Posted by Racer on September 4, 2004, at 14:17:02
In reply to Re: To Scott (SLS) Cortisol question, posted by denise528 on September 4, 2004, at 12:59:57
Elevated cortisol can have a lot of different symptoms, many so subtle you probably wouldn't recognize them. Excessive thirst, excessive urination, lethargy, restlessness, increased startle response, loss of muscle tone, pot belly, etc. Most of them come on slowly, too, so you probably wouldn't be able to say that they're certainly related to your adrenal system.
The DST is one test of many for cortisol. Salivary cortisol levels are one option, for a snapshot view of where you are at any given time, but a 24 hour urine sample is probably the most accurate way to assess your cortisol production. It's also the yuckiest, of course... ;-D
There are new studies being done on the subject of the stress system and depression, by the way. Some research suggests that very short courses of low dose dexamethasone will actually put the brakes quite firmly on severe depression in a matter of days. Let's cross our fingers that something good comes out of this for us, eh?
I can empathize with your internet searching, too. It's finally become clear to me how much adrenaline has been fueling my own distress over the past year or so. While the cortisol link is pretty much old news to me (quite familiar with Cushing's Disease, up close and personal), it's only recently that I've recognized how much anxiety builds up for me and started to look for ways to control that. Still no hard and firm answer, of course, but it's still a start.
Best luck on your research, be sure to pass on what you find. (And the Psychiatric Times site has a recent article on cortisol and depression. You might find some good info there.)
poster:Racer
thread:386371
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040904/msgs/386396.html