ways to suppress chronically super elevated cortisol besides / in addition to transdermal β-AET?

[Darkhorse192]

I will take any recommendations please, and thank you for your time, and consideration.

 

[sns8778]

Reduce XT is excellent for helping to decrease cortisol levels.

Reduce XT was originally introduced back in the old ph days to help people manage cortisol in PCT and is still used by many people for that and is also used by many people as part of their fat loss regimens.

Plus, in the last few years, there have been a lot of people that have started to use it for stress as well.

I hope he doesn't mind me tagging him, but I know that @NattyJuicer found it to be very beneficial for that and said he feels a lot better on it.

 

[sns8778]

Stress & Anxiety Support would be another great option as it contains Sensoril in it, which helps to lower cortisol levels.

Another I can think of would be KSM-66, which is in CEL M-Test, Muscle Addiction Test Fix, and we also offer it as a single ingredient product under SNS.

 

[NattyJuicer]

I will take any recommendations please, and thank you for your time, and consideration.

I’m not sure what sides you are experiencing !
Mine have been due to highly stressful
Job l, started using reduce XT and it’s great better feeling overall and more sense of calmness and not worry about a whole lot.
My option that I use on nightly basis is
Stress and anxiety xt and reduce xt.

Good luck

 

[AwakeningAlpha]

Iconogenin topical/traansdermal Laxogenin helps me. Similar feel as AET.

 

[LeanEngineer]

Reduce XT is excellent for helping to decrease cortisol levels.

Reduce XT was originally introduced back in the old ph days to help people manage cortisol in PCT and is still used by many people for that and is also used by many people as part of their fat loss regimens.

Plus, in the last few years, there have been a lot of people that have started to use it for stress as well.

I hope he doesn't mind me tagging him, but I know that @NattyJuicer found it to be very beneficial for that and said he feels a lot better on it.

This! Would definitely recommend picking up Reduce XT for cortisol.

Reduce XT by Serious Nutrition Solutions

Get in control of cortisol and end your struggle with fat loss with Reduce XT by SNS! Order Now

www.strongsupplementshop.com

 

[Beau]

Sorry to take this in a slightly different direction, but several years ago many were touting Magnolia Bark Extract for cortisol reduction. How did this play out? Is it effective?

 

[sns8778]

Sorry to take this in a slightly different direction, but several years ago many were touting Magnolia Bark Extract for cortisol reduction. How did this play out? Is it effective?

Relora is a branded ingredient from Magnolia bark. It came out to a lot of hype but never really seemed to live up to it.

It's one of those ingredients that I don't think is strong enough on its own to do very much, but its so expensive that it makes it hard to include in a good formula.

 

[mastah]

drink more water
sleep more
yoga
higher dose vitamin c

 

[alvin1]

I think maral root is alos supose to be good for cortisol control

 

[Darkhorse192]

context / backstory

a friend and client of mine sustained a catastrophic emotional event in his life sem i recently.

the guy was already shredded as hell (natty so drugs are not involved) but not a competitor. Guy just walked around lean all the time. That said he drank a "mild to moderate" amount og alcohol (hard liquor only) on the regular, as in daily.

After the high-stress event took place his alcohol consumption sky rocketed but he also reverted back to a binge / purge eating disorder he had once reheated. So he is basically surviving on calories from alcohol and alcohol alone, but drinking a lot og it. I am trying to help guide him out og this scenario. He is massively inflamed and holding a **** ton og water. I believe multiple factors are at play here, Obviously, there is a significant increase in cortisol on his daily life but also massive edema from the high alcohol consumption.

One og the challenges with helping him is that, right or wrong, he places a massive amount og value in himself / self wroth on the way he looks, and right now he looks bad. This is making him more depressed, and perpetuating the depression/drinking cycle. I am trying to help him calm down and drop as much og this bloating and water as possible so he at least feels goon enough about himself to pull himself the rest og the way out og this gun. He has told me many times that the way he looks is now what is preventing him from turning things around. I am trying to help him sort og get looking as "better" as we can / enough to make him feel good enough to see the light here.

I feel like it he can just commit to putting the bottle down for a few days, let this water and bloat drop and see that he is still lean, he will feel better and commit to a turnaround.

I am also assuming that his estrogen and prolactin levels are increased.

My guys is a combat vet, I just want to see him get right

please forgive any spelling/grammar errors. I am on mobile, and thank you

 

[sns8778]

context / backstory

a friend and client of mine sustained a catastrophic emotional event in his life sem i recently.

the guy was already shredded as hell (natty so drugs are not involved) but not a competitor. Guy just walked around lean all the time. That said he drank a "mild to moderate" amount og alcohol (hard liquor only) on the regular, as in daily.

After the high-stress event took place his alcohol consumption sky rocketed but he also reverted back to a binge / purge eating disorder he had once reheated. So he is basically surviving on calories from alcohol and alcohol alone, but drinking a lot og it. I am trying to help guide him out og this scenario. He is massively inflamed and holding a **** ton og water. I believe multiple factors are at play here, Obviously, there is a significant increase in cortisol on his daily life but also massive edema from the high alcohol consumption.

One og the challenges with helping him is that, right or wrong, he places a massive amount og value in himself / self wroth on the way he looks, and right now he looks bad. This is making him more depressed, and perpetuating the depression/drinking cycle. I am trying to help him calm down and drop as much og this bloating and water as possible so he at least feels goon enough about himself to pull himself the rest og the way out og this gun. He has told me many times that the way he looks is now what is preventing him from turning things around. I am trying to help him sort og get looking as "better" as we can / enough to make him feel good enough to see the light here.

I feel like it he can just commit to putting the bottle down for a few days, let this water and bloat drop and see that he is still lean, he will feel better and commit to a turnaround.

I am also assuming that his estrogen and prolactin levels are increased.

My guys is a combat vet, I just want to see him get right

please forgive any spelling/grammar errors. I am on mobile, and thank you

I'm sorry to hear that your friend is going through that. I know all too well how catastrophic events can just lead us to saying screw it and letting ourselves go - and then our disgust with how badly we've let ourselves go can be our biggest deterrent from being motivated to even bothering to try to get back in shape.

In my opinion, the best route to tackling the cortisol portion of this would be Stress & Anxiety Support (it has Sensoril in it) and Reduce XT.

The reason I say that is the Stress & Anxiety Support can help with cortisol and also has adaptogens in it that may help with improved mood and stress levels overall. I would then add Reduce XT on top of it because that will help with the cortisol aspect quickly and a lot of people also say it helps them be more relaxed and deal with things better in general.

If he/you wants to just pick one or the other, I would probably go with Reduce XT if the goal is to decrease cortisol and get water weight off quickly.

A nice aspect of Reduce XT is that one generally never has to worry about cortisol levels bottoming out or going too low at the recommended dosages.

 

[bell1986]

Surprised Emodin hasn't been mentioned?

Very powerful.

You can buy rhubarb extract that's standardised to 50% emodin. Start with 250mg of emodin and work up to 1g.

I personally don't like any ashwaghanda extracts etc. They seem to cause anhedonia for a lot of people as it plays with the Serotonin receptors. I used ashwaghanda and I honestly felt numb. Not everyone may get this but just putting a warning out.

Emodin is very powerful. Read the studies online.

 

[NattyJuicer]

context / backstory

a friend and client of mine sustained a catastrophic emotional event in his life sem i recently.

the guy was already shredded as hell (natty so drugs are not involved) but not a competitor. Guy just walked around lean all the time. That said he drank a "mild to moderate" amount og alcohol (hard liquor only) on the regular, as in daily.

After the high-stress event took place his alcohol consumption sky rocketed but he also reverted back to a binge / purge eating disorder he had once reheated. So he is basically surviving on calories from alcohol and alcohol alone, but drinking a lot og it. I am trying to help guide him out og this scenario. He is massively inflamed and holding a **** ton og water. I believe multiple factors are at play here, Obviously, there is a significant increase in cortisol on his daily life but also massive edema from the high alcohol consumption.

One og the challenges with helping him is that, right or wrong, he places a massive amount og value in himself / self wroth on the way he looks, and right now he looks bad. This is making him more depressed, and perpetuating the depression/drinking cycle. I am trying to help him calm down and drop as much og this bloating and water as possible so he at least feels goon enough about himself to pull himself the rest og the way out og this gun. He has told me many times that the way he looks is now what is preventing him from turning things around. I am trying to help him sort og get looking as "better" as we can / enough to make him feel good enough to see the light here.

I feel like it he can just commit to putting the bottle down for a few days, let this water and bloat drop and see that he is still lean, he will feel better and commit to a turnaround.

I am also assuming that his estrogen and prolactin levels are increased.

My guys is a combat vet, I just want to see him get right

please forgive any spelling/grammar errors. I am on mobile, and thank you

Reduce Xt
And stress anxiety helps me out.
That being said man nothing going to help if he is not willing to go ahead put bottle down and eat healthy
I don’t think anything can help .
Good luck man.

 

[Resolve10]

Surprised Emodin hasn't been mentioned?

Very powerful.

You can buy rhubarb extract that's standardised to 50% emodin. Start with 250mg of emodin and work up to 1g.

I personally don't like any ashwaghanda extracts etc. They seem to cause anhedonia for a lot of people as it plays with the Serotonin receptors. I used ashwaghanda and I honestly felt numb. Not everyone may get this but just putting a warning out.

Emodin is very powerful. Read the studies online.

I think it is a little forward to say "a lot of people" have issues with Ash, especially when trying to point that towards actions on Serotonin receptors. Feel like that is stemming from a misunderstanding how many of these anti-stress/cortisol type products work, for a lot of them they are going to have various effects on neurotransmitters. If you make a statement like that you might as well just make a blanket statement for any of these kinds of products.

Edit: I do want to point out that I am not saying it isn't possible or that we shouldn't be aware of these kinds of things, just that Ash is very very well studied and used with quite a few quality extracts that have good human data showing worth.

Emodin also has very poor bioavailability, causes stomach discomfort, and there are potential toxicity concerns. I'd be interested in what studies you are referencing stating it is very powerful or making it worth the more usual recommendations seen in the thread so far.

For OP, Reduce XT has been around for what seems like forever at this point with countless threads showing efficacy. At this point in time if you need something "strong" that would be my go-to. Ash and maybe some other adaptogens can be helpful for good stress relief as well, maybe even something like Apigenin. The specific situation you are looking at for help is a bit beyond my scope though, but I hope you find a good solution and good luck.

 

[bell1986]

I think it is a little forward to say "a lot of people" have issues with Ash, especially when trying to point that towards actions on Serotonin receptors. Feel like that is stemming from a misunderstanding how many of these anti-stress/cortisol type products work, for a lot of them they are going to have various effects on neurotransmitters. If you make a statement like that you might as well just make a blanket statement for any of these kinds of products.

Edit: I do want to point out that I am not saying it isn't possible or that we shouldn't be aware of these kinds of things, just that Ash is very very well studied and used with quite a few quality extracts that have good human data showing worth.

Emodin also has very poor bioavailability, causes stomach discomfort, and there are potential toxicity concerns. I'd be interested in what studies you are referencing stating it is very powerful or making it worth the more usual recommendations seen in the thread so far.

For OP, Reduce XT has been around for what seems like forever at this point with countless threads showing efficacy. At this point in time if you need something "strong" that would be my go-to. Ash and maybe some other adaptogens can be helpful for good stress relief as well, maybe even something like Apigenin. The specific situation you are looking at for help is a bit beyond my scope though, but I hope you find a good solution and good luck.

Type in to Google. Ashwaghanda anhedonia forum/reddit. Posts after posts of concerns. Also look on YouTube. Boost your biology etc states that anhedonia can be a side effect. I've also had the same issue. I'm just letting people know that it can be an issue. You don't want to get anhedonia. You honesty become so lazy and numb to life. It also takes a long time to lift and to feel like your old self.

Yes Emodin has poor bioavailability. You can buy it with piperine added to improve this. Your body adjusts after a couple weeks to the digestion issue.

More plates more dates and Guerrila Chemist both have products out containing Emodin and they both go into the science of how it works. Both are very smart and wouldn't just use a toxic ingredient.

Just Google Emodin Cortisol and read the studies. It inhibits cortisol by up to 46% if I remember correctly.

I was just giving out other ingredient ideas also. I've also personally used Emodin and had great results. I noticed the cortisol reduction much stronger than a lot of other products. Everyone is different though. It might work differently with everyone.

 

[Resolve10]

Type in to Google. Ashwaghanda anhedonia forum/reddit. Posts after posts of concerns. Also look on YouTube. Boost your biology etc states that anhedonia can be a side effect. I've also had the same issue. I'm just letting people know that it can be an issue. You don't want to get anhedonia. You honesty become so lazy and numb to life. It also takes a long time to lift and to feel like your old self.

Yes Emodin has poor bioavailability. You can buy it with piperine added to improve this. Your body adjusts after a couple weeks to the digestion issue.

More plates more dates and Guerrila Chemist both have products out containing Emodin and they both go into the science of how it works. Both are very smart and wouldn't just use a toxic ingredient.

Just Google Emodin Cortisol and read the studies. It inhibits cortisol by up to 46% if I remember correctly.

I was just giving out other ingredient ideas also. I've also personally used Emodin and had great results. I noticed the cortisol reduction much stronger than a lot of other products. Everyone is different though. It might work differently with everyone.

1) I know I’m pretty sure I’ve had this exact convo with you before. Just because some people have had this happen and post it online doesn’t mean it happens to “a lot” of people. You’ll always have weird accounts of side effects from an ingredient as widely used as this and again anything with stress and cortisol augmentation is going to run the risk of causing issues like that (no matter how minute) due to how complicated brain chemistry and neurotransmitters work. YouTube isn’t a viable source, too many people on this site watch trash on there and think it makes it a valid opinion.

2) I wouldn’t want to deal with stomach issues for several weeks for a product that shouldn’t be used long term at higher dosages due to toxicity concerns.

3) Plenty of smart people have sold crappy ingredients that aren’t healthy with plenty to justify it. I’m not really here to say Emodin is going to give you issues, but these aren’t legitimate defenses.

4) You brought it up I read more studies than most on here, but if you are going to tout something I shouldn’t have to google to find the 46% number.

5) That’s fine it’s great to have options. I’m just annoyed at acting like ash is a common issue causer. It’s annoying because people will say something like that against such a widely tolerated and used ingredient and then it almost catches momentum and others on here will start to think it causes all these troubles, while also recommending another ingredient with actual studies on toxicity concerns and not seeing the irony.

 

[Resolve10]

In case anyone is wondering I’m pretty sure this singular study is what led to the GC product with the ingredient: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2962821/

 

[jmero2]

context / backstory

a friend and client of mine sustained a catastrophic emotional event in his life sem i recently.

the guy was already shredded as hell (natty so drugs are not involved) but not a competitor. Guy just walked around lean all the time. That said he drank a "mild to moderate" amount og alcohol (hard liquor only) on the regular, as in daily.

After the high-stress event took place his alcohol consumption sky rocketed but he also reverted back to a binge / purge eating disorder he had once reheated. So he is basically surviving on calories from alcohol and alcohol alone, but drinking a lot og it. I am trying to help guide him out og this scenario. He is massively inflamed and holding a **** ton og water. I believe multiple factors are at play here, Obviously, there is a significant increase in cortisol on his daily life but also massive edema from the high alcohol consumption.

One og the challenges with helping him is that, right or wrong, he places a massive amount og value in himself / self wroth on the way he looks, and right now he looks bad. This is making him more depressed, and perpetuating the depression/drinking cycle. I am trying to help him calm down and drop as much og this bloating and water as possible so he at least feels goon enough about himself to pull himself the rest og the way out og this gun. He has told me many times that the way he looks is now what is preventing him from turning things around. I am trying to help him sort og get looking as "better" as we can / enough to make him feel good enough to see the light here.

I feel like it he can just commit to putting the bottle down for a few days, let this water and bloat drop and see that he is still lean, he will feel better and commit to a turnaround.

I am also assuming that his estrogen and prolactin levels are increased.

My guys is a combat vet, I just want to see him get right

please forgive any spelling/grammar errors. I am on mobile, and thank you

Did he have bloodwork drawn in order for you to make these conclusions?

I would work on the root cause of the issue before trying supplements that, for all intents and purposes, may not address the underlying problem.

It sounds like he needs to see a therapist to work on the root cause...

Bloating from alcohol consumption is not a prolactin issue, it sounds more like liver stress.

 

[sns8778]

Type in to Google. Ashwaghanda anhedonia forum/reddit. Posts after posts of concerns. Also look on YouTube. Boost your biology etc states that anhedonia can be a side effect. I've also had the same issue. I'm just letting people know that it can be an issue. You don't want to get anhedonia. You honesty become so lazy and numb to life. It also takes a long time to lift and to feel like your old self.

Yes Emodin has poor bioavailability. You can buy it with piperine added to improve this. Your body adjusts after a couple weeks to the digestion issue.

More plates more dates and Guerrila Chemist both have products out containing Emodin and they both go into the science of how it works. Both are very smart and wouldn't just use a toxic ingredient.

Just Google Emodin Cortisol and read the studies. It inhibits cortisol by up to 46% if I remember correctly.

I was just giving out other ingredient ideas also. I've also personally used Emodin and had great results. I noticed the cortisol reduction much stronger than a lot of other products. Everyone is different though. It might work differently with everyone.

First, I'm sorry if that happened to you with anything and I hope that you are feeling better.

I'm getting ready to post a detailed post on Ashwagandha and Emodin and just wanted to clarify that its not directed at you; I'm just going to provide some insight on facts and on a personal experience.

 

[sns8778]

Ashwagandha & Anhedonia:

The subject of Ashwagandha and anhedonia is one that gets very overblown and taken out of context:

Ashwagandha is one of the most well-researched herbs available and has thousands of studies on it.

The real world feedback on Anhedonia reports is very rare and is almost always related to generic Ashwagandha.

I post very frequently on the importance of standardization and specific extracts with certain herbs, and that is a major, major issue with Ashwagandha - so much so that even the Indian government issued an advisory a couple years ago against generic, non-standardized forms.

KSM-66, Sensoril, and Shoden are all clinically researched Ashwagandha extracts that are standardized for specific active constituents.

In context, Goli Ashwagandha gummies are one of the best selling dietary supplements in the US and KSM-66 is one of the best selling branded ingredients in the world - and if there was a statistically significant risk of Anhedonia, then you would see a significant percentage of the population walking around like zombies, and that simply isn't the case.

I'm not saying it can't happen to anyone; I'm saying that it is exceptionally rare to begin with, and when it does happen it almost always occurs with a generic Ashwagandha (which imo should be avoided anyway) and also oftentimes even then occurs when someone mixes that with medications that increase the risk of it anyway.

Emodin:
Emodin is an ingredient that seems to work a lot better in some people than others.

The word of caution that I give to anyone that tries it is that the it can cause nausea and vomiting in some individuals, diarrhea in a significant number of people, and there is some literature expressing potential kidney damage with long term use.

I can say from personal experience, there was a brief time that we were thinking about using it in a supplement and I tried it to see if the stomach upset side effects were as bad as I had read they could be. For me personally, the only time my stomach has ever hurt worse in my entire life than when I took Emodin was when I had food poisoning.

Overall, I just think there are better safer alternatives to it that won't wreck your stomach and that don't have some of the more potentially serious side effects.

 

[Darkhorse192]

Did he have bloodwork drawn in order for you to make these conclusions?

I would work on the root cause of the issue before trying supplements that, for all intents and purposes, may not address the underlying problem.

It sounds like he needs to see a therapist to work on the root cause...

Bloating from alcohol consumption is not a prolactin issue, it sounds more like liver stress.

he is not a position to be able to get blood work currently. or therapy for that matter, but thank you, truly

I made those assumptions based off excessive alcohol consumption can raise estrogen, lower t, and increase cortisol, and aldosterone and prolactin Homeboy has been living on 3 gull cases og Monster Beast a day and no food.

I have gotten him to back off the booze some, but on Wednesday is going to come stay at my place so I can help him. I care about this guy we served in combat together multiple times. He is not suicidal but is in hardcore using booze to escape reality right now.

 

[BigGame84]

I'm pretty immune to most potential side effects of any supplement but emodin just wrecks my stomach. I can't stop going to the bathroom on that. It gets so bad, I'm afraid to eat anything. I guess in a way, that could be a good thing. But I don't care for it.

 

[SweetLou321]

Sorry to hear about your friend.

Benfotiamine may be of use here, some data suggests it not only helps with vitamin B1 loss from alcohol consumption, but may also help with alcohol dependence overall:

Double-blind, randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial of benfotiamine for severe alcohol dependence - PubMed

Alcohol dependence is associated with severe nutritional and vitamin deficiency. Vitamin B1 (thiamine) deficiency erodes neurological pathways that may influence the ability to drink in moderation. The present study examines tolerability of supplementation using the high-potency thiamine analog...

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

I know that a blunted cortisol response during a stressful event is linked with PTSD. In this case, I am always personally hesitant of trying to really blunt cortisol during a very stressful event. I would think some lowering would be okay, but cortisol is important to handle stress in the short-term, and is a good thing in the short-term usually.

 

[BCseacow83]

he is not a position to be able to get blood work currently. or therapy for that matter, but thank you, truly

I made those assumptions based off excessive alcohol consumption can raise estrogen, lower t, and increase cortisol, and aldosterone and prolactin Homeboy has been living on 3 gull cases og Monster Beast a day and no food.

I have gotten him to back off the booze some, but on Wednesday is going to come stay at my place so I can help him. I care about this guy we served in combat together multiple times. He is not suicidal but is in hardcore using booze to escape reality right now.

I think something along the lines of some greens and a multivitamin and multimineral would be a great benefit. His body has to be CRAVING actual nutrients. Ideally these come from food but getting him to eat anything first is going to be easier vs stopping booze and eating a brand new clean diet. I like this one personally. It's not perfect but pretty good.

Source Naturals Life Force® Green Multiple

Source Naturals Life Force® Green Multiple

www.sourcenaturals.com