Hi all,
I am curious to know the relationship between estrogen dominance and low cortisol. I am about to submit a 24 hour rhein panel (as I’ve been floundering with all sorts of unaccepted saliva/blood labs in the past) and have officialy become a patient of the wonderful Dr. John. Expecting the results back in a few weeks. But until then I’m left pondering a theory…
In the past I had virtually zero output of cortisol from my adrenals (according to saliva labs). This coincided with how I was feeling – tremendous low cortisol symptoms. My thyroid was subsequently acting up as well, likely because of the non-existent cortisol, so I had all sorts of thyroid symptoms as well. I went on HC/Armour and it helped some, but I began to realize that it seemed to be masking an underlying issue. I started linking a lot of my symptoms to estrogen dominance as well. Sure enough
test results showed high total t/very low bioavailable T. Our medical system here in Canada is pretty horrible so I have had to do a lot of trial and error. I weaned off of HC/Thyroid and tried using an AI exclusively based on a theory that estrogen dominance was root cause of everything.
As it turns out, I have been on an AI routinely for quite some time now (6 months+). Life has gotten a hell of a lot better, at least manageable. I am not half as fatigued, and my mind has cleared up considerably. Before I went on anything, I almost had a serious collapse/breakdown – I was pretty much useless, couldn’t do anything. Being on the AI, most thyroid symptoms are pretty much gone. With that said I still have symptoms of low cortisol (mostly fatigue, poor response to stress, anxiety). So I don’t think I’ve nailed down exactly what is going on with me. Like I said I need the 24 hour rhein back to be certain.
But what I found suspicious is that if I try to go off Letro, around 6 days without it symptoms of low cortisol get almost unmanageable. I’m talking heavy anxiety, far greater fatigue, salt/sugar cravings get more intense, the worst is very poor response to stress (like bed ridden type response). And I know damn well if I were to leave it even longer without the AI, I would be in the same near-breakdown state with unmanageable recovery to stress, thyroid symptoms back, etc.
I realize that some of estrogen dominance / low cortisol symptoms are similar. And without the AI I am aware estrogens are acting up. But I am convinced this is both estrogen dominance and low cortisol related. So looking at the endocrine pathways, I’m trying to understand if this could be a deficiency in pregnenelone, progesterone, and what the relationship is between estrogen dominance and adrenal exhaustion actually is. If I get high in Es, does the feedback loop cause for less pregnenelone to be made?
If it helps, I am confident that the adrenal exhaustion came first in my life. I went really really really hard for a good year of my life. Crashed at the end, and have had this horrendous imbalance ever since. It seemed like estrogen tookover within a year after my adrenal collapse.
As mentioned, I’m awaiting the rhein labs for definitive results, but can someone explain some more about how the above would occur according to the endocrine pathway?
Question about estrogen dominance/low cortisol correlation. 
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