sort of related question

[Brucergoldberg]

Does anyone know if clonzepam or its brothers lowers cortisol?  I take it at night and wondering if its lowering my cortisol.  Ive been having some pretty bad morning sickness lately.   Today i took 5 MG hydrocortosine and the morning sickness went away.

This is related because i am trying to figure out if some of my symptoms could be from low cortisol or from thyroid.  Dr. wants to do the ACTH  but unless you have addisons, that test wont be useful, right?

[Barb135]

"do they automatically become self centered, rude, greedy doctors with a horrible office staff?"

Gee, I actually think that might be what happens........

[Brucergoldberg]

AMEN.  I had to have the acth test and i was told by one of my doctors that an endo had to do it.  I started looking for endos here in Dallas and started reading reviews.  over 20 doctors.  Not one had good reviews.  SOmeone even wrote "what happens to a human being when they become an endo?  do they automatically become self centered, rude, greedy doctors with a horrible office staff?"

[Barb135]

Wouldn't we love to do that; too bad so many doctors are arrogant enough to believe that patients don't have any knowledge of what's good for them OR that we know how we feel, at any given moment?

[Brucergoldberg]

You are a wealth of knowledge.    There are a select few on this board that if given the chance, could probably get together and change the way dr's view metabolism problems.

[Barb135]

We'll teach you that it doesn't pay to be a smart aleck............ lol

[Brucergoldberg]

NICE!!!   good come back to my smart aleck answer  smarty pants!

[Barb135]

Oxytocin is also produced in males and may play a role in sexual function.

"In the male mammal, the small peptide hormone oxytocin is produced in similar quantities within the hypothalamo-pituitary magnocellular system as in the female, yet for the male little is known about the physiology associated with this hormone. The present review summarizes what is known about the function of oxytocin in the male mammal and tries to take account of both central and systemic effects, and those linked with a local production of oxytocin within the male reproductive organs. In several species a pulse of systemic oxytocin, presumably of hypothalamic origin, appears to be associated with ejaculation. The systemic hormone could act peripherally stimulating smooth muscle cells of the male reproductive tract, but could also reflect central effects in the brain modulating sexual behaviour. In addition to systemic oxytocin, the peptide is also made locally within the testis, and possibly also the epididymis and prostate. In the former tissue it appears to have an autocrine/paracrine role modulating steroid metabolism, but may in addition be involved in contractility of the seminiferous tubules. However, the latter function may involve the mediacy of Sertoli cells which under some circumstances can also exhibit the components of a local oxytocin system. In the prostate of the rat and the dog oxytocin is linked again to steroid metabolism and may also act as a growth regulator. Finally, oxytocin in seminal fluid is discussed and its possible role in respect to the fate of the semen following ejaculation."

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9361803

[Brucergoldberg]

so LH and FSH i should probably have checked.  However this one is particularly alarming to me:

Oxytocin -- stimulates the uterus to contract during labor and the breasts to release milk

should i be checked for this?

[Barb135]

"The hormones released by the pituitary gland (and their functions) are:

Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) -- stimulates the adrenal gland to release cortisol; cortisol helps to maintain blood pressure and blood sugar

Antidiuretic hormone (ADH) -- controls water loss by the kidneys

Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) -- controls sexual function and fertility in males and females

Growth hormone (GH) -- stimulates growth of tissues and bone

Luteinizing hormone (LH) -- controls sexual function and fertility in males and females

Oxytocin -- stimulates the uterus to contract during labor and the breasts to release milk

Prolactin -- stimulates female breast development and milk production

Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) -- stimulates the thyroid gland to release hormones that affect the body's metabolism"

"In hypopituitarism, there is a lack of one or more pituitary hormones. Lack of the hormone leads to loss of function in the gland or organ that it controls. For example, no TSH leads to loss of function in the thyroid gland."

[Brucergoldberg]

the test for this is LH and also low estridial?

[Brucergoldberg]

AL?     is that addisons?   and you are talking about the acth test?>

what is the test for hypoituiarism?

[kevieb]

I take clonazepam daily--I don't think it has affected my cortisol levels any---but I have hypopituitarism---so my adrenal insufficiency is central, or secondary.

A stim test can sometimes pick up secondary AI, but not necessarily.  It did pick up mine.

Christine