Stop blaming yourself for being "tired all the time." When your stress hormone system is dysregulated, no amount of sleep or self-care fixes it. Vela builds a personalized adrenal protocol based on your labs, symptoms, and patterns.
Get Your Adrenal ProtocolThe hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is your body's central stress response system. It regulates cortisol — the hormone that wakes you up in the morning, helps you respond to stress, and should taper off by evening so you can sleep. When this system becomes dysregulated, everything else falls apart.
HPA axis dysfunction (sometimes called "adrenal fatigue") isn't about your adrenals being "tired." It's about the communication loop between your brain and adrenal glands breaking down. Cortisol may be too high at night, too low in the morning, or flatlined throughout the day — and each pattern requires a different approach.
The connection to other hormones is profound: Chronically elevated cortisol suppresses thyroid function, disrupts sex hormone production (estrogen, progesterone, testosterone), depletes magnesium and B vitamins, and drives visceral fat storage around your midsection. Fixing the cortisol pattern often resolves other hormone issues that seemed unrelated.
Here's what most doctors won't tell you: standard "cortisol blood tests" miss the pattern. Cortisol follows a daily rhythm — your morning level looks completely different from your midnight level. Single-point testing can't see the pattern; you need four-point salivary testing to map your cortisol curve. And once you know your pattern, the protocol changes completely based on whether you're high, low, or flatlined.
Through symptom patterns and optional salivary testing, we identify your cortisol curve: elevated evening cortisol? Flatlined morning cortisol? Blunted DHEA? Each pattern points to specific interventions.
Chronic stress, blood sugar instability, gut inflammation, sleep debt, and excessive exercise all drive HPA dysfunction. We identify which drivers are active in your life so we can address them directly.
Foundations first (sleep timing, blood sugar, light exposure). Stress buffering second (adaptogens, nervous system regulation). Hormone support third. Clear priorities that move the needle.
This is a real example for elevated evening cortisol with flatlined morning cortisol. Your protocol will be different — built from your intake data, labs, and health history.
Every recommendation includes dosing, timing, expected benefit, and known cautions. Nothing vague. Nothing "consult your doctor" without context.
Measures cortisol at 4 points across the day (morning, noon, evening, midnight). This reveals your actual rhythm — a single blood test can't show patterns.
The "anti-cortisol" hormone. Low DHEA-S with high cortisol = stress dominating. DHEA supplementation only makes sense if levels are actually low.
Blood sugar instability is a primary driver of HPA dysfunction. Insulin resistance keeps cortisol elevated throughout the day.
Low vitamin D correlates with HPA axis dysfunction and elevated evening cortisol. Often an overlooked piece of the puzzle.
Magnesium depletion both drives and results from chronic cortisol elevation. RBC magnesium reveals intracellular stores, not serum levels.
High cortisol suppresses thyroid hormone conversion (T4 → T3). Thyroid issues are often secondary to cortisol dysregulation and won't resolve until HPA axis is addressed.
Take the 5-minute intake. Get a structured, personalized protocol based on your symptoms, labs, and health history. No guesswork. No generic advice.
Start Your Free IntakeExplore other condition protocols
PCOS Protocol Perimenopause Protocol General Hormones Thyroid Health All Conditions →