Healthy Living Blog: Biohacking Gone Wrong: Why Everything You’re Doing to Optimize Your Health Might Be Backfiring with Dr. Sabrina Solt

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Have you ever done everything right, taken the supplements, used the red light, eaten the clean food, and still felt worse? Wired but exhausted. Heart racing at 3am. Crashing every afternoon like clockwork. If that sounds familiar, this conversation is going to change how you think about your health completely.

I recently sat down with one of my closest friends and personal doctors, Dr. Sabrina Solt, who I consider the true guru of regenerative medicine and peptide education. She has been in this space for over a decade, long before peptides became a social media trend, and the conversations I have with her privately are the kind that make you rethink everything. We decided it was time to bring one of those conversations to you.

What started as my own health mystery, hive outbreaks, elevated cortisol, strange inflammation markers, and a very unexpected reaction to supplements I thought were helping me, turned into one of the most eye-opening conversations I have had about what actually goes wrong when we try to optimize our health without understanding the full picture. Here is what Dr. Solt helped me understand, and what I think every midlife woman needs to hear.

Why Your Cortisol Is Running the Show (And You Might Not Even Know It)

Most women know cortisol as the “stress hormone,” but what Dr. Solt explains goes far deeper than that. Cortisol is supposed to rise briefly in response to stress, help us handle the situation, and then return to normal. What is happening to most women today is something very different.

We are living in a chronic stress environment: blue light exposure, nutrient-depleted food, demanding jobs, family pressure, and emotional load that does not turn off. That constant pressure keeps cortisol elevated not just for hours but for weeks and months at a time. And the downstream effects are not just fatigue. They can quietly dismantle nearly every other hormone system in your body.

Here is the pathway that matters: cortisol and your sex hormones, estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone, all start from the same raw material. When the body is chronically diverting resources toward cortisol production, your sex hormones are left fighting for scraps. This is why women in perimenopause or menopause can experience a sudden worsening of symptoms even when they are doing everything else right. The hot flashes, the night sweats, the low libido, the mood swings can all be amplified by unchecked cortisol.

The Marker Most Doctors Are Not Testing: Prolactin as a Cortisol “Snitch”

One of the most important things I learned from Dr. Solt is about prolactin, and the fact that most doctors are not looking at it. Prolactin, the hormone associated with breastfeeding, can also rise in response to chronic cortisol elevation. Dr. Solt calls it a “cortisol snitch” because it tells us that cortisol has been dysregulated not just for a day or two but for weeks or even months.

Why does this matter? Because a standard cortisol blood draw only captures a moment in time. Prolactin elevation tells us the story of what has been happening behind the scenes for much longer.

When prolactin rises in someone who is not pregnant or nursing, it triggers a drop in dopamine, the neurotransmitter responsible for motivation, drive, and joy. This is why burnout feels the way it does. It is not a personal failing. It is a measurable, biological cascade that starts with chronic stress and ends with a woman sitting in a doctor’s office saying she is just tired, just not sleeping well, just low energy.

MPO, Cholesterol, and the Cardiovascular Connection Nobody Is Talking About

Here is where things get truly important, and where conventional medicine often gets it wrong. When cortisol has been high for an extended period, cholesterol often rises too. Your body increases cholesterol because it is trying to produce more raw material for both cortisol and sex hormones. It is a protective response.

But most doctors see elevated cholesterol and immediately want to lower it, without asking why it went up in the first place. Dr. Solt checks a marker called MPO, myeloperoxidase, which is a direct indicator of active cardiovascular damage. If cholesterol is high but MPO is low, the cholesterol is there as a helper, not a threat. If both are elevated, that is when a real conversation about cardiovascular risk needs to happen.

Additional inflammation markers she looks at include HSCRP for generalized inflammation, homocysteine as a byproduct of energy production pathways, and PLAC as another indicator of active cardiovascular involvement. Together, these markers paint a much more complete and accurate picture than cholesterol alone.

When the Root Cause Is Something You Would Never Expect

Once diet and lifestyle have been addressed, Dr. Solt goes looking for hidden drivers of inflammation. This is where my own story gets surprising. After ruling out obvious contributors, she pointed to dental health, specifically old root canals and crowns, as potential sources of chronic infection and ongoing cortisol elevation.

She also investigates mold and mycotoxin exposure for patients whose labs remain abnormal despite clean living. And in some of her most meaningful patient conversations, she has had to ask whether a romantic partnership itself is the source of chronic stress. This is not a casual question. She has seen the physical damage on lab work from women in toxic or chronically difficult relationships, elevated cortisol, depleted hormones, autoimmune disorders, and bone loss. The body keeps the score in very literal, measurable ways.

The Supplement Problem: Why More Is Not Always Better

This is the part of our conversation that I think will surprise the most people, because it surprised me. I had been doing a lot of things that I thought were helping: methylated B vitamins, CoQ10, bergamot, brain support supplements, mitochondrial support, and extended red light sessions. And they were making things worse.

Dr. Solt explains it through the lens of upstream versus downstream. When we pile in inputs, B vitamins, red light, NAD, glutathione, we are loading the upstream side of the energy production system. But if your body cannot efficiently clear the byproducts of all that activity on the downstream side, which is largely determined by your genetics and things like MTHFR and COMT variations, you end up feeling wired, exhausted, and worse off than before you started.

For me, having an MTHFR variation combined with a slower COMT meant that methylated B vitamins were pushing my system into overdrive with nowhere for the excess to go. The fix was not to add more. It was to remove what was overwhelming the system and support the downstream pathways instead.

What I took out: methylated B vitamins, CoQ10, bergamot, any mitochondrial stimulating supplements, and excessive red light exposure.

What I kept or added to support downstream clearance: urolithin A, sauna without red light, broccoli sprouts, and magnesium glycinate at night.

The change was almost immediate.

The Truth About NAD and Glutathione Drips

These two are everywhere. IV wellness centers offer them constantly, often at high doses, often without a thorough intake process. But Dr. Solt has strong cautions for both, particularly for women who are already in an overstimulated state.

NAD is a powerful molecule that supports mitochondrial function and mitophagy, the process of clearing out old and damaged mitochondria. But when delivered too quickly or in doses that outpace the body’s ability to process it, it can cause serious problems. The heart has one of the highest densities of mitochondria in the body, and rapid NAD delivery can actually trigger mitochondrial die-off in cardiac tissue, creating a risk of cardiac events.

Glutathione operates as a force-eject mechanism for the body’s detox pathways. In women who carry a significant toxic burden, often stored in fat tissue as a protective measure, a large glutathione push can suddenly flood the system with more toxins than the liver can handle, leading to a Herxheimer-like response that can last for an extended and miserable period. The body stores toxins in fat because it cannot process them fast enough. Forcing them out before the pathways are ready only creates chaos.

Both of these substances have legitimate uses in the right context, with the right person, at the right dose. The problem is the casual, high-dose, trend-driven way they are being administered.

Peptides 101: What They Are, Why They Matter, and What You Need to Know

Dr. Solt has been working with peptides for over a decade, long before they became social media content. She describes them as powerful biological signals, not supplements. They flip a switch and direct the body to do something specific. That makes them genuinely useful and genuinely worthy of respect.

Here is a brief overview of the peptides discussed:

BPC-157 (Body Protection Compound 157): One of the most accessible entry-level peptides. It supports gut healing, soft tissue repair, and joint recovery. Unlike many peptides, it can be taken orally or by injection, since it naturally occurs in gastric juices and survives stomach acid. There is no known upper toxic limit identified in research.

TB-500: Promotes angiogenesis, the creation of new blood flow to areas that need healing. Often paired with BPC-157, particularly for people with cardiovascular history or insulin resistance who have compromised circulation.

KPV: A mast cell stabilizer that is excellent for inflammatory gut issues and histamine responses. Often paired with GHKCU (the copper peptide) to reduce injection-site reactions.

GHKCU (Copper Peptide): Stimulates collagen production at the genetic level, activates anti-aging gene expression, and supports skin texture and healing. Injectable is more effective than topical, but topical (particularly at 3% concentration) is the safer choice for women with active histamine sensitivity.

Thymosin Alpha-1: A potent immune system peptide that Dr. Solt has used to address seasonal allergies and support patients with autoimmune conditions. Used in Europe as an alternative to the annual flu shot.

Growth Hormone Releasing Peptides (Sermorelin and similar): These stimulate the body’s natural growth hormone production without the organomegaly risk associated with direct growth hormone use. Especially relevant for midlife women concerned about muscle loss and bone density. IGF-1 levels are monitored to ensure safe use. It is worth noting that increased appetite is a common and expected side effect, indicating the body is actively rebuilding.

MOTC and SS31: Mitochondrial peptides. SS31 repairs mitochondrial integrity, and MOTC then optimizes function. Using MOTC without SS31 when mitochondria are compromised can create wired, overstimulated feelings.

GLP Peptides (Semaglutide, Tirzepatide): Dr. Solt has been microdosing these since around 2022, starting with very small, spaced-out doses to preserve nutrient intake while supporting weight and metabolic goals. She sources them through compounding pharmacies for precise dosing control.

One serious caution she raised about higher-dose or gray-market GLP use: anhedonia, a dramatic drop in baseline dopamine that causes people to lose interest in life entirely. This is not a theoretical risk. It is showing up in patients.

What to Have in Place Before You Consider Peptides

Dr. Solt’s position is clear: peptides are the cherry on top of an already optimized system. They are not a shortcut. They require raw materials to do their work, which means you need adequate protein intake, quality sleep, and consistent resistance training before they will deliver meaningful results.

Her baseline recommendations before considering peptides: a minimum of 100 grams of protein daily, seven to eight hours of sleep each night, and lifting weights at least three days a week in a meaningful way. If someone establishes those habits consistently for three months, many of the symptoms they were attributing to something more complex will often resolve on their own.

She also advises looking for a doctor who walks the talk, someone who has personally tried and refined what they recommend and who will take the time to understand your full history rather than applying a generic protocol.

Rebuilding: Dopamine, Oxytocin, and the Other Half of Recovery

Something Dr. Solt said that I want every woman reading this to hear: reducing stress is only half of the equation. The other half is actively rebuilding dopamine and finding joy again.

For women who have been running in a depleted state, the nervous system has adapted to chronic low dopamine. Reducing cortisol creates space, but the body still needs inputs that restore motivation, pleasure, and connection. This can mean music, exercise, creative work, and for Dr. Solt personally, it included a period of intentional rebuilding during a deeply difficult time in her life.

One tool she prescribed that I wish more women knew about is oxytocin nasal spray. Oxytocin acts as a cortisol antidote, dropping the body into a deeply relaxed, parasympathetic state. It requires a prescription, but many doctors can write one. It can be used multiple times throughout the day and is particularly effective before sleep.

She also highlighted magnesium glycinate as one of the most important and underappreciated supplements for cortisol reduction, noting that the vast majority of people are deficient, and diet alone is rarely sufficient. Glycine, GABA, and taurine can also support the transition to rest, and tyrosine taken in the morning can help support dopamine levels during high-stress periods.

The Bigger Picture

What I walked away from this conversation believing, and what I hope you take with you too, is that our bodies are not betraying us. They are responding intelligently to inputs, both the ones we choose and the ones we do not. When something is not working, the answer is rarely to push harder or add more. It is to ask why.

That is the health detective approach. It is what Dr. Solt does with every patient. And it is what I believe every midlife woman deserves to experience.

You are not broken. You are navigating a complex system without always having the right map. This conversation is part of the map.

 

The contents of the Midlife Conversations podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult with a qualified healthcare provider. Some episodes of Midlife Conversations may be sponsored by products or services discussed during the show. The host may receive compensation for such advertisements or if you purchase products through affiliate links mentioned on this podcast.

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