I've been diagnosed as hypothyroid, but when I tried to treat it with an extremely low dose of armour (half of the lowest dose pill) for a week, it sent me absolutely hyper.
It was like I was about to get shot or something. That's how revved up I was.
I stopped it asap and have been seeing a new doc about it but have yet to venture back into treatment.
During this time I've never been able to completely calm down. On a GOOD day I feel like I've downed a pot of coffee, even if I haven't touched caffeine.
I was put on antidepressants, but still not seeing much relief so I saw a psychiatrist, who to my pleasant surprise is a holistic doc.
She thinks it's my adrenals that are pumping out the cortisol and that's why I'm so jumpy all the time and can't tolerate any thyroid meds at the moment.
I'm following some of her suggestions and waiting to start on another supplement soon, to hopefully get this under control..
I'm just wondering if anyone else here has had a similar experience in any way here, and how they conquered it.
I really want to feel calm again, and I want to treat my thyroid as I feel like I need to get everything in balance so I can feel good again, and hopefully without the aid of antidepressants!
Hi, kimm! How lucky of you to find a psychiatrist who looks beyond antidepressants as a solution for anxiety! If I knew how to locate one of those in my area, I'd make an appointment immediately! Would you mind sharing some of her suggestions?
Is Armour the first treatment you've tried for your hypothyroidism? Some people simply do not tolerate Armour well (more specifically, any T3-containing thyroid meds). The supplementation of T3 can be too stimulating for some, like myself, who don't seem to have a problem converting T4 into the more active T3 naturally. So, I've been on Synthroid for about 5 years now. Regarding T3 supplementation, my endocrinologist told me he prefers to add compounded T3 to a T4-only medication like Synthroid, because it gives him more control over the dosages of each hormone. With Armour, the ratios of T3:T4 are fixed. If that ratio is not right for you, then you just have to discontinue it altogether.
Yes the visit was not what I was expecting, but in a good way! (I live in SE Michigan so if you're around here I can forward her info) I know what's happening is physical because it's constant and unrelenting, no matter what is going on (I'm sitting here right now and feel like I downed a bunch of diet pills with a pot of coffee)
My new thyroid doc thought something similar may have happened with the armour (too much t3)
But the dosage was just so low and it was such a short time that most I tell this to are surprised that I had such a violent reaction.
So the adrenal thing seems to make the most sense at the moment.
Not seeing much relief yet, but I have to pick up one more supplement that she mentioned and add some 5-htp back into my regime to see if that helps more.
She advised me to stay away from all stressors. (lol! I have two little kids and work!)
She also wanted me to take as much magnesium as I can tolerate (bowel-wise), 500-1000 of Gaba a day. (at night on empty stomach). Protein snack at night (low blood sugar in am makes symptoms worse). 200 mgs of 5-htp (I'm also on 20 of prozac and would like to get off, since it's not really helping anyway)
THere's also a supplement called ADHS (brand name). Not sure who it's by and I have to get over to the office to pick some up. But it's a combo with a bunch of different vitamins and herbs that are supposed to calm the adrenals.
I also take Rhodiola Rosa as prescribed my my naturopath, but can't say I'm really feeling a difference with that either.
My naturopath also had me taking a combo called "catacolacalm" but it wasn't really doing much for me and was super expensive.
I think I may be an extreme case though. It's been frustrating that I can't calm down and relax lately.
I'll keep plugging away and hopefully get this under control. I don't think it's helping me balance my hormones out either. I don't see how I can get my Testosterone level down if my adrenals continue on overdrive!
She thinks it's my adrenals that are pumping out the cortisol and that's why I'm so jumpy all the time and can't tolerate any thyroid meds at the moment
Often times HypoT have issues with tolerating thyroid meds because their cortisol is too low and the addition of Armour (or whatever thyroid med you take) stresses out an already fatigued adrenal system.
Kimm, has she mentioned a salivary diurnal cortisol test?? Those tend to give a better picture of adrenal health as they test several times throughout the day.
I don't see how I can get my Testosterone level down if my adrenals continue on overdrive!
Since you mentioned testosterone, I wanted to comment on my own experience with elevated testosterone: my anxiety was at its worst when my testosterone reached an all-time high. I was having panic attacks regularly for the first time in my life, and I wasn't sleeping well. I reached a breaking point and finally caved in on my doctor's recommendation to start bcp. I noticed a significant difference in my anxiety level not long after I started bcp, which I assumed had a lot to do with it helping to lower my testosterone level.
I think you are definitely on the right track in connecting the two--testosterone and adrenal glands--but I don't really know too much more about it. Please let us know what you find out and keep us up-to-date on your progress!
Me too! My first test came back with elevated cortisol in the evening and night, which explains why I can't sleep!! And apparently this is an early stage of adrenal fatigue - where your body starts overproducing cortisol in hopes to help itself and then it's a crash-n-burn from there! Yay!! <Sarcasm>
Balancing adrenal - thryoid - sex hormones - growth hormones is a complete and utter mess!!
My first test came back with elevated cortisol in the evening and night, which explains why I can't sleep!!
I ended up purchasing a saliva cortisol test online, the results of which were the same as yours, Carmen: elevated cortisol in the evening and night. My DHEA-S was within the normal range, although the lab noted that it was lower than normal for my age. What was recommended for you, following your cortisol test results? Do you take any supplements to support your adrenal glands?
Like I said before, I basically gave up trying to treat the anxiety and lower my testosterone naturally and just went on bcp as a quick fix. But, I'd love to what else I could do about it, as I don't see bcp as a part of my long-term treatment plan. Thanks!
What was recommended for you, following your cortisol test results?
Nothing! At the times, most docs called my saliva tests my "silly little internet test!"
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Do you take any supplements to support your adrenal glands?
Phosphatidylserine (pretty pricey)
Melatonin (GREAT for knocking me out at night!) Holy Basil (don't have any experience with this one)
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Like I said before, I basically gave up trying to treat the anxiety and lower my testosterone naturally and just went on bcp as a quick fix. But, I'd love to what else I could do about it, as I don't see bcp as a part of my long-term treatment plan. Thanks!
How high is your testosterone? Are estrogen and progesterone normal?
It's funny because high cortisol can mirror some high testosterone symptoms like hair growth, hair loss, acne, etc.
Nothing! At the times, most docs called my saliva tests my "silly little internet test!"
Same here!! My endocrinologist was not at all pleased when I proudly presented him with those results. He asked me how much I paid for it, shook his head with disbelief when I told him, then basically said I wasted my money. Then, he told me the results were unreliable while pointing out the result of the DHEA-S test, which was low-normal. He said it was not possible for someone like myself with elevated testosterone to have low-normal DHEA-S because when one rises, the other does, too. I really didn't know enough about the correlation to question him; but, I truly believed that the results of the cortisol testing were accurate, as they seemed to confirm what I already knew about my anxiety level throughout the day.
Long story short, he agreed to check my cortisol level himself for accuracy. However, because he only checked my morning cortisol--it came back normal, same as the online lab test--he said everything was fine.
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How high is your testosterone? Are estrogen and progesterone normal?
Just before I started bcp, my testosterone was 92 ng/dl, my estradiol was low and my LH:FSH ratio was somewhere around 3:1. (The lab work was performed on the third day of my cycle). Progesterone was not tested. I haven't had much lab work done since starting bcp in August '08, except for fasting glucose, insulin and thyroid panel; but, based on the improvement in my anxiety level and quality of sleep since starting bcp, I don't suspect that the high cortisol exists anymore. The mixed anxiety/depression I had pre-bcp is the primary reason why I am terrified of ever discontinuing bcp in favor of a more natural approach to treatment. I was truly miserable!
Same here!! My endocrinologist was not at all pleased when I proudly presented him with those results. He asked me how much I paid for it, shook his head with disbelief when I told him, then basically said I wasted my money. Then, he told me the results were unreliable while pointing out the result of the DHEA-S test, which was low-normal. He said it was not possible for someone like myself with elevated testosterone to have low-normal DHEA-S because when one rises, the other does, too. I really didn't know enough about the correlation to question him; but, I truly believed that the results of the cortisol testing were accurate, as they seemed to confirm what I already knew about my anxiety level throughout the day.
Long story short, he agreed to check my cortisol level himself for accuracy. However, because he only checked my morning cortisol--it came back normal, same as the online lab test--he said everything was fine.
Just before I started bcp, my testosterone was 92 ng/dl, my estradiol was low and my LH:FSH ratio was somewhere around 3:1. (The lab work was performed on the third day of my cycle). Progesterone was not tested. I haven't had much lab work done since starting bcp in August '08, except for fasting glucose, insulin and thyroid panel; but, based on the improvement in my anxiety level and quality of sleep since starting bcp, I don't suspect that the high cortisol exists anymore. The mixed anxiety/depression I had pre-bcp is the primary reason why I am terrified of ever discontinuing bcp in favor of a more natural approach to treatment. I was truly miserable!
Peggotty, I started with Ovcon 35, then switched to Yasmin about 3 months ago. I experienced some depression on Ovcon 35. So far, no problems with Yasmin.
would bcp affect adrenal and thyroid test accuracy / treatment? my hair growth is getting pretty bad and i wanna get on a bcp but i also want to get treated for adrenal & thyroids which didn't show up so well on labs ordered by a holistic doctor. i stopped going because the doctor was way too keen on pushing his products & charging exorbitant prices. i'm hoping bcp can control things until i find proper treatment.
I can't remember if my cortisol came back high in the evening.
It certainly came back high in the am though.
It's frustrating because I've had test for the adrenals several times and they always come back normal, but I experience a pretty constant low grade nervous feeling, so there's something going on!
I'm on a buttload of supplements to try and calm them down too!
I most definitely have pcos because I was able to get my androgens down somewhat on metformin, but I keep wondering how much my thyroid and adrenals are playing into this.
Can't treat the thyroid right now because of the adrenal thing. ( I tried a veeeery low dose of armour and it sent me absolutely hyper!)
This stuff is so frustrating.
I sometimes think I need to go get a degree in endocrinology just to figure myself out!
Low DHEA-S hormone is extremely common in hypothyroidism. I have Hashimotos, and low DHEA. My husband is regular hypothyroid, and he has extremely low DHEA.
You should have an adrenal and thyroid panel done that covers EVERYTHING, not just for Cushings. You should also have your B vitamins, Iron, and Ferritin levels checked. BCP will just mask symptoms or make them worse.
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adrenals? 
