Posted by Racer on September 15, 2005, at 12:57:59
In reply to CRF Antagonists More Questions, posted by denise1966 on September 15, 2005, at 11:39:09
For what it's worth, here are the answers that I know to your questions:
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> Also if you have been a suppressor to the dexamethasone suppression test does this mean that you're cortisol levels are normal?In general, yes. When you're given dexamethasone, your cortisol levels are supposed to be suppressed. I'm sure that there are higher and lower levels within that, but the general answer is "Yes."
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> If you do have high cortisol levels then wouldn't that manifest itself in physical symptoms.Absolutely! Have you ever seen someone who's been taking steroids for a while? (Prescribed steroids, like prednisone, that is. I don't know how the anabolic steroids work in this regard.) The "Moon Face" and so on? They look a bit swollen, and tend to be a bit fragile. That's called Cushing's Syndrome, and if it's caused naturally it can be Cushing's Disease. It's very common in some breeds of dogs and in horses. (So common in horses that it's sometimes called "Old Horse Disease.") When cortisol levels are chronically high, aside from the characteristic changes to body shape, tendons and ligaments tend to get weaker, and muscles waste. Other symptoms such as depression are also common.
Cushing's Disease in animals is caused by a benign pituitary tumor, which I believe is analogous to Acromegaly in humans. I'm only partly sure of that, though, because I've also seen references to Cushing's Disease in people, and surgery to correct it.
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> One thing I have noticed about when I suffer from depression is that my immune system is very strong, I never get coughs, colds or any infections and yet I smoke like a trooper. Whether that's because I go out less and because I'm too depressed to get stressed about the usual things I don't know but could it be that my cortisol levels are low?Probably not, although you'd need some extensive testing to find out. How does stress affect you? Do you get ramped up when something stressful or startling occurs? Cortisol is secreted by your adrenal glands and is a stress related hormone. It's what gives you the impetus to get out of bed in the morning -- cortisol levels start to rise around 3 to 4 AM in most people, so that by the time you wake up, you've got the gumption to get up. (That figure, by the way, tends to be pretty consistent regardless of sleep patterns. It's why shift work is so difficult, and why most people get to feeling so cold around that time.)
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Them's all the things I know about any of this. I hope it helps until someone who knows more comes along...
poster:Racer
thread:555263
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20050914/msgs/555275.html