Link between hormone levels and auto immune diseases

Posted by christopherc @christopherc, Jul 24 7:25am

I am a 68 year-old male that has had PMR for approximately 3 1/2 years. After reading an interesting article on cortisol a few days ago, I decided to look up the link between high cortisol levels, possibly from stress or over training and found this very interesting article Discussing what sounds like a very strong link between out of balance hormones Hormones and auto immune diseases. Chronic stress either physical and/or emotional is listed as a cause of out of balance hormones, and autoimmune diseases.
https://www.nutritionist-resource.org.uk/memberarticles/what-is-the-link-between-hormones-and-autoimmune-disease

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR) Support Group.

DadCue | @dadcue | Jul 24 8:14am

Interesting ... isn't it?

Everything started making sense to me when I first heard how prednisone disrupts cortisol production by our adrenals. If our hormones aren't out of balance at the onset of PMR, our hormones certainly get out of balance when PMR is treated with prednisone.
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"Over time cortisol resistance leads to dysfunctional stress response and is a risk factor in developing autoimmune disease"

I haven't considered the idea of "cortisol resistance" before. I wonder how that gets factored into the equation. My endocrinologist confirmed I was insulin resistant due to long term prednisone use.

According to my endocrinologist, prednisone created an imbalance in many of my hormones. I'm still seeing an endocrinologist five years after getting off prednisone. Contrary to popular belief, hormone imbalances aren't corrected as soon as prednisone is discontinued.

I needed to be off prednisone before I could address my hormone imbalances.