I am wondering if Cortisol has a lot to do with weight gain as well as inactivity?
I eat much less when I am in a lot of pain, but seem to gain weight during those time periods.
I know that the adrenal glads release cortisol during times of stress causing the body to gain central mass weight and around the face, where I am heavy, not my arms and legs.
The same as the disease that is caused by pituitary tumors causing the release of cortisol.
Have any of your Drs. or techs mentioned anything to you or do you have any thoughts?

Hi,

You may find this interesting:

Stress is one reason that cortisol is secreted into the bloodstream, it has been termed “the stress hormone” because it’s also secreted in higher levels during the body’s ‘fight or flight’ response to stress, and is responsible for several stress-related changes in the body. Small increases of cortisol have some positive effects:

* A quick burst of energy for survival reasons
* Heightened memory functions
* A burst of increased immunity
* Lower sensitivity to pain
* Helps maintain homeostasis in the body

However ....

Higher and more prolonged levels of cortisol in the bloodstream (like those associated with chronic stress) have been shown to have negative effects, such as:

* Impaired cognitive performance
* Suppressed thyroid function
* Blood sugar imbalances such as hyperglycemia
* Decreased bone density
* Decrease in muscle tissue
* Higher blood pressure
* Lowered immunity and inflammatory responses in the body, as well as other health consequences
* Increased abdominal fat, which is associated with a greater amount of health problems than fat deposited in other areas of the body.

Some of the health problems associated with increased stomach fat are heart attacks, strokes, the development of , higher levels of “bad” cholesterol (LDL) and lower levels of “good” cholesterol (HDL), which can lead to other health problems!

Suppressed thyroid function is connected also with weight gain.

Regards

Simon

I have high LDL and had a stroke recently.

Dr. is putting my on Lipitor.

Well, I pretty much fit to a T under Simon's post starting with the "however".

I know I eat less and rarely drink, so I figured the weight problem was associated with less activity and chronic pain/stress, and my sluggish thyroid.

Guess I need to try harder, and here come the holidays. Just great!

If you have a corotosol production problem, eating less won't do it. Trust me, eating is a problem for me and I still gain. Not in my legs, arms ass, just in in face, neck and torso... the body's trying to protect itself.
Storing fat in your central body mass is a priority for your body and it will do that before anything else, that is what the adrenal glad is telling your body to do.
Get a blood test and see if you are producing the hormone, if you are all you can do is counter it until you can reduce your pain/stress levels to a manageable point so you body does not feel defensive.

Thanks Rkz, I'll definitely talk to the doctor on my next visit.