How PTSD and High Cortisol Affect Us – Part 3
by Eileen Nauman, DHM (UK)
Copyright 2009 Eileen Nauman
All Rights Reserved
How to Normalize Cortisol and Say Goodbye to PTSD Symptoms
My good friend, Rosemarie Brown, MSW, suggested I see Dr. Maya Brownsberger, MD, Functional Medicine Specialist. She knew my violent, dysfunctional family background and felt that this might be an important step to take in my healing process. I had my doubts, but I drove up to Flagstaff to see Dr. Brownsberger.
Dr. Brownsberger is part of a branch of medicine known as “functional medicine.” If you go to their website:http://www.functionalmedicine.org/findfmphysician/index.asp, you can learn more about how functional medicine works and also locate a functional medicine specialist near you.
She spent an hour and a half with me and was especially interested in my childhood and gave me a thorough physical examination as well. She missed nothing. I was impressed with that alone. Then she told me that I needed a saliva test to determine my cortisol levels. I was given a box from Diagnos-Techs, Inc. out of Tukwila, Washington. There were four vials with four pieces of rolled cotton in each. According to the directions I was to place one under my tongue at a specific time of day for about ten minutes. Then, I was to place it back in the tube and mark the day/time it was collected. After I was done with that, I would ship it overnight to their lab in Washington.
I did the saliva tests prior to leaving for Europe for three weeks. I set a second appointment with Dr. Brownsberger for when I returned from my trip. In early October I drove up to my second appointment. In her office, she showed me the first of many pages of reports on me. My cortisol levels were so high that Dr. Brownsberger was concerned her protocols may not be able to bring them back down to normal levels.
I looked at the report and saw that, yes indeed, my cortisol was literally all over the place and nowhere near “normal.” Dr. Brownsberger said that she believed me when I told her I was hyper vigilant, but this test was so “bad” (my word, not hers), she truly understood how alert I really was. I laughed at that. I know I have eyes in the back of my head—thanks to PTSD and high cortisol.
Dr. Brownsberger also explained that all my health symptoms were the result of high cortisol. It was no wonder I slept lightly at night and rarely dreamed. That would explain why during the day I was always anxious and super alert—my highest cortisol was at noon. And in the morning when it was supposed to be high, it was low. Every morning I felt super groggy and unable to “wake up” properly.
Of the four points we reviewed, I had one barely inside the “normal” range. Everything else was like a yo-yo and nowhere near the normal flow of what cortisol should be like in one’s bloodstream.
Next, I asked Dr. Brownsberger what I needed to do to bring my cortisol levels back into a healthy range. To be honest, I felt pretty vindicated as I looked at this test result. And given my dysfunctional family background that I barely survived for eighteen years, I realized the enormity of this test.
Here is part of my ASI saliva test to find out my cortisol levels. As you can see, three out of four are outside normal cortisol operating limits. Based upon these three points, Dr. Brownsberger authorized me to take Seriphos, an adaptogen supplement, to be taken at 11 am, 3 pm, and 10 pm. The results of this saliva test strictly determine when you should take Seriphos. You wouldn’t want to take it at times when your cortisol is within a normal, healthy range. That’s why the ASI saliva test is so important. Seriphos “plugs in” the cortisol receptors, thereby forcing the cortisol back down to normal levels. It also retrains the pituitary gland and helps it get back online to do its job (to police how much cortisol is in my bloodstream).
This is the Seriphos bottle. It is the adaptogen that Dr. Brownsberger prefers, although there are other labels out there on the market.
I was also put on a hydrochloric acid supplement called Hydro-zyme, to be taken during each main meal of the day. She recommended this supplement because as we get older, our stomach acid isn’t what it used to be. The results of weakened stomach acid are heartburn, esophageal ulcers, acute gastritis, and even full-blown stomach ulcers.
Within three days, I began to note a huge difference in myself. At first, I couldn’t believe it. I finally felt normal for the first time that I could remember in 63 years of living! I felt calm and centered inside. I didn’t realize how anxious I was until it was completely gone. I marveled at how quiet and balanced I felt. Even more astounding and heart rending was that I felt like my true self for the first time in my life.
I found in the first month that I had relief from anxiety I’d had all my life. I felt intense peace, calmness, extra patience, and no irritability. My fear was gone. I could think of things that would make me fearful, and I had no emotional reaction to them. It was simply amazing and life-changing for me. I also found within the first month, that I could feel happiness and joy. The only feelings I used to feel were fear, anger and threat.
I also felt an incredible detachment from everything that I used to fear or have anxiety about. Now, my mind can clearly see what is going on without the “haze” of the cortisol kicked up emotions to cloud my perspective. I haven’t felt one bit of fear, irritability, or anger since being on the Seriphos.
I have been living in a wonderfully centered, grounded, peaceful, and quiet inner radiance that simply did not exist for me until now.
This is what one hormone can do to a person’s entire emotional system. It’s tragic. And yet, it shows everyone how much our emotions can be skewed and distorted by that high level of cortisol. I used to have what I termed a mental gray attitude toward life. Before Seriphos, I would see nothing but problems and possible outcomes and then never feel hope that something different could occur. My emotions were so on guard, waiting for something bad to happen that hope had been erased from my life. I no longer look at a problematic situation and try to figure out all the ways bad things might occur. Now, I just shrug and understand I don’t have to waste precious energy and time on such things. I have hope that things will turn out just as they are meant to be without my mental meddling.
In addition, by the third day on Seriphos, my sleep changed. I slept deeply. I slept longer. I didn’t wake up three times a night. After being on it for almost two months I would wake up briefly for about five minutes and then go back to sleep—a huge change.
I found in the first month that I had relief from anxiety I’d had all my life. I felt intense peace, calmness, extra patience, and no irritability. My fear was gone. I could think of things that would make me fearful, and I had no emotional reaction to them. It was simply amazing and life-changing for me. I found after a month that I could, once again, feel happiness. The only feelings I felt before were fear, anger and threat. I did not know what it felt like to feel joy and happiness until just now. And now, my heart stirs and swells with these wonderful “other” emotions. The positive ones.
Dr. Brownsberger had also mentioned that another sign of high cortisol in a woman was intense, long hot flashes—a lot of them. I had that symptom. Now, I have maybe three or four hot flashes in a day compared to the thirty or so I had before. What a relief. And my “night flashes” have gone away at least ninety percent—which also helps me sleep better. I also lost weight slowly but surely.
My memory has also improved. It used to be awful. Words I needed remained in a fog—which is awful for a writer. Cortisol will steal your memory. Now, it’s coming back.
FINDING A FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE PHYSICIAN
There are two places to go. First is the FM web page. You can find an FM specialist nearest you at: http://www.functionalmedicine.org/findfmphysician/index.asp
Secondly, Diagnos-Techs. Inc., the creator of saliva tests for hormones, has a directory at https://www.diagnostechs.com/patients/locate-a-provider/
These providers utilize the all-important ASI, Adrenal Stress Index saliva test by Diagnos-Techs, Inc. See more below about this test.
SALIVA TEST FOR HIGH CORTISOL
Since 1987, saliva has been found to be a good indicator of a number of our hormone functions. Diagnos-Techs, Inc., led the way in this discovery. If you’d like to know more about how our saliva can be utilized, go to https://www.diagnostechs.com/2015/08/03/your-questions-about-saliva-hormone-testing-answered/
Here is additional information on the ASI (adrenal stress index) saliva test https://www.diagnostechs.com/our-tests/adrenal-stress-index-asi/
SERIPHOS
Dr. Brownsberger likes Seriphos, which is manufactured by InterPlexus. In order to reduce high cortisol, Seriphos acts as an ACTH-dampening Phosphorylated serine supplement. The supplement basically plugs in the cortisol receptors and doesn’t allow them to fire off and keep the cortisol high in the bloodstream.
Seriphos should only be administered by your health care provider after you’ve gotten the saliva ASI test because you take the supplement based on the times of days when your cortisol levels are outside the healthy range. This should never be guessed at or assumed by you. If you use it at the wrong times, you’re actually messing up the cortisol process. That’s why it’s so important to enlist the help of a health care provider who knows when you need this product.
Seriphos can be ordered online at http://www.vitacost.com. Just put “Seriphos” in the Search box and it will turn up.
There are many other products out there that are ACTH dampening like Seriphos, but I’m going with what I have been on because it worked for me. Your health care provider may have another brand label that does the same thing.
WHAT IF I CAN’T FIND A FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE PHYSICIAN WHERE I LIVE?
If you go to the functional medicine website and find that the closest specialist is hundreds of miles away from you, I would suggest you first go to your primary care physician and discuss this ASI test with them. Give them the contact information of the closest functional medicine specialist so they can talk with one another on your behalf, and your primary care provider can be guided on what to do for you.
If your primary health care provider refuses to work in this way, call and make an appointment with the nearest FM physician and drive there. For me, after experiencing the miraculous changes in myself, no amount of driving would be too much. But, that is something you must decide for yourself.
Also, check with naturopaths in your area. Oftentimes, they’re aware of the ASI test.
REFERENCES:
Schmookler, E., Ph.D., Trauma Treatment Manual, 1996, Revised 2001, http://www.trauma-pages.com/s/schmookler-manual.php
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition, American Psychiatric Assn., Washington, D.C., January 1995
The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy, 16th Edition, edited by Robert Berkow, MD, Merck Research Labs, Rahway, NJ, 1992.
Butler, K., The Biology of Fear, July/Aug., 1996, The Family Therapy Networker, Washington, D.C.
Diagnos-Techs, Inc., ASI test: https://www.diagnostechs.com/our-tests/adrenal-stress-index-asi/
