what effect does high cortisol levels have on thyroid function and other hormones in what was an originally a healthy thin female?. could it cause irregular menstrual cycles, infertility , weight gain and excessive sweating? I was healthy at 22 years old but after marriage we lived with in laws (who were very interfering as my husband was an only child ) for 2 years and within 3 months i gained 20 pounds, had irregular and heavy periods sometimes every 2 weeks . my doctor at this time encouraged more activity and diet which i did but the weight gain continued ad periods became more erratic and heavy..i had low energy, thinning hair ,always cold. it took 6 years to get pregnant with 1st child, my father in law died when my son was 5 and my mother in law was a demanding needy woman . she insisted she needed a lot of our help but she was only 62 and in good physical health when she became widowed . we had a difficult relationship which interfered with my marriage and i kept having irreg periods and was unable to lose weight. and had 2nd child when he was 7.3 months after my father in law died my mother was diagnosed with cancer and as i was a nurse my family made me the go between with doctors. i did take L trytophan to help me sleep at night after my mother was diagnosed . i was supposed to have a 2nd d and c after she was hospitalized but put it off due to anxiety over her diagnosisa nd then i had began having regular periods and lost 30 pounds and got pregnant with 2nd child . my mother died 6 weeks after my daughter was borne and i was back to heavy irregular periods. i was always cold,had insomnia cont weight problems and had a hysterectomy a year after her birth. my new doctor put me on thyroid supplements as my labs weren t normal and based on my clinical exams and i gained 5 lbs then another 15.. after this my my thyroid enlarged to the point of needing to have 3/4 removed as it was interfering with swallowing. i still never felt right but exercised,dieted and was working 32 hours in nursing as i had been except for a year after my 1st child was born. i first worked 11 to 7 then 3 to 11 and when children were old enough 7 to 3 shift. i had also developed what we thought were hot flashes but it was over 10 years since hysterectomy but we tried hormone replacement without effect . last year i tried valium as i had researched hyperhydroses as i would sweat extensively to the point where i had to shower often as i would be totally drenched (these were my hot flashes) and found 3 causes . diabetes which my dr had me on glucophage for weight control but not diabetes ( i also had high blood insulin levels but normal ranges for blood sugars before stating glucophage), throid which as supposedly under control with meds and neurological and i had also had 2 bad car accidents which left me with severe back pain from neck to lumbar areas. so i tried the valium and found that 1.25 mg every 4 hours would stop the sweating. i have since had to increase dosage to 2.5 mg sometimes every three hours. right now we are having marital discord and my doctor increased my valium so i could take the 2,5 mg more often to control swaeting. personally i think i need a marriage counselor but my husband thinks we have a normal marriage after 42 years but my day doens.t end until sometimes 1 am as i am working at a part time job ,not in nursing, but still doing most of housework,yard work and caring for 2 grandchildren once a week. we also have 2 dogs,both rescues who need ongoing training to help them in their safe home but i have alays done more of all house related issues through out marriage as i tried to make it easier for my husband to come home after work and feed, bath and do homework with children as by that time i was working 3 to 11 so he hd to handle those chores. am i crazy or did i do this to myself by trying to be a good wife , mother ect. please let me know what you think i should do medically and mental health wise. i also had to take social security disability as my physical problems with arthritis and back pain made nursing too difficult anymore.i do samples at costco as i needed people contact and my husband worked part time after retiring and the dogs don t really answer questions or discuss topics with me. thank you for your patience with my questions and await your reply