Got an update - went to the doctor

jonjoefischer

So I'll cut to the chase- my cortisol levels were too high because of obstructive sleep apnea, which fed off each other in a weird vicious circle and hindered my weight loss. We've got it under control now, and I already sleep and feel so much better.

Recently I posted on here about my general lack of progress, and I genuinely thought I was violating natural law as I was training for races and running up to 24 miles a week, and I was on a calorie-restricted diet. I'll be the first to admit that I really should have visited a doctor about this issue long ago.

A little about me:

I just turned 34, and until the end of 2010, I generally had no weight problems nor did I have a problem controlling my weight. I was very active and was actually a habitual marathon runner. The first visit to the doc last week was met with perplexed looks when I was telling him about my exercise, such that he looked at my 189 lbs and wondered, this guy's a runner? He brought up my history and was going through it over the last five years- 170, 168, 173, 165, 161...and seven months later, 199? He scratched his head and I asked him what he thought was going on, and he said, well- I don't think this was behavioral.

He ran a panel of blood tests to find them normal, thyroid was normal, cholesterol, but I had hypertension (mild). He speculated that something wasn't right and that something, assuming my diet and running were accurately reported, was fighting my weight loss. He asked the next visit how I felt and I said that my allergies were rough (hayfever) and that I sometimes my throat felt a little tight. He asked if I felt nervous during the day, and I replied, constantly, high stress job, etc. He raised an eyebrow.

"How's your sleep?"

"Not great, constantly waking up"

"From what?"

"I dunno, always having bad dreams, waking up panicky."

"Do you snore?"

"Oh, epically."

"Okay, now I know what's going on."

So I have obstructive sleep apnea. He thinks my allergies might have kicked it into gear initially, and my poor sleeping positions and weight gain perpetuated it. I was eating right and working out to see some results, but because all this free cortisol is (assumed, we're testing next week) so high in my bloodstream, and all day long, it's almost prohibiting my weight loss. Luckily I don't show signs of Cushings or anything, so it could be worse, but it was kind of a bummer to know that every ounce I've lost up to this point has been such a fight, and needlessly. I mean really, running 24 miles a week this winter and almost nothing came off? I should've known.

The good news is that the doctor assures me that if my cortisol is okay and stable, the weight will finally come off and the hypertension will go away.

I guess this is lesson-learned people. Problems with weight loss aside, if anyone has unexplained and sudden weight gain, please do NOT be like me and just assume you were chugging pints of Crisco and forgot about it. Go to a doctor.

Discoveri

Are you going to have a sleep test done? I had one done last year and it was amazing how often I woke up at night and never even realized it the next morning.

autumnk921

It's great that you know what has been going on with your weight!! I bet that is a big relief to finally have an answer....I have the same issues with sleeping....I wake up all through the night & have always had nightmares -since childhood- I gained all of my weight even though I was very active & not eating much...My doctor ran test on my hormones which were all fine but I am going to a new doctor soon & I am going to ask about this as well....My sleep & the cortisol...B/c all of my fat is in my belly....It could be something like this too....Thanks for sharing!!


If it's not too much to ask....What meds did your doctor put you on to help the sleep & the cortisol???

jonjoefischer

Got a referral for one, actually. I changed my position with a set of pillows like I was making a fort or something. Slept great! I'll still get a sleep study, but I'm waking up better than I have in months. Good runs, too. Did 6 miles like nothing, and my fastest mile was 6:44!

teresadutton

My little boy went for a sleep study a couple years ago and they said he had obstructive sleep apnea. When he was laying down his tonsils were falling into his throat...they took them out and now no problems.

jonjoefischer

If it's not too much to ask....What meds did your doctor put you on to help the sleep & the cortisol???

Here we go:

Clonazepam for a month, nighttime only, .5mg (tiny dose)
The rest you can get at a health food store.
You'll need some GLA-rich oils, like Borage Oil or Evening Primrose Oil, that's for the slight hypertension he found in my last visit. GLA is important in the Omega-6 category because your body doesn't produce it.
For the cortisol, I'm doing some Acetyl L-carnintine, R-alpha lepoic acid, and that Borage Oil above helps

Now what I've found is that Royal Jelly (pill or, um, jelly form) tends to work very well as a catch-all for amino acids.
I'm on theanine to help relax a little, and some Ashwagandha as well (for the same reason).

Ultimately, proper sleep and no snoring/OSA will ensure my cortisol is back to normal and I can get this party started.

autumnk921

Thank you for sharing all of that information....I am very into natural remedies so what you are taking sounds like some that I would be able to take....Especially for the cortisol....I am definitely going to try the pillow fort...lol...Hey, if it helps me wake up feeling great then I am all for it!!

I actually went to a sleep clinic for a night but lost my insurance a couple of weeks later & never got all of the results of it....Maybe I should contact them & start over now....I have never been a good sleeper....Not sure of the snoring...I know I used to but not sure now...The only person who could tell me is my 3yr old...lol.

Thank you again for sharing your story with us!! Best of luck to you...I know you will get in better shape now b/c you finally have some answers!!

sniperzzzz

To much cardio can possibly increase cortisol, here is a little bit of info on the topic.
http://www.muscleandstrength.com/articles/losing-muscle-cortisol.html
Also coffee has been know to raise cortisol by as much as 30%.
Phosphatidyl Serine may be something to look into also.
http://www.ergo-log.com/phosphatidylserine.html
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2503954/?rendertype=abstract

tmauck4472

I can not wait to go the cpap..... I'm hoping when I lose another 60 lbs the machine will go away. Will use it though until I'm sure I don't need it anymore...sleep apnea is nothing to screw around with..my husband is in CHF now because he didn't take care of the high blood pressure and the sleep apnea. Now he can no longer work and is on SSI. Got to take care of yourself people

pinkita

Thanks for posting this.

I'm getting checked for Cushing's and PCOS this weekend (I've gained a lot in just a month). I'll ask my doc about sleep apnea. I don't know if I snore (sleep alone) but once in a while I wake up with a slight headache and I've read that's one of the signs someone might have sleep apnea.

txlissa62

I found out I had sleep apnea in 1995, when I was on vacation with a friend and woke up to find her with her pillow on top of her head. She said my snoring was so loud it kept her awake, and that I stopped breathing during the night.

Immediately upon returning home I had a sleep study done. My ENT recommended surgery, which I had, and I've slept like a baby ever since. (In fact, my first night using the fitbit, I fell asleep in 3 minutes, and woke up twice - both by our dogs, and both within an hour of initially going to bed. I didn't wake up at all the rest of the night.) Sleep apnea is nothing to mess with, and once it's taken care of, your quality of life will improve tremendously.

Huggybearz75

That's great that you found out the problem. However, just a word of caution. Be very, very careful with the Clonazepam. I'm sure your doctor informed you of all the risks it can pose but my husband's doctor did not and he had a terrible time with it. Do not take it any longer than absolutely necessary. You can get addicted to it in just a short amount of time and the withdrawal from it is beyond horrible. Benzodiazepines can be very dangerous. Good luck!