What Are the Symptoms and Causes of High Cortisol Levels?

Stress and some conditions can increase cortisol levels. High cortisol can cause symptoms such as weight gain, acne, and fatigue. Doctors may refer to high cortisol as Cushing syndrome or hypercortisolism.

Everyone has high cortisol from time to time, and levels vary throughout the day. It’s part of your body’s natural response to threats of harm or danger.

However, if your body consistently makes too much cortisol, it usually indicates an underlying health problem.

Read on to learn how to recognize the symptoms of high cortisol, potential causes, and when to contact a doctor.

Symptoms of high cortisol

High cortisol can cause a range of symptoms. Symptoms can vary depending on what’s causing the increase in your cortisol levels or how high the cortisol levels are.

General signs and symptoms of too much cortisol include:

• weight gain, mostly around the face and abdomen
• acne
• thinning skin
• easy bruising
• flushed face
• slowed healing
• muscle weakness
• severe fatigue
• irritability
• difficulty concentrating
• high blood pressure
• headache

Causes of high cortisol levels

When cortisol levels are low, the hypothalamus releases the corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH), which triggers the anterior pituitary gland to release the adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH). ACTH then causes the adrenal gland to create and release more cortisol.

There are different reasons why the adrenal gland may release too much cortisol.

Stress

Stress triggers a combination of signals within the body from both hormones and nerves. These signals cause your adrenal glands to release hormones, including adrenaline and cortisol.

The result is an increased heart rate and energy as part of the fight-or-flight response. It’s your body’s way of preparing itself for potentially dangerous or harmful situations.

Cortisol also helps to limit any functions that aren’t essential in a fight-or-flight situation. Once the threat passes, your hormones return to their usual levels, and bodily functions return to typical levels.

But when you’re under constant stress, this response doesn’t always turn off.

Long-term exposure to cortisol and other stress hormones can negatively affect almost all of your body’s processes. This can increase your risk of health issues such as heart attack and stroke.

Pituitary gland issues

The pituitary gland is located at the base of your brain. People sometimes refer to this as the “master gland” because it monitors and helps control many of the body’s functions by releasing hormones.

Issues with the pituitary gland, such as cancerous pituitary tumors, can cause it to under or over-produce hormones, including ACTH, which then triggers the adrenal glands to release more cortisol.

Adrenal gland tumors

Your adrenal glands sit above each kidney. Adrenal gland tumors can be benign (noncancerous) or malignant (cancerous) and range in size. Both types can secrete high levels of hormones, including cortisol.

In addition, if the tumor is large enough to pressure nearby organs, you might notice pain or a feeling of fullness in your abdomen.

Adrenal tumors are usually benign and found in approximately 1 in 10 people having an imaging test of the adrenal gland. Adrenal cancers are much rarer.

Medication side effects

Certain medications can cause an increase in cortisol levels.

Corticosteroid medications can cause high cortisol levels if you take them in high doses or for a long period of time.

Finding the right dose and taking corticosteroids as prescribed may help reduce the risk of developing high cortisol levels.

You should never stop steroid medications without gradual tapering or talking with a doctor first. Abruptly stopping can cause adrenal insufficiency, where the adrenal gland stops working.

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