High cortisol..?!

Question

My doctor did blood tests for my hormones and said I have high cortisol. I had an mri done because she said she wanted to check that out, anyone else have this happen and know what it could mean?

Answer

I don’t want to scare you, but that is a sign of a pituitary tumor. I have one myself, but I am on the opposite end with very low cortisol. If you don’t mind me asking, was it a brain MRI ?

Answer

Cortisol is a hormone produced in response to stress. If it was a brain MRI the doctor is checking something in your brain called the pituitary gland, as this is where the hormone is produced. Sometimes high cortisol can be indicative of a benign (non cancerous) tumor called a pituitary adenoma. They usually don’t require anything more than checking it every year or so. Sometimes they can offer surgical removal but that is rarely necessary. They’re just checking to rule it out. It’s much more likely your body is just stressed due to external factors and that’s why your levels are high. I have high cortisol because I have an inflammatory disorder, but I can control it with diet. I hope that helps ease your mind some.

High cortisol..?!

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