Question regarding Asperger's and hormones

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Does anyone know or has anyone done research on a link between low growth hormone and types of autism, especially Asperger's?

I actually asked a while back about low adrenaline levels, which apparently nobody here has had tested. It's been shown that the primary difference between domesticated animals and their wild counterparts is low adrenaline levels, which affect the way animals grow, making them retain juvenile features.

Although I know that, in my case, I have low testosterone and high prolactin (as well as high estrogen, I think).

I have secondary Adrenal Insufficiency. Those are the hormone issues I mention in my intro on the "get to know you" section. I have also tested very low for growth hormone, which affects............. social abilities. That's why I asked if anyone knew of a link between the two. At some point I am going to have to supplement growth hormone as well as the others, kind of curious to see (in a quasi-guinea pig sorta way) how that affects me personally.

For real, btw, i LOVE Terry Goodkind! *beams*

I wonder if that's why I have such a sweet looking baby face.

LOL, not having seen your face, I can't say! I do know I've always looked less than my age, but that also happens to be a typical Gemini trait.

I can say that I have one friend who is a nurse, hypopituitary like me, and her kids are being treated for hormone deficiencies as well, with one specifically having low GH. However once he got on optimal thyroid/adrenal treatment, his GH doubled in one year!!

The reason I ask is because I noticed similarities in Asperger's that I seem to demonstrate, but also low GH symptoms for sure. Incident from last summer at an outdoor concert I went to with her, she immediately recognized as low GH. Sure enough once I ran my labs, it came back abysmally low. To put it bluntly, I lost it. Totally, completely lost it. It was outdoors, in the summer, at night, I was already hot and sticky which triggers anxiety for me, and when the crowd started coming toward the stage area where we were, that was it. My mind was screaming, literally screaming, "get out, get out, GET OUT GET OUT GET OUT!!" I couldn't stand the thought of anyone touching me, brushing up against me, "dear GOD let me get out of here!! !!"

I couldn't breathe, I couldn't see, my vision was so blurred, I panicked so badly. I stumbled my way out of the arena to the parking lot and spent the entirety of the concert inside my car with the AC blasting. I just could not get cool enough or calm down enough to go back. I started trembling, whole body tremors at even the thought of trying to go back inside. I was so ashamed. I never told anyone, not even my husband that I didn't stay to watch it.

It seems to me that the general consensus is that autistics have young features.

There's a reason I don't go to concerts: They suck.

I don't see anything wrong with your reaction. There are socially acceptable times to, as one might say, "freak out," but in reality, every person will freak out for different reasons. There's nothing wrong with having a different freak out situation.

It helps to hear another person say it, for some reason. I just know it unnerved me so badly, it still leaves me feeling shaken when I think about it. I'm not sure if it's an anxiety issue in itself or another trait of Asperger's, or as my nurse friend suggests, low GH.

I'm normal height. Some even consider me TALL I started adolescence a little early.. I HAVE reacted to adrenaline and cortisol, so I know my adrenals have been fine most of my life. ONE interesting thing is that I don't seem to react adversely to testosterone. My testosterone was recently tested at over 900, and I didn't have any of the aggression they talk about. BTW my prolactin, estradiol, lh, and fsh are within normal range, and towards the low end.

BTW normal testosterone range is 300-1000

My labs and symptoms have both shown estrogen dominance, low progesterone, and high testosterone, primarily from the excess estrogen converting when it shouldn't. I have more testosterone in my female body than some men do, and my husband has much less than his age range should be. He's 32 and basically tested at a 55 yr old level. Yikes.

You have that backwards. Excess estrogen doesn't convert to testosterone. PCOS can boost testosterone over 95ng/dl, but I REALLY doubt you go even to 300. If she did, the average woman would have PERMANENT changes in about 3 weeks. YEP, there actually WAS a study on it.

As for men, we are being attacked at ALL levels. It is SCARY. NO WONDER the fertility in the US has dropped so much. supplements, bottles, water, many foods, all have xenoestrogens and similar things to lower fertility.

So how high IS your testosterone?

I was dx with PCOS, and I think I'm thinking of DHEA, not estrogen. I apologize. I'll have to hunt for the lab sheets. They were run once at the beginning, and again a few months ago, both came back higher than normal optimal range.

Secondary Adrenal Insufficiency, thats where the adrenal glands don't produce enough cortisone due to a lack of ACTH, Adrenal Corticotropic Hormone, released from the pituitary, right?

http://www.merckmanuals.com/professiona ... h153c.html - you might find this useful though it uses medical terminology - don't get worried by what it says but discuss any questions that arise with your doctor. Im guessing you might inject IV hydrocortisone [think the brand is Solucortef, should help the body respond to stress if it can't produce its own steroids in sufficient quantities.]



I have been looking into a connection between Addisonians and Asperger's or autism, though loosely, Id be really interested to hear from you regarding any research you have conducted. Send me a PM on here regarding such research.

Regarding people with autism looking younger or appearing less mature, thats an interesting link. I was wondering about that myself though I haven't identified any biological cause. I a[almost]lways get ID'd for drink, even though I am very tall and wear my leather jacket, 5 years past the legal age to buy drink.

Correct, and correct. The adrenals don't get the proper signal from the pituitary gland to release Cortisol. Commonly brought about by head trauma or a tumor, but there are other causes as well. The more common name for it is Hypopituitarism, but good luck finding a doc who A) knows wtf it is, or B) is willing to even discuss it. I see a doctor who is way up in PA, and I live in NC, because I can't find a doc here in state who isn't scared witless of anything relating to Cortisol. Most I've been to (which are a lot), think it's ONLY possible to have pan-hypopit, not partial. I'm here to tell you, it absolutely is. I always giggled a bit when I'd visit a new doc who told me I didn't know WHAT i was talking about, until I pulled out Jeffries' Safe Uses of Cortisol and showed them page and print the information that backed up my thoughts.

I take Hydrocortisone daily, and have had the stim tests as well as all pituitary hormones tested to get the base lines as starting points. All of them came back sub-optimal, and most were below normal range or bottom of normal range, neither of which is acceptable to me. It's a slow, frustrating process to narrow down the right dose, timing, and balance to put back into my body what it stopped making on its own.

(add) The HC I take daily is in pill form, though I do have an emergency injection kit of Solu-Cortef "just in case." My husband has had to learn how to use it in case I am ever unconscious and need it before EMT can arrive, since I've heard ambulances don't often carry it as a general rule.

eh, I actually think my Adrenaline and testosterone levels are off the charts. Especially the adranaline levels, since I do have an extremely high naturally tense and aggressive states, which I feel may be linked to it. :/

Adrenaline is different from Cortisol, though both are produced by the adrenal glands.

I don;t think you can possibly know that without checking the blood. there are a few things that may indicate a high testosterone level -

I think these are greasy hair due to overactive sebacous glands, acne that is particularly bad and greasy skin

this was interesting, http://dontdatehimgirl.com/news_view/wh ... e-164.html

Personally I think I may have high testosterone levels, based on [some of]the measures mentioned in that link- I think the added impulsiveness may apply to me but I know when it could have an adverse effect on my health and dont engage in risky behaviours such as smoking or getting drunk [drining the 5 drinks in one sitting]

I think high testosterone levels in females may manifest differently

I am particularly interested between any suggested connection between hormones and autism, I take inositol and this has been reported to decrease testosterone levels [see video on PolycysticOvary syndrome [PCOS} produced by the youtube user Chiralbalance about D-chiro-inositol [DCI] - it details what is felt the mechanism of Inositol's action is.

I would be interested to hear from anyone regarding this. is there anyone else who feels they may have high testosterone and who has autism or any other neurological or neurodevelopmental condition? If so post on here or send me a PM