Posted by Pfinstegg on April 5, 2003, at 17:24:25
In reply to Re: cortisol is the consequence of my problems, posted by Frog on April 5, 2003, at 2:21:02
Hi Frog..I think it's great to have gone to an endocrinologist, but I was a bit disappointed by the answers he gave you. Because of stress/depression, you now have HPA axis dysregulation, with overactive CRF production by your hypothalamus, excessive ACTH production by your pituitary, and excessive cortisol production by your adrenal glands. Your adrenals may have become excessively large because of chronic over-stimulation by ACTH, and, in turn, they are now producing too much cortisol, which is preventing the normal daily birth of new cells in your hippocampus, is damaging the neuroreceptors there, and making the hippocampus unable to tell your hypothalamus to turn everything down.
It's true that it's not easy at all. But there are lots of things which will turn down parts of this cycle, and if you do several of them, you may be able to at least partially reverse the HPA axis dysregulation. A few suggestions- and I hope others on the board will add to these-
1. Take all the vitamins and supplements which are thought to be neuroprotective, such as fish oil, B vitamins, alpha lipoic acid, phosphadatyl serine and 7-keto DHEA
2. Consider AD's which are thought to have neuroprotective qualities, such as lithium- perhaps in low doses. Tianeptine, available in Europe,has been shown to protect rat and tree shrew hippocampuses from damage caused by cortisol. In animal studiers, it prevents neuron loss, and allows the daily creation of new neurons to continue even when cortisol levels are high. Some neuroscientists are thinking that it is the daily birth of new neurons in the hippocampus which prevents depression from occurring.
Currently, a lot of the "regular" AD's are being evaluated for their neuroprotective effects, and we should soon know more about which ones do a good job.3. Look up the studies currently being done at Stanford and NIH on the use of mefipristone in depression associated with high cortisol levels. They have reported very dramatic results. It is a short-term treatment- I think it's 7-10 days, and I don't know how they manage long-term treatment. Still, these studies are considered very promising- they are "fast-tracked" by the FDA- and they would seem to meet your situation.
4. Get familiar with what ECT and TMS can do. They have the same effect of increasing neurogenesis, calming HPA over-activity, and increasing blood flow to the left hippocampus and frontal lobe.
5. Don't forget psychotherapy! A good therapist can help you learn gradually how to prevent the hyperrousal which gets all these unwanted physiological reactions going.
Good luck! And be sure to let us know what you decide upon- and what you think works.
Pfinstegg
poster:Pfinstegg
thread:216253
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030402/msgs/216499.html