How to tell if got high cortisol levels???

[smileyK]

Would this be cause of my stress depression anxiety lately as exercise everyday at the gym ??? My heart finds hard slow down goes at speed fast all time it scary! Goes fast ! I know I can have cortisol test saliva or blood? My friend at gym mentioned it to me that can cause tiredness headaches etc Was going to gym today got no energy to go now kicking myself literally feel bad guilty! Had have an afternoon nap!!!

[A-S warrior]

at a glance, yes your cortisol levels are through the roof. cortisol is a stress hormone coming from either physical stress, or mental stress. the fact that you train like a gold medalist and eat like a anorexic would shoot your cortisol levels into outer space. cortisol is a catobolic hormone that destroys muscle tissue and acumilates fat. these factors cause high cortisol levels:

• lack of sleep
  
• poor and/or lack of nutrition
  
• overtraining
  
• training while ill
  
• training on lack of sleep
  
• mental stress
  
• lack of recovery time.
  

high cortisol symptoms:

• central nervous system problems, i.e an unexplained illness or random joint pains.
  
• insomnia
  
• lack of sex drive
  
• depression
  
• lack of apitite
  
• constant tired and lethargic feeling
  
• severe depression
  
• no "pump" or energetic feeling in the gym.
  
• working out has become torture.
  
• the thought of a treadmill makes you want to throw up.
  
• loss of muscle, and fat loss has completey stoped
  
• you fall asleep in the middle of the day.
  

the cure? rest, eat and sleep.make sure all those are in check before you even step foot in the gym.

• 
  

[A-S warrior]

also, very high cortisol levels can restrict the arterys and even cause heart attacks, when i feel my cortisol levels sneak up i get pulpitations. you have to be in tune with your body. your body talks to you. it gives you signs when youre doing to much, and signs when your not doing enough. listen to it, tune in, and you,ll soon know when your body is thanking you, or punishing you. dont listen to your brain, your brain hasnt got the slightest idea, but your body is an expert.

[smileyK]

Should I ask doctor on Thursday morning to get tested for high cortisol levels or not then???is it obvious staring me in face? As fit lot of list of symptoms!!! Going to be resting lot in next two weeks as go away Saturday to turkey! But going be swimming everyday so hope ill manage tone up going try do 32 lengths everyday! Eat lots grilled chicken salad rice and drink water fruit juice hopefully come back lighter toned refreshed energised !! Fingers crossed ! I'm flagging at moment even at work all on my mind thoughts is exercise!

[A-S warrior]

Should I ask doctor on Thursday morning to get tested for high cortisol levels or not then???is it obvious staring me in face? As fit lot of list of symptoms!!! Going to be resting lot in next two weeks as go away Saturday to turkey! But going be swimming everyday so hope ill manage tone up going try do 32 lengths everyday! Eat lots grilled chicken salad rice and drink water fruit juice hopefully come back lighter toned refreshed energised !! Fingers crossed ! I'm flagging at moment even at work all on my mind thoughts is exercise!

 

 

you can see the doc if you have questions, but imo the holiday and what you have planned sounds perfect. see the swimming as a form of relaxation though and not exersise. have fun in the sun!! post up some pics!

[LancsLad]

Firstly I have been trying to keep out of these posts because I feel what I say has no effect a lot of the time and might even be counterproductive at times.

 

Secondly what I am about to post is not an attempt to seek any form of support or sympathy as I am quite happy that I have everything under control in my own life and a lot of this is about taking responsibility for ourselves and doing the right thing.

 

Firstly to A-S Warrior well done you are providing some excellent advice in these posts from a very strong knowledge base which is technically correct and well informed. This last set of posts is very close to my heart because of where my life is up to at the moment and as a result I want to highlight where these things can lead to.

 

Yesterday I was in hospital making getting x-rays of my eyes to check there were no residual metal fragments still in there from a couple of accidents. After a couple of goes they gave me the all clear which means my MRI scan can go ahead.

 

Three weeks ago I re-engaged with my mental health services (I broke links 8 years ago) following a visti to my GP after an initial assesment in which I handed over a diagram outlining what my current issues are they refered me to a consultant psyhiatrist who I am seeing today. I have got my notes printed out to support me in this meeting and am clear in my head what my I want out of the meeting. One of those points is asking for a referal to see a specialist about my developing eating disorders which people arround me consider to be very serrious and very dangerous. These issues are in my mind simply an extension of my self harm behaviour which managed to creep into an excessive training regime and weight loss programme.

 

I am still training at about 30% of my previous capacity (6 months ago) to try an maintain my mental health and importantly this week to induce the symptoms so that they can have a good chance of identifying the physical issues when the scan takes place. Later this week I know there will be some difficult sessions ahead of me and there will be a fair bit of pain and discomfort with them. I know I am on track because my legs and buttocks are now starting to go into spasms quite frequently. My physio is aware of this and supports my approach in trying to find answers.

 

On Sunday I am undergoing a full body MRI scan, this will take about 45 minutes I have been told.

 

I then have a follow up appointment booked with an Orthopaedic consultant to look at the findings of the MR scan, I do not know where this might lead spinal injections or even surgery have been suggested.

 

Three days later I am back with the Extended Scope Practitioner to take an broad look at the situation and at that point I hope I will have started to engage with a nutritionalist and be talking through aspects of my control behaviour and how this has developed. From this point I suspect more physiotherapy will follow.

 

As I said I have not come here to ask for sympathy or particulary advice I don't need it, just like A-S Warrior I know a lot about exercise and diet and I have allowed some elements in my life to get out of shape to the point where I really had to take responsibility,after all this is my fault and my problem. I had to take a long hard look at my self and say, ok these things have happened its not the end of the world, but what are you going to do about it?

 

Smiley the solution for me was walking into my GP and said look I have a problem and outlining what it was and what type of support I was looking for. Before people say it's ok for you, may I say this was only the third time I have seen my GP in 5 years through anxiety issues and truning my back on him. The previous occassion was to go in with a problem which led to checks and tests for protrate cancer in other words I only take the big stuff in there because I find other things difficult.

 

All I want to say is I could have let things get worse. A physio has tested my strength and it is about that of someone 20 years older than me yet I can complete a serrious four hour training session. So why is that, the answer is in A-S Warriors post and guess what in the last year I have put on no weight rather my body has started to protect itself and is accumilating all the fat reserves it can to store around my internal organs in trying to protect them. I was told that my body is in a state of constant starvation by an expert and the best way to picture this is think of the images we see on the TV of individuals from place like Africa who are starving where the muscle in their arms and legs are eaten away yet they look bloated as their body tries hard to protect itself. I am no where near that point but the switch had been hit and that was the direction I was going in burning up considerably more calories than I was putting in day after day, week after week, month after month.

 

Smiley this stuff can get really serious. Some people might say it is just words and on the forum it is in a way. On Sunday I have a spare place at the MR scan because I am allowed to take someone. My partner is taking my son to a BMX race because he wants to score more points in the regional series, he unlike me has a balanced and healthy relationship to exercise in his lifestyle, I make sure of that. If you think seeing someone undertake part of a procedure as part of a process and thinking why is he here at this point in his life, whats this all about, if that would help you are more than welcome about coming along. What you will also see is someone worried about being late, where I will park, finding the right place, what to say, you know all the general anxiety stuff. I might also have to show you some of the techniques I have to use to stop a panic attack coming on. I feel confident in that respect because I practised the route inside the hospital after my x-ray appointment yesterday, it was not easy but it was a good move on Sunday I am going in a different way because of the strong smells coming out of the kitchens my first route yesterday.

 

Smiley we want to all help, but you have to help yourself, I am pleased that you are making the first steps in seeing your GP. Some people might think putting up this post was the wrong thing to say and do, I respect your opinions. I have thought long and hard about this and my conclusion was I wish someone had said this to me a year ago. If I had read A-S Warriors post would it have been 'staring me in the face', would it have been the wake up call, it might have been. What I will say is that the support of A-S Warrior and others on this forum have helped me see where I am up to on my personal life journey and that has enabled me to take the steps I needed to take in starting to get things sorted out in my own life.

 

Just want to say thanks guys, indirectly you have possibly helped to keep my Kona dream alive, sometimes we have to simply change our approach to life if we are to achieve our dreams.

 

Best wishes Smiley.

[A-S warrior]

sometimes in life, you got to take a step back, before you can take 2 steps forward.

[A-S warrior]

Some people might think putting up this post was the wrong thing to say and do,

 

 

im glad she did, it shows that:

 

A) shes discovered cortisol, and what it is. most pepole with problems like smiley havent even heard of cortisol and ignore symptoms, shes dug up a bit of knowledge which means shes just starting to understand her body.

 

B, carrying on from a, with that in mind, knowledge is power. the more she knows, the more she understands her body, the more she understands her body the healthier she will be, the healthier she will be, the better results she will get, the better results, well you get the idea.

 

 

smiley has started on a positive road, keep it up gal, never stop learning. if something doesnt feel right in the body, it probably isnt.

Edited June 27, 2012 by A-S warrior

[smileyK]

I feel like body internally shaking or tremoring find hard to explain AS warrior would you say I'm showing classic cortisol symptoms ? And not " just" " plain & simple depression" ? Feel wiped out !!!

[LancsLad]

A-S Warrior I was refering to my own post, in that people might feel I was scare mongering Smiley though this is not my intent, rather I am trying to be honest about the realities of these issues.

 

Smiley Cortisol can be an issue for people if it is too high it can also be an issue if it is too low in the body, there are lots of factors which can impact on cortisol levels. If you are concerned mention it to your doctor when you see them, I believe there is a simple saliva test which can be carried out.

 

I feel it is important that in making decisions about your health the bigger picture is taken into account. With the greatest respect you seem to be jumping from one thing to another in trying to find answers. The answer is to step back be honest with your GP and let the experts look at the bigger picture. It might be the case that your GP refers you on to specialists to help build this picture and see what are priorities and what are things that are not so important and be for the time being put to one side.

 

For me a lot of this process has been about making compromises in my life and listening to the advice of experts and drawing my own conclusions. For example I have had to challenge my beliefs about diet and weight gain at least in the short and mid term whilst I get my body and mind into better shape before I move on in my training. This has not been easy for me but it was something I realised I had to do. The important thing is that I am taking action in seeking solutions. I had a productive meeting today and took a few steps forwards. I had a phone call from another individual following a meeting about me and they have refered me on to see another specialist and she was ringing to appologise that this will not be for another 5 weeks because they are taking two weeks holiday very soon. I had to say fine I can wait and I will try and make and make as much progress as I can before that meeting.

 

I will finish by repaeating all of this started for me by going to my GP which was not an easy thing and by being open and honset about what was happening in my life, bit by bit I am getting there, you can do the same.

 

Best wishes.

[A-S warrior]

A-S Warrior I was refering to my own post,

 

 

omg, duhhhhhhhh! what a numpty, how to go from smart ass to moron in 5 seconds lol! i look rather foolish.

[A-S warrior]

I feel like body internally shaking or tremoring find hard to explain AS warrior would you say I'm showing classic cortisol symptoms ? And not " just" " plain & simple depression" ? Feel wiped out !!!

 

 

because of everything else you write, ive been there myself and felt it first hand.

[robert7111a]

Hi SmileyK

 

See, lots of good advice and tips for you to take note of. You need to be in control of your body rather than it control you. If you can get to grips with your anxiety/paranoia issues, then you've won half the battle. You certainly do not want to make yourself more ill and run down.

 

Enjoy Turkey ... but REST. Swim to relax rather than make it athletic. Your body needs ...REST

 

Do take heed of good advice on this forum

[smileyK]

Lancs lad - thanks for invite to your appointment at the hospital at your scan don't understand get what's it about! Confused this see what long term damage exercise done to muscles etc? Doctor told me today keep up with exercise to help " ease" improve the depression I go holiday for 2 weeks Saturday to turkey with parents and twin brother!

[smileyK]

Robert - such hard challenge rise to gain control of body and mind though when feel like swimming in swamp dragging you under sucking into deeper further in !!! I do agree I need this holiday more than ever just hope nothing gets in way stopping me enjoying like MH! You can't run and hide from MH either wish you could as be easy safe way out of everything going on and down! I don't seem swimming as relaxing thing see as exercise routine tone up more lose cellulite burn calories! Not relax! My body won't let me unwind relax like im locked in trapped starting anti depressants tomorrow morning hope ease wild thoughts !!!