Cortisol- Does It Matter?

I don't quite know how I got to reading about it tonight, but I found myself looking into all I could find about Cortisol and wondering if it really matters.

What is Cortisol?  It is a hormone that raises blood sugar and blood pressure in times of stress for the purpose of feeding the muscles for a potential fight or flight response.

What can trigger Cortisol spikes other than high stress situations?  Lack of sleep, ANY stress, over exercise, heavy workouts, and caffeine.

What does Cortisol do when you have too much, too often?  It can cause high blood pressure, diabetes, increased belly fat, memory problems, autoimmune diseases, depression, insomnia, poor would healing, and basic weight gain.

Could this one hormone be the source of many of my medical problems?  I am certainly long-term sleep deprived as I have insomnia (it takes me hours to fall asleep no matter how exhausted I am) but I still have to get up for the kids every day.  I am certainly regularly stressed (special needs kids, finances, migraines, physical pain, etc).  I certainly have many years of inexplicable weight gain and memory and concentration problems.

If it is the source, how do I reduce it?  If Cortisol is caused by sleep deprivation, and Cortisol causes insomnia, then Cortisol causes more Cortisol.  So, what else can I do?

I'm not a "heavy exerciser", so I don't have to worry about that Cortisol trigger and modify my method of exercise.  I do drink caffeine, but in the last few months I have actually reduced my intake by a lot because of my insomnia.  Mostly now it's just my morning coffee.  I suppose I could reduce it further by switching to decaf after the first cup, and eventually by eliminating caffeine altogether.  Life stress is what it is, and there isn't much I can do about it.

Are there any other options?  Are there supplements?  After much reading I did find a few possibilities.  Some sound more promising than others.

Fish Oil (Omega 3):  2,000mg a day is supposed to reduce Cortisol levels, in addition to its many other health benefits.  It is well documented as safe for most people to take. Side effects are mostly fish scented breath. (Ew.) If only I could get past the smell when I open the bottle.  Alternatively, I could increase my fish intake. I think I'd personally rather do that. "Fatty fish, such as salmon, lake trout, herring, sardines and tuna, contain the most omega-3 fatty acids and therefore the most benefit. For adults, at least two servings of omega-3-rich fish a week are recommended. A serving size is 3.5 ounces (99 grams), or about the size of a deck of cards."  -Mayo Clinic

Chromium: supposedly helps stabilize blood sugar and thus reduce Cortisol spikes.  Some believe it is helpful in treating diabetes and cholesterol problems, but none of these have been evaluated, much less proven, and too much chromium has been proven harmful.  I won't be trying this.






B Vitamins: Another well documented vitamin with numerous uses According to research, B vitamins, particularly Vitamin B5 (pantethine), work to reduce the hypersecretion of cortisol. Paradoxically, excess cortisol depletes B vitamins from the system, so people with high stress levels tend to be woefully deficient in these powerful nutrients. The B vitamins are most effective when taken together, thus eating foods that are high in all B vitamins such as liver, or taking high quality B vitamin supplements is crucial in restoring energy levels." -http://blog.radiantlifecatalog.com   It is helpful in a number of ways, but exceeding 100mg a day of B6 can be harmful.  If you choose a B Complex daily vitamin, make sure it has Vitamin C in it, as Vitamin C is needed for the absorption of B Vitamins.


Cayenne: It is believed to help with pain relief, cancer prevention, weight management, and joint health.  The recommended dosage is 450mg in the morning and again mid-day, with meals.  It has been known to cause gastrointestinal distress just as eating very spicy foods would.  This is not a good idea if you are already ulcer prone, or already have stomach acid problems.  (I had my first ulcer at 17, so I will be avoiding this one, also.)






Ginger: Claims to help with nausea, dizziness, menstrual cramps,
and arthritis.  Testing has been inconclusive on most of these, though there is strong evidence it helps with osteoarthritis.  It can cause diarrhea, heartburn, and stomach distress, so stay under 5mg a day if you try it, and take it with food in the morning.  This is another I will skip as a supplement pill, but I could easily add a cup of ginger tea a day to my diet and I already have it in my cupboard for nausea.

Rhodiola:  This is a form of Ginseng.  Studies in multiple countries have shown it to be helpful with Cortisol levels, stress, anxiety, depression, fatigue, attention span, and memory problems.  It's most common side effects were dizziness and dry mouth. Studies I read recommended using the standard extract with 2-3% Rosavin and 0.8-1% Salidroside and to start with 100mg/day for a week and increase by 100mg/day, up to a total of 400mg/day, if needed. It should be taken early in the day because, like ginseng in energy drinks, it has an energizing effect and can cause sleep interference.



Obviously, don't start taking any supplement without talking to your doctor about it first.  I am certainly not an expert and don't know what may react with your particular medications or health conditions.

I plan on discussing Rhodiola with my doctor on my next visit and asking about pairing it with a B boost vitamin.  I know I can take the B boost and already have it in my home.  I would like to try the combination of the B boost and Rhodiola (and increase my fish intake)  for a couple months and see if it helps any.

After all these years of fruitless doctor appointments and specialists, wouldn't it be amazing if Cortisol was the problem, and if I could fix it??

We Should Be Quarantined!!

First it was the little ones with sore throats, runny noses, and high fevers.  They each missed several days of school, and of course mommy was the one who had to take temps, clean up used tissues, and provide hour upon hour of cuddles because she was the one at home and daddy (lucky duck!) got to go to work.

As soon as they got better and resumed school, the older son started with the sniffles.  He never got the fever, but for him it dropped into his chest and the doctor ended up diagnosing him with pneumonia on a Friday.  He was put on antibiotics, steroids, and a nebulizer and seemed much better by Sunday, but by then I had started with the sinus issues.  I used half a box of Kleenex in 4 hours.

Monday morning I sent all the kids to school, and even remembered to send the oldest with his gym excuse for the week. Hubby had to work from 7am to midnight, and I was actually OK with that for once because all I wanted to do was lay on the couch cuddling my box of tissues and pretending I was dead until the kids came home at 3.

This, of course, did not happen.  By 9am, my phone was ringing and my oldest's school was demanding I come get him.  He had a dizzy spell and felt faint.  It took a lot of convincing to keep them from calling an ambulance for him.  They told me his blood pressure and pulse were fine, but they still wanted to call an ambulance.  I KNEW he was on the mend, and I certainly didn't need an ER and ambulance bill for nothing. He took his medicine before school, then barely touched his breakfast or any drink, and then tried to assist with the gym class for the younger kids despite his doctor note saying no gym class.  (What on Earth the school was thinking allowing that is beyond me.)  Of course he got dizzy.  I would have, too. I still had to go get him though, which was in itself a new difficulty.

Hubby's car had had issues and was sitting in the driveway waiting to go to the shop on payday. (the end of the week)  Luckily for my, my mother-in-law lives very nearby, and she was actually home!  She agreed to drive me to the school half an hour away to get the boy. I think she almost cried when I climbed in the car holding a box of Kleenex that I couldn't stop using.  I could feel her resisting the urge to drive with her head out the window like a dog to escape the contagion that was ME.

When we got there, they brought him out in a wheelchair which was clearly massive overkill, based on how fast he sprung out of it and sprinted to the car.  The nurse proceeded to tell me he had a temp of 99.8 and therefore couldn't come to school Tuesday either, and continued trying to get me to take him to the ER.  I'd already spoken to the doctor's office who let me know it wasn't pneumonia after all (x-ray was clear).  Home we went.

I got to spend the next two days home, getting no rest, while his Prednisone perky butt played video games and wanted food, food, food; and I continued to use Kleenex at an unprecidented rate.  By Tuesday evening, my asthma was acting up and I was the one needing the nebulizer, cough drops, and asthma inhalers that I only ever need when I am very sick.



Wednesday I HAD to go to the store for more Kleenex and "sick Jen supplies" like OJ, ginger ale, and cookies to try to entice myself to eat anything because I really hadn't had anything but coffee and tea for two days. (It didn't work.  The kids ended up eating them after a few days.) Obviously I went overboard on the cough drops, but they have a tendency to disappear in my house, and I hate being tied down to just one flavor. I also grabbed Chinese food for dinner while I was out because I         couldn't stand the thought of cooking.

Thank goodness my super sick had held off until payday, or this takeout would not have been an option.  This was the extent of my wasteful spending this month, but I think it was absolutely worth it to have a night off from cooking when I was that sick.

That afternoon, hubby got sick with some kind of stomach bug.  So much for my "I'll rest some on his days off Thursday and Friday" theory.  Man Sick is always so much more debilitating than Mom Sick.  Wimps.

Seriously though, my hubby doesn't fit the stereotype for "man Sick".  I just enjoy picking on him.  He is just as likely to try to help me when I'm sick as I am to try to help him if we are sick at the same time.  Ideally, we manage to alternate our needy phases with our helpful ones and muddle through.  We take turns sleeping (or napping) and manage to get the kids to school and fed their dinners.  They may watch a lot of TV during that time, but the necessities are met.

By Wednesday night, I had officially used four and a half boxes of Kleenex and I was wheezing and rattling when I breathed.  It was time to make a doctor appointment.  Of course, the one I usually see didn't have any openings so I got to choose between the very green new girl or the grumpy older lady obsessed with bloodwork.  I took the new one and hoped for the best.

It turned out she was ok.  She prescribed me antibiotics and Prednisone, too, and sent me for the same x-ray my son had to go have with a diagnosis of suspected pneumonia,

It's been a couple weeks now.  I've finished all the meds and although I didn't get the usual Super Woman feeling from the Prednisone, I did gradually get better.  I'm still not 100%, but I'm getting there.

Until the next round of ick starts it's run through the house.