Lets discuss a strange observation I have made in the past, and possible implications.
Over the past 4-5 years, before I was treated for adrenal fatigue (or “insufficiency” if you prefer) and my health was on the decline, I would occasionally notice a slight “twitch” in my left eyelid.
It wasn’t anything maddening, but was slightly annoying when it appeared. Would come for an hour or so, then disappear.
After several episodes, I realized it was happening after I consumed coffee. I was never a coffee drinker before graduating college, and started drink it when I was “in the real world” because I thought that was what grownups did. Sodas, adderall, ephedrine, and other stimulants never seemed to have this affect on me.
Fast forward to one month ago, and I hadn’t noticed this in a long time. But since then it has been doing it again, although this time without coffee and seemingly unprovoked, always towards the end of the day. The episodes are more frequent (occurring a couple times throughout the evening) and last a bit longer (a couple hours, intermittently).
So if cortisol is the likely culprit, is this indicative of too high or too low cortisol?
I am thinking that it could be both, but in my case, is likely due to low cortisol.
My body receives the caffeine and puts out the signal to produce the cortisol, but none is coming to the muscles, making them unable to contract. This would be another dimension of Dr. Wilson’s “pupil constriction in the mirror” test.
Only the problem now is that it is not caffeine induced, and I theorize is likely due to just a “normal stressor” and my adrenals aren’t putting out the cortisol my body thinks it requires.
I believe this is due to the 10 mg hydrocortisone I am on (5 mg morning, 5 mg early afternoon). I’m thinking by the evening, my body is all out of synthetic cortisol and, since my adrenals are suppressed by the hydrocortisone, are unable to meet the demands once the cortef wears off by late afternoon.
Discussion welcome. If there are gaping holes in my theory, I would certainly appreciate being clued in.