Exaggerated Morning Cortisol Response

[[Ba...]]

For thise benzo free over 20 months/ fast taper/ cold Turkey, how long was your morning cortisol amplified? 

Edited September 4, 2023 by [Ba...]
Question wasn’t clear

[[Ac...]]

I'm 2.5 years out of a CT of 4 months usage of k, and still deal with this, so you're not alone.  

My discomfort usually lasts a few hours each morning.  Most mornings, a vast majority, I can just ignore it.  

[[de...]]

Mornings seem to be a tough time for a lot of members.   It is hard to say how long this will last as everyone is different.   

It helps me to start moving when I first wake up.    My body seems to settle down within a few minutes of me getting up.

 

[[Ba...]]

1 hour ago, [[A...] said:

I'm 2.5 years out of a CT of 4 months usage of k, and still deal with this, so you're not alone.  

My discomfort usually lasts a few hours each morning.  Most mornings, a vast majority, I can just ignore it.  

Thanks so much for responding. I realize I’m healing but this is like watching hair grow. I also use herbs to help deal with stress. Do you use any herbs? I used the med 3 months so our situation is similar in that regard.

[[de...]]

Yes, this is like watching hair grow!   Good analogy!   You are healing.   I have not used any herbs.   I have tried not to introduce anything new to my very sensitive nervous system.    Do the herbs help with the stress?  

[[Ba...]]

3 minutes ago, [[d...] said:

Yes, this is like watching hair grow!   Good analogy!   You are healing.   I have not used any herbs.   I have tried not to introduce anything new to my very sensitive nervous system.    Do the herbs help with the stress?  

Oh of course!! Herbs help me a lot. I’ve been using them for over 25 years. They have been a blessing for me. It’s great that you haven’t use anything to get by but herbs are also nourishing unlike drugs.

[[Ac...]]

3 hours ago, [[B...] said:

Thanks so much for responding. I realize I’m healing but this is like watching hair grow. I also use herbs to help deal with stress. Do you use any herbs? I used the med 3 months so our situation is similar in that regard.

No, I've stayed away from anything like that to let my body heal on its own.  But yes, exactly like watching hair grow!  

Don't be discouraged that it's still going- I don't think it's unusual at all, and honestly I expect it to be my last symptom to go.

[[Ma...]]

Mine started out as panic and some days it still is. Other times it’s gut wrenching depression. All of this usually clears by night time. Is this exaggerated cortisol? 

[[Ba...]]

18 hours ago, [[M...] said:

Mine started out as panic and some days it still is. Other times it’s gut wrenching depression. All of this usually clears by night time. Is this exaggerated cortisol? 

Yes, to my understanding what you have described in the morning is exaggerated cortisol.

[[Wa...]]

I have exactly the same thing.  Every day I wake up feeling awful, then I’m fine again in the evening, thinking I’ve healed.   Then the next morning it starts again…groundhog day!

[[Ma...]]

6 minutes ago, [[W...] said:

I have exactly the same thing.  Every day I wake up feeling awful, then I’m fine again in the evening, thinking I’ve healed.   Then the next morning it starts again…groundhog day!

Is your anxiety or sadness? I just cry for hours on end daily 

[[Wa...]]

Just now, [[M...] said:

Is your anxiety or sadness? I just cry for hours on end daily 

Its really weird - a funny sort of mixture of the two…I cry much less now though, as time passes…

 

[[Ma...]]

43 minutes ago, [[W...] said:

Its really weird - a funny sort of mixture of the two…I cry much less now though, as time passes…

Are you off meds or tapering? If I continue to taper is this going to get worse? Should I let this limit my taper? Also having adrenaline rushes when waking 

[Guest [...]]

Morning anxiety is brutal. I sit in the hot shower dreading the day. Once I get out, get dressed and make it to work. It gets better by the hour most days. It is awful. I'll be glad when this ends. I don't even remember what it feels like to wake up normal. crazy

[[Re...]]

I have been so trying to get to the bottom of this. Someone wrote that a small pb&j sandwich at bedtime helped them, I tried this, it had no wonder effect and did not work most of the time. Others have written it is a cold shower that helps. I am certain cold shower helps, but it's cold and a shower I am dreading it every morning. I still think for me the most helpful is peppermint tea and ginger tea and dietary restrictions. Anybody better ideas? 

Edited October 1, 2023 by [Re...]
Correction

[[Ba...]]

On 01/10/2023 at 02:27, [[R...] said:

I have been so trying to get to the bottom of this. Someone wrote that a small pb&j sandwich at bedtime helped them, I tried this, it had no wonder effect and did not work most of the time. Others have written it is a cold shower that helps. I am certain cold shower helps, but it's cold and a shower I am dreading it every morning. I still think for me the most helpful is peppermint tea and ginger tea and dietary restrictions. Anybody better ideas? 

You were told a bedtime snack could help in order to keep your blood sugar stable ( regain what the numbers say if you have a glucometer) a bedtime snack of protein, carbs and a good fat can help knock the edge off if you’re sensitive to Bs drops. This is different for me now. This is just exaggerated cortisol , which if it lasts too long will burn up your fuel and yes, your Bs can be affected. Eating within 30 mins of awakening is helpful. Wont stop it but takes the edge off.

[[Br...]]

I've seen a few ideas for coping with morning cortisol surge.  One theory is that our over sensitized nervous system overreacts to waking up with a flght or flight response.  Cortisol is thought to increase in response to early morning light so one solution is to do what you can to block out the light with blackout shades, room darkening curtains and a sleeping mask.

Another solution is based on the idea that blood sugar is low when you first wake up and that the goal is to try to keep your blood sugar level constant.  When blood sugar levels are low our over sensitized nervous system responds to running out of fuel with the fight or flight response. This sends a rush of adrenaline and cortisol unleashing all the horrible physical manifestations of anxiety. Based on this theory, the suggested solution is to keep a snack with complex carbs and protein by your bed and eat it when you first wake up.  The important thing in this approach is to make sure you're eating a combination of whole grains and protein.

[[Ma...]]

1 hour ago, [[B...] said:

I've seen a few ideas for coping with morning cortisol surge.  One theory is that our over sensitized nervous system overreacts to waking up with a flght or flight response.  Cortisol is thought to increase in response to early morning light so one solution is to do what you can to block out the light with blackout shades, room darkening curtains and a sleeping mask.

Another solution is based on the idea that blood sugar is low when you first wake up and that the goal is to try to keep your blood sugar level constant.  When blood sugar levels are low our over sensitized nervous system responds to running out of fuel with the fight or flight response. This sends a rush of adrenaline and cortisol unleashing all the horrible physical manifestations of anxiety. Based on this theory, the suggested solution is to keep a snack with complex carbs and protein by your bed and eat it when you first wake up.  The important thing in this approach is to make sure you're eating a combination of whole grains and protein.

The eye mask and the dark shades help except when you have to take the eye mask off and go out into the daylight. It still hits me either way. The late night snack didn’t work for me. I actually find that the adrenaline hits me and wakes me up from sleep and then after I eat all meals, I get a little cortisol rush now. 😩

[[Br...]]

The second idea was to eat the snack when you wake up rather than before bed.  I understand about cortisol rushes after eating meals.  I had that too.  I hear you, it's miserable.  I had to keep reminding myself it was temporary like the rest of my withdrawal symptoms and sure enough with time it got better and better.

[[Ma...]]

1 hour ago, [[B...] said:

The second idea was to eat the snack when you wake up rather than before bed.  I understand about cortisol rushes after eating meals.  I had that too.  I hear you, it's miserable.  I had to keep reminding myself it was temporary like the rest of my withdrawal symptoms and sure enough with time it got better and better.

How long did that take and did it only go away once you were off? Or did you have it during the whole taper? 

[[Br...]]

I didn't have much of a taper since my doctor put me through a rapid taper.  The cortisol rushes were symptoms during my withdrawal after I jumped.  For me they took place primarily after meals.  I hope yours ease up soon.  

[[Ma...]]

1 hour ago, [[B...] said:

I didn't have much of a taper since my doctor put me through a rapid taper.  The cortisol rushes were symptoms during my withdrawal after I jumped.  For me they took place primarily after meals.  I hope yours ease up soon.  

How long did they last? I’m 5 months out and getting worse

[[Re...]]

@[Ma...]@[Br...]Thank you so much for the idea, I will prepare a sandwich and some ginger tea beside my bed. I know this process is so individual (still hard to believe), but I am giving this method a shot.

What I noticed is that if I do more physical activity the day before, it is better, maybe. 

Edited October 3, 2023 by [Re...]
A space was missing