Hormones & Illness
The messengers behind changes you did not choose.
7 minute read
Educational only — not medical advice. Bring anything surprising to a clinician you trust.
Page 1
Chemical post
Hormones are messages travelling in blood. Insulin manages fuel storage, thyroid hormones set metabolic pace, cortisol handles stress and inflammation, leptin and ghrelin negotiate appetite.
Change one and others respond. That's why a single hormonal shift can ripple into appetite, energy, sleep and body composition at once.
Page 2
Common shifts
An underactive thyroid can slow things and hold fluid. PCOS often involves insulin resistance. Perimenopause redistributes fat and disturbs sleep. Chronic stress keeps cortisol elevated.
Illness itself changes weight: fever burns energy, inflammation retains fluid, and recovery reverses both, sometimes dramatically.
Page 3
Medications matter
Some antidepressants, antipsychotics, steroids, beta blockers, insulin, and hormonal contraception can change appetite or fluid balance. So can several helpful drugs you would not want to stop.
Never stop a prescription over weight without your prescriber. But do mention the change — there are often alternatives.
Painting page: Messenger birds carrying letters
Tap a colour, tap a shape. There's no correct version.
Paint box
Pick a colour, then tap any shape. Your painting saves itself.