What state am I in

[jannamaria]

I have quite low levels of cortisol (i could post my test chart but couldn’t find where to insert an image)

Morgning: 12,26
noon: 2,7
evening: 0,7
night: 2,59

DHEA: 299,43

The weird thing is that my DHEA is still high while my cortisol has dropped. I have gained a lot of weight perhaps 18-20 pounds and it just won’t come of, my thyroid levels are really low so i have ben put on thyroid hormonal supplementation. I used to work out a lot (I really love a sorts of exercise) but at the moment i just decided not to since all symptoms got worse from exercising.

Im jut terrified go being in state 4 where it will take more than a year to recover, I have been like this once before as i was 25 year and totally overworked. The symptoms slowly disappeared when I stated BCPs the progesterone-only kind. At the moment I take progesterone cream but it does not seem to help to much.

Questions:
1. What state am I in? Ive done so many changes to get a calmer life, also changed my diet and learned to say no at work.
2. Why on earth is my DHEA high when cortisol is low?
3. Could it be beneficial for recovery to start with BCP again? I don’t really like chemicals but if it could be helpful maybe I should try.

[Annabel]

Hi jannamaria. The combination of low cortisol and high DHEA definitely implies that your HPA axis is dysregulated. There was a research study a few years back showing how women with PTSD have that particular hormone imbalance – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2829297/. So it sounds like stress is very likely the underlying cause.

Are there any other underlying issues that might be causing your stress? If so, it might be worth speaking to a counselor of some kind, rather than trying to work through it yourself. You sound like you are doing your best to reduce stress in your job etc, which is great.

Make sure you don’t give up exercise entirely. Long walks or swims are awesome ways to lower stress levels and help your body get back into balance. Just make sure that the exercise you are doing leaves you feeling invigorated, not exhausted.

I can’t really give any advice on birth control pills, but I would definitely recommend finding a good integrative doctor with some expertise in hormones and adrenal fatigue.

Lastly, remember that time is the greatest healer. There is no magic pill for adrenal fatigue or most other stress-related conditions. You just need to give your body the right conditions that it needs to recover, and let it get on with its job 🙂

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