What are the medical indications of a high cortisol level and a high sed rate?

Question

I was recently hospitalized and newly diagnosed with hypertension, but in the next month I have to follow up with other doctors because my thyroid level is low. cortisol level is high, and sed rate is high. I do have arthritis. I am a 39 year old female, do not smoke or drink, but do have a strong family history for heart disease and all that. How can all these factors ( sed rate and cortisol level) affect me?

I have previously been diagnosed with osteoathritis, but this is with x-rays only. I have joint deformities in my fingers which may indicate the rheumatoid type. I have never had a blood work up for rheumatoid type yet. I believe this will be done soon. I began having joint pain in my feet in my early 20's, very young for arthititis I know, but true. I DO have the typical "belly fat" for the cortisol stress but I never seem to be stressed out...I try to always maintain a positive attitiute and all that. I just can't figure out the "stress" factor unless in is the stress of all the pain I have.

Answer 1

First you do not state what 'type' of Arthritis? Some forms of Arthritis can have a serious affect on the Thyroid Gland!
Imbalances of the stress hormone cortisol have been reported in patients with fibromylagia. Secreted by the adrenal glands, cortisol helps prime the body's "flight or fight" response. Higher levels of this hormone can raise blood glucose levels, shift fat metabolism, dampen inflammatory response, and disrupt the sleep-wake cycle. One recent study reported higher baseline levels of cortisol, as measured in saliva, in patients with fibromyalgia compared to controls.
Over time, excess cortisol would be likely to promote chronic anxiety, insomnia, high blood pressure, and increased fat deposits around the midsection of the body. Another study found higher cortisol released in patients with fibromyalgia in response to stimulation of the pituitary hormone, CRH (corticotropin-releasting hormone). This could be the body's way of responding to chronic pain and stress.
High cortisol pushes the body to marshall its resources for the short term. The body cannot function well in "overdrive" for long periods of time, however. If chronic stress becomes a habitualized response, the adrenal glands may eventually begin to "wear down" and "burn out". This can result in adrenal exhaustion, a state in which the body no longer produces enough cortisol (or DHEA, another important adrenal hormone) to maintain adequate energy levels.
Hope that helps?

Answer 2

Both are indicators of your stress level. They don't affect you. It is a result of the stress that has been affecting you. Cortisol is what is released to help your body repair after stress damage. Sed rate is an indicator of nonspecific inflammation. It goes hand in hand with arthritis but also could mean arteriosclerosis which is a hardening of the arteries due to inflammation. Your body is sending out an SOS. It is like a smoke signal. You don't get affected by the smoke signal. You die from the disaster that is the reason for the SOS. The good news is that because you are watching the signals now you are young enough to reverse some of the damage and teach your body to heal. Low thyroid also indicates that your metabolism is out of wack. My guess is your emotions have led you into this situation and if you get depressed or stressed about the bad report, it will only make it worse. The smoke signals will die down as you put out the fire. Your doctor may prescribe treatment to help your body with this. Just remember it is not the smoke signal that you are trying to treat. It is your lifestyle, mental state, spiritual state, family relationships that are really affecting you. So take a long walks daily with loved ones and watch your stress level indicators decrease.

Answer 3

By the additional details you provided, I would say that you suffer from seronegative rheumatoid arthritis, just like myself.

The telling signs are the following:
- Joint pain in the feet (or cracking ankles) in the early 20's;
- Joint deformities of the fingers, a specific sign of rheumatoid arthritis;
- Negative or low level of Rheumatoid factor;
- X-Rays showing bone erosion, a consequence of rheumatoid arthritis;
- Generalized arthritis, involving the whole body;
- Elevated levels of Sedimentation rate.

As you suspected, a low level of stress and a positive attitude do not lead to a "cure" for rheumatoid arthritis or a pain free condition.

NSAIDs like Voltaren, COX-2 inhibitors like Celebrex, acetaminophen like Tylenol, and codeine are all used to control inflammation and relieve the pain of arthritis.

Regular exercise like walking, biking and swimming are also helpful for most patients. Make sure that you are not overweight as carrying too much weight can only increase the pain of arthritis.

You should consult an Orthopaedist who will order blood tests, joint scans and X-Rays to better diagnose the type of arthritis from which you suffer.

Lyme disease doesn't seem to be a possibility. Nevertheless, you should ask your doctor to test you for the bacteria causing Lyme disease.

Are there any other cases of arthritis or rheumatic diseases among your relatives? Chronic forms of arthritis are usually prevalent in families where a defective gene is passed on by parents to their children.

There are a few hundred types of arthritis and rheumatic diseases. The good news is that science is progressing rapidly in its understanding of rheumatic diseases.

Antibiotics are now used to achieve full remissions for at least 40%, if not 65% of patients with rheumatoid arthritis. For more info, please join our group at:

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/antibio

Answer 4

ESR is a very non-specific test and can rise in a huge number of conditions and diseases, some of them as simple as infection, musculo-skeletal disorders, obesity, smoking, anaemia and use of certain drugs (such as oral contraceptives). Of course tuberculosis also causes ESR to rise, so does the cyst in the brain. Your total white cell count is also a little on the lower side. I suggest you get C-Reactive Protein (CRP) test done which is more specific.

Answer 5

I have had arthritis now for several years and found something that worked wonders for me, I'm spreading the word out to all those like me who have arthritis and may find some true relief, its a dietary supplement sold overseas called CMO, and here is where I found it, hope this helps.
www.cmohq.com