Cortisol and DHEA come from the Adrenals and this can be a sine your Adrenals are working over time.
A cut and paste from this site.
Thyroid and adrenal dysfunction: the diagnosis and treatment of an endemic syndrome
-----------------------------------------------------------
Stage I is the stressed phase where, due to illness or other stress, the adrenals mobilise cortisol and DHEA (dehydroepiadrenosterone) to help the body deal with the problem. This is an acute phase; the stress settles and the adrenals settle down.
Stage II, resistance, is where it all goes on and on and the adrenals enlarge and increase their hormone output on a longer-term basis. This can go on for weeks, months, or even years but eventually they can’t take it any more and start to regress into exhaustion, stage III. The degree of exhaustion is reflected in their output and balance of their two chief hormones, cortisol and DHEA, which is where the Adrenal Stress Index (ASI) comes in.
-----------------------------------------------------------
Phil