hormone levels start to slowly drop then the body uses cortisol and adrenaline (both of which are stress hormones) to take up the slack. Neither cortisol and adrenaline are good substitutes for thyroid hormones but they do help to keep people alive.

When someone is diagnosed with hypothyroidism and begins treatment with thyroid hormones their levels of stress hormones may be substantially higher than normal at the beginning of treatment. But with increasing doses of thyroid hormones their levels of stress hormones should start to slowly drop.

The body "knows" what level of stress hormones is "normal" for you. If hypothyroidism is not treated for many years then your body learns a new, higher "normal" for levels of cortisol (and possibly adrenaline too) which is much higher than it was before you started developing hypothyroidism.

If your new "normal" cortisol has been high for a long time then cortisol won't reduce easily, or at all. And in those circumstances the patient finds it difficult or impossible to tolerate thyroid hormones. In people on this forum who have been ill (in some cases) for decades getting cortisol to drop may be practically impossible.

In some patients the body can't keep over-producing cortisol indefinitely and levels eventually drop - and keep dropping until they are far too low. Those people feel even worse than people with hypothyroidism and a normal cortisol response.

I haven't mentioned Cushing's or any other things that can affect cortisol - my blurb above assumes that a person has Primary Hypothyroidism and no other problems. But I have to say, your levels of cortisol are much, much higher than anybody else has reported on the forum and you need to find out why.

If you are convinced that your cortisol is high because you increased your Levo too quickly (or your doctor did) then the obvious solution is to start cutting your Levo tablets up and reduce your dose. You don't need your doctor's permission to experiment. Then increase Levo slowly back up to 100 as and when you feel you might be able to tolerate it. It could take months, it won't be quick.

But I think not getting checked out for Cushing's or other adrenal problems would be a mistake.

[Lenaa in reply to humanbean]

I last had cortisol tested at the start of my illness end of 2017 (I have M.E.). It was only slightly raised. Nothing like now. My T4 and T3 have always been up and down within range but more or less at the bottom. I argued for hypo diagnosis based on symptoms and the fact that within range doesn’t mean im not hypo esp at the bottom of the range and with M.E.

I had blood cortisol tested quite recently in the morning and it’s was totally normal. My GP will roll his eyes if I raise this again.