So in the aftermath of my surgery my body is apparently in 24/7 stress mode due to healing, and I am coming to believe that I have for some time prior been suffering from increasingly worse chronic stress. I have depression and anxiety big time which is (1). noticeably worse after I eat, to the point where I currently don’t dare eat a meal any later than 6:00 PM if I don’t want to be climbing the walls at bed time; and (2). is at least somewhat mollified by chocolate, which among other things is supposed to reduce cortisol levels. There are a number of nutritional and herbal supplements touted as reducing cortisol levels; can anyone here speak to their experiences with these, positive, negative or null?
Are you sure high cortisol is the issue. If you have low cortisol and take something to lower it it can make everything worse.
Cortisol can be tested via urine, blood or saliva if you want verification of high levels.
There are various herbs for high cortisol. They seem to work by both lowering cortisol release and making glucocorticoid receptors more sensitive.
Chronic stress can in some people elevate cortisol levels. Such stress may not result in above-normal serum cortisol, nor are unpleasant symptoms of stress necessarily caused by increased cortisol.
As Wesley Clark noted, testing is available to determine whether cortisol is actually elevated. Pharmacologic intervention would depend on what if any problem is uncovered. There are medications available. Some evidence suggests that SSRIs can lower cortisol levels.
As for herbs/supplements: rarely they can boast small, short-term trials suggesting a positive effect. Fish oil has been cited in this regard. Ashwaganda is another, but this herb has been linked to liver damage on a case report basis and suffers from being an Ayurvedic herb (imported Ayurvedic herbs have exhibited contamination by heavy metals). The touting of Ashwaganda for a wide range of health conditions including “toning the immune system” is a demonstration of Jackmannii’s Law.*
Contrary to the common assertion that physicians just want to throw drugs at a problem, the standard of care for chronic stress/anxiety involves lifestyle changes, not medications.
*Jackmanni’s Law states that the more conditions a drug, supplement or treatment is supposed to cure or alleviate, the less likely it is to be effective for any of them.