The adrenal glands sit atop the kidneys and secrete three different hormones. One of them, Cortisol, is known as the “Anti-stress” hormone. Cortisol stimulates appetite, boosts energy, improves digestion, eases movement in the joints, lowers inflammation and pain, soothes allergies, and enhances the immune system. When the body responds to physical and/or mental stress, the adrenals make and release cortisol, which helps feed the brain and muscles so they can function at the optimum level for the period of stress. This process is often called the “fight or flight response.” The fight or flight response represents a form of automatic reaction on the part of our nervous systems; when an event occurs that signals “danger,” the nervous system springs into action in order to deal with the signal received. This response is “hard-wired” into our body as a mechanism for survival. In other words, when a threat is perceived, the nerves begin to gear up the body for physical defense (“fight”) or physical escape (“flight”). The changes that occur in the body during “fight or flight” take place rapidly, and the changes include: faster heart rate and breathing, an effect that may produce a “pounding” in the head and chest; increased blood pressure, tensed muscles, chilly or sweaty hands, and dry mouth. All of these changes are adaptive bodily responses designed to keep us alive in a dangerous world. They are automatic, and, interestingly, our bodies cannot tell if the threat is real or imagined. (Which explains why we can feel these responses just as intensely from riding a roller coaster as we can from driving in fast traffic among reckless drivers!)
If the adrenals are consistently being signaled to supply more and more cortisol, the glands become fatigued and cannot provide adequate levels of cortisol to handle stress. So, what happens when someone who is chronically stressed and already exhausted tries to force the body to perform on the job or at home? The non-technical (but vivid) term for pushing these limits is “Burn out!” The penalty inherent to burnout is the emergence of problems associated from lack of Cortisol, including FATIGUE, POOR DIGESTION, JOINT DYSFUNCTION & PAIN, and increased sensitivity in ALLERGIES. Basically, the immune system cannot function optimally to protect the body. Cortisol must be replaced to be in balance with the Thyroid. In my experience, if one is low usually both are low and need to be replaced at the same time. It is EXTREMELY important that the cortisol used for replacement is natural or bio-identical cortisol, not a synthetic version. In addition, the most accurate results for testing cortisol levels are obtained by testing patients between the hours of 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. There is a natural variation in cortisol levels throughout the day, so testing at this consistent time period will produce the most accurate information.