Adrenal cortex & low cortisol?

[turquoisea7]

Do adrenal cortex supplements raise or lower cortisol?

I am looking at Thorne as I'm fairly sure it contains no adrenaline.

The reviews I'm reading all say it helped raise cortisol, except one at the bottom from a STTM person who says this supplement will lower cortisol.

I have very low cortisol and don't want to take anything with adrenaline in it as I read Wentz as stating the last thing knackered adrenals need is to be blitzed with adrenaline.

thank you in advance.

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Turquoisea7

Do adrenal cortex supplements raise or lower cortisol?

Raise. It's adaptogens that lower cortisol.

There are two types of glandulars :

1) Whole gland contains cortex and medulla. It's the medulla that contains the adrenaline hormones.

2) Cortex only, this one does not contain adrenaline.

[turquoisea7 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Brilliant, thank you, exactly as I thought I had gathered from thoroughly reading up - so phew, that's a relief.

I keep reading two very distinct and seemingly opposite strands of thought re. this issue.

1) if your adrenals are taxed and your cortisol low, you struggle to raise your T4 dose. This (I assume) leaves you constantly under-replaced and, presumably adrenals constantly struggling. But also, that attempting to raise T4 forces adrenals to struggle to keep up. (Sounds like catch 22).

2) If you can get your T4 replacement up, your adrenals can stop pedalling so hard and can have a rest, will sort themselves out over time.

Not sure I am summarising correctly, so open to being told otherwise!

Does anyone actually Know which is which? or, 3) is it all entirely individual and nobody can actually say until you're flailing around trying to find out what works?