Is a TSH of 1.44 cortisol a bit on the low side?

[Whatamug1]

Hi there - I don't really have a clue what I'm talking about but was recently in hospital because of Bradycardia & now have a load of Cardio tests to undergo. I noticed the Cortisol level mentioned in the Drs letter looked it up and saw a reference to hyperthyroidism but I could be barking up the wrong tree completely. It may be a case of a little info in the wrong hands being dangerous !!! Lol.

[TheAuthor]

Hi Whatamug1

I sincerely hope that you are feeling as well as you possibly can be today? Bradycardia is a condition whereby the heart beats very slowly and can lead to many different medical conditions from hyperthyroidism to hypothermia, so the breadth of illnesses is quite vast. I can imagine that they would want to do quite a few tests when you present with kind of condition?

I have pasted you a link to an NHS pdf file about this condition below:

nhs.uk/ipgmedia/national/ar...

As for the Cortisol levels that you saw, they vary throughout the day. It is typical for levels to be lowest at night before bedtime and highest in the morning upon waking up. There are certain environmental factors that can throw off the levels slightly, such as an abnormal sleep schedule due to varying work shifts. In a normal adult, cortisol levels are between 5 to 31 micrograms per deciliter (mcg/dL) in the morning and 3 to 13 mcg/dL in the afternoon. Also please remember that certain medications can, and will raise or lower your Cortisol readings.

I want to wish you all the best of luck with finding the answers that you so desperately desire and deserve.

All my hopes and dreams for you

Ken

[Whatamug1 in reply to TheAuthor]

Thanks for the link and the info - I notice that it was a morning reading at 1.44. Yup along with everything else the Drs had to sit up this time as I was in the hospital for a colonoscopy when the did my BP and it was 36 - so was being monitored pretty quickly. They'd just found out that I have pylorus erosions which have been causing night vomiting. All preventable had I been listened too over the past 25 yrs. thanks for your words x

[TheAuthor in reply to Whatamug1]

I am so sorry to read about the pylorus erosions, this must be so painful and enough to make you feel down? Anyway, good luck and I hope that you are on the mend real soon.

Take care

Ken x

[Whatamug1 in reply to TheAuthor]

Thx Ken - there were times it was so painful that had I had a gun I would have shot myself! Amazing how I was symptomatic all that time yet not one Dr picked up on it. The damage is now done & Im grateful to the locum who sent me for the endoscopy recently - I knew the pain wasn't in my mind ! Shame I'm being proven right - I'd be much healthier if they'd been right Lol

[nadine111]

hi whatamug1. in regards to your cortisol levels please talk with your dr. before scaring yourself. you have so many tests coming up imagine it would be nice to have an answer to one test. my cortisol levels were so low i freaked out when read about it. turns out i was taking the wrong dosage on two meds which caused the cortisol to go crazy down. was so pleased to get an answer to a problem that could be solved unlike so many others that can't be and might never be.hang in there and try to think good thoughts. i think we all tend to be so down trying to figure out what is wrong, how to deal with it, how long it will take to see any progress and on and on. i now try to think about the possibility of good news. i.e. i've had melanoma plus basal cell carsenoma twice. the second time was only about 4 months ago so went to see the derm. figure i'd get a clean bill of health. nope-needed four areas sent out for biopsy. ack! not again and not so soon. my husband talked me into thinking i would dodge the bullet this time. just heard back that most were fine and last one was indeed the other type of skin cancer but she had taken such a big piece initially that she feels she got it all! i do need to go back in three months to make sure all is well but i spent many days scared that would need another "procedure" to remove bad cells and these are almost smack in the middle of my face which would have left an ugly scar no matter how good a plastic surgeon did the work. was thrilled that for once had reasonable good news. so will think good thoughts for you to have an easy answer to your cortisol levels.

[Whatamug1 in reply to nadine111]

Thx for your txt it's much appreciated as I live alone - The hospital medics have stopped my sertraline but I think my Drs just too old for the job as he rang yesterday and cancelled an appt which I'd made to just ask questions. Nothing new - with Fibro I'm used to being treated like I don't exist. Sorry just having a few silent tears ......It was a locum who recognised something I said & who arranged the endoscopy & colonoscopy & who I made the appt which my Dr cancelled !!! So he's obviously seen some paperwork as I never received anything from him before X

[jellynpain]

Hi,

So sorry your going through the wringer.

I had a sudden attack whereby I lost the use of my body movement, hospitalised, and movement slowly returned. This was pre CFS/ME, FM diagnosis (though been poorly with many symptoms a year or so before).

Consultants were'nt interested in cortisol, but my excellent gp continued tests based on my symptoms.

That's the brief background.

Still having huge problems I had a cortisol test (have to be done around 8-9am), the result so low, just under 1, that the lab phoned my gp concerned. I had a short stathecen test (apparently only as good day taken) which was borderline ok.

Following that it was discovered that I have atrophy half a thyroid gland and pituarity issue.

Endocrinologist is disinterested, did a urine test when I pushed for, misreported to gp too.

My point being that hyper or hypothyroidism doesn't seem to be something keen to check on or take seriously. As this can be fluctuating it can be hard to 'test catch'.

Very low cortisol can effect so many areas of your body as it helps regulate the workings of all.

I have had higher cortisol tests since, so likely fluctuates.

Its worth you discussing with your doctors.

All the best x

[Whatamug1]

Thx all who replied - I have written a reply to all but I can't find them anywhere so my apologies if I'm doing it wrong. Ann