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← Return to Severe Adrenaline Spikes every morning - please help
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Severe Adrenaline Spikes every morning - please help
Diabetes & Endocrine System | Last Active: 3 days ago | Replies (78)Comment receiving replies
@hopscotch
Hi. It's now 2026 - three years after you posted. I hope you're feeling better. I'm writing because I'm having similar issues, though not as many spikes. Have you gotten to the bottom of this? If so, please share. In the meantime, here's my story, below. Please comment if you have any questions or you can provide any suggestions. Thank you so much!!
I have adrenaline or cortisol attacks every three hours during each and every day, and a couple times during the middle of the night before I wake. I've been dealing with this for 2 1/2 years, and not a single doctor (including several endocrinologists) can tell me what's going on. Does anyone else have this, or know what causes it?
When the attacks first started happening, I'd get frantic, almost like a panic attack - breathing fast, adrenaline surging, anxious, impatient, desperate, etc. Now, knowing the signs when they're coming on, I simply eat a plate full of protein, vegetables and complex carbs and that stops the symptoms fin their tracks, until precisely three hours later, when they come again. Occasionally, get brain fog if the symptoms arrive before I eat, and I can't think straight which is scary. I put my feet higher than my head and rest until I'm better. It's affected my quality of life, needless to say, and I need to have food with me at all times when the symptoms come.
Unfortunately, one endocrinologist insists these are panic attacks and wants me to see a shrink for some CBT. I've got a pituitary adenoma (and have had a few high cortisol tests, which the Dr. says is normal with stress, HRT, etc.). I don't have diabetes, though my a1c is creeping up as all this eating is causing me to gain weight. I've gained 30 lbs over this time.
I'm aware the "food" is the only way ""I"" know of to stop these attacks from causing who-know-what from happening. I don't know what else to do. Feels like I'm gonna die if I don't stop the feelings / attack.
Does anyone have issues like this, or know what this might be?
Thanks so much for your thoughts!
Replies to "@hopscotch Hi. It's now 2026 - three years after you posted. I hope you're feeling better...."
@ready4vacation my cortisol has been fluctuating (sometimes high and sometimes low) when I get bloodwork. I started tracking my metabolic panel and noticed my glucose was getting higher when I would go into the doctor after a major “crash” -(when my body would feel so depleted and fatigued). I pointed it out and my endocrinologist has me wearing a glucose monitor now. It’s only been 3 days but I noticed my blood glucose usually hangs out around 70 (pretty low) but as soon as it drops it tries to self correct and shoots up and then within an hour or two crashes again. If I eat something sugary to correct the low it shoots up like crazy and then immediately crashes. However, I just noticed if I eat a small meal with carbs instead it has more of a gradual decline. My endocrinologist thinks it may be reactive hypoglycemia. She also suspects I have POTS. I’ve already been diagnosed with Sinus Tachycardia but my heart rate really spikes after meals. I actually feel better when I don’t eat. At first I was testing my blood sugar randomly when I felt bad with an at home finger prick kit, but it wasn’t until I got the glucose monitor that I noticed the food relation. Do you know if you have secondary high blood sugar? Or reactive hyperglycemia? I know cortisol and insulin are related and cortisol raises blood sugar. (And I know mine is kind of the opposite of what you are experiencing but maybe it can help you or someone else who reads this connect the dots. I’m still trying to connect mine too.) I hope you get some relief soon!
Fellow Greek here with a bronze statue of Athena at home.
Everyone is describing the same disabling phenomenon that I also had - and ironically I’m also on IVIG and hydroxyzine 10mg stopped it. Turns out I do in fact have a major immune system issue with likely autoantibodies from COVID but also mast cell activation syndrome.
My 6th (I know, I’m a NP and I worked with immunosuppressed patients) infection u locked this horrifying am adrenal cortisol surge.
It has gone away since I switched to the antihistamine stack fexofenadine, levoceterizine, and famotidine. Just added montelukast (I had very elevated serum IL-13) and all of my long covid symptoms are quiet for the first time in 4 years. I am still out on disability.
I am so sorry to everyone suffering from this hell.
I picked up saliva cortisol tests from Eli.com and recently it shows I have barely any cortisol around 7am, so it sounds like a messed up hypothalamus - pituitary - adrenal axis with premature overfiring of the cortisol and or adrenaline 5am. Gave me horrific dry heaving and vomiting episodes. My LC doctor thought it was anxiety. This is way way way different.
Best of luck to add, consider getting the Eli.com home cortisol testing 8 pack for $100 and do the 1-minute saliva test right when I happens and see if this picks up a high cortisol level. Check it again 3 hours later.
Best of luck and keep praying for a miracle!!! Or for modern medicine to speed up the treatment of this horrific autoimmune post covid hell we find ourselves in.
And seriously grab the cortisol tests and take it right when it happens. Then 3 hours later or 2 hours later. You want to trend the rhythm over time. No one says this shit happens at night, it’s all with the usual morning holy shit spike. That’s also the prime time for heart attacks and stroke so be aware of your blood pressure, any aspirin you may be on, and if anyone gets a migraine with aura, that’s a risk factor for stroke so see your pcp asap.
@ready4vacation hello does anyone have any updates on this? This only started happening after I was diagnosed with MCAS and I mistakingly started taking h1, h2, and cromolyn sodium which caused me a whole lot of trouble and I’m coming off them now. Wish I never took them as they did more harm than good and now I’m trying to get my body back to its previous “normal,” which did not include this.
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@ready4vacation , I had similar episodes. I have type 1 diabetes. I got talk therapy and it helped tremendously. I was in therapy for about a year. I no longer have the episodes.