Cortisone test

[Nickyxjx]

Has anyone with a BI been threw a cortisone test. If so what does it entail. The nurse who rang to make the appointment was les than help full grrrrrr xxx

[Hidden]

I'LL BE REALLY INTERESTED TO HEAR WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU GO FOR IT. WHY WAS IT SUGGESTED TO YOU?

[Nickyxjx]

It's for my son... Since his BI he's also ended up with a condition called diabetes insipdus which is to do with his sodium levels. The consultant in charge of that condition has ordered this test. The last 2 years his sodium has been checked by a simple finger prick so am really un certain what this is all about. His appointment us the week after next so am sure all will be revealed. Fingers crossed its nothing to serious xxxx

[bexx87]

my mum put me into a research group when I had my tbi and as part of the 10 year review they wanted to check my cortisol level which meant I had to sleep in hospital for the night and the nurse took blood samples every 15 mins or something and replaced my blood with freezing cold liquid, it was a horrible feeling it going up the vein *shudder*, and I haven't heard anything about the results, the only good thing to come out of the research was I was had a MRI scan which means nothing to me in terms of understanding how its injured but it gives me a physical inside that I do have a brain and it is injured.

[Nickyxjx]

Liam will only be there an hour she said. But she did mention taking blood. Injecting somethin then 40 mins later taking more blood. But that's as much info as I have on it xx

[bexx87]

Chances are they are trying to figure out how much cortisol his brain is producing to see if they can balance it.

Did the nurse not say "we are doing this because x,y and z" I would ask the nurse if I was you or get someone else to get to.

[Nickyxjx]

No she didn't.... She rung my phone an asked to speak to Liam!!!!! I was furious as Liam can't verbally communicate. Then when she made the appointment she asked what his work commitments where...... He's a 17 year old child with the worst possible brain damage that he can't walk eat move ect. Has 2 24 hour carers. Oh she got a slice ov my mind..... Am sick of so called professionals not reading patient notes befor making contact !!!!! Xx

[bexx87]

for me it was the other way around, they would tell my mum stuff expecting my mum to pass it on to me which she didn't, like for instant when the appointment for the review was made, I was at my bfs and when I came home a few days later the phone rang and I answered and it was the neurologist talking to me as if I had made the appointment (which I was clueless about), I then asked my mum about it and she said oh yeah ... I said you would do it, I was fuming, she didn't ask if I wanted to for all anyone knew I could have been super busy but she just made the decision for me and then when I when to get my MRI which she arranged for me, she was angry for me going needless to say I was upset and angry

Even now it gets my blood boiling

Any way you can look at his phone and get the number the nurse called on to call her/him back or can you do a reverse look up?

[RogerCMerriman]

We get phone calls like that at work, annoying they are.

[iforget]

Sounds like it is a syntacthen test which is really simple...They pop a cannula in, take a blood sample as a base level then they give a small injection through the cannula and half an hour later they do another blood test to see how the body reacted to the injection (sorry I can't recall what the stuff is that they inject)That's it. You go home straight after and there are no side effects or hoops to jump through. It is pretty simple and only scary if your son happens to be needle phobic. This helps them determine if/how much cortisol the body is producing. I had it done because of long term steroid therapy affecting adrenal function. Hope that helps?

[Nickyxjx]

This helps a lot thanks iforgot. His consultant is worried that his testosterone level is low so mayb that's the reason for this test. However I don't want him going on steroids as it was said to me that it would be a gel that would b rubbed into his skin and I nor his little brother shud come into contact with it which is pretty damn difficult seein as thou I do everything for him xx

[iforget]

Steroids are normally given as tablets or by injection where the dose can be carefully monitored and steroids are applied as gel for short term topical use like with a skin condition for example - in which case washing hands straight after applying is usually good enough.....but disposable gloves would solve the problem of steroid absorption if a gel was needed long term - if none of you are allergic to latex then they would not be as obviously intrusive as the crinkly plastic type and the doc should prescribe them for delivery via district nurse team to save you having to buy them. That said if he already has diabetes adding in steroids would require close monitoring - long term steroid use has been known to cause diabetes

[Nickyxjx]

It's testosterone he wants to give him hence why I being a female should come into contact. Am going to have A good talk with him at next clinic appointment as am not entirely happy about it xx

[iforget]

Ah testosterone... yep I can see why it would not be good for you to come into contact with huge amounts over a long period of time...but why gel? It is not a very reliable way of delivering a meaured dose? Sorry am thinking out loud rather than demanding/expecting answers

[Nickyxjx]

Apparently it can be given by injection but them they have no control over the volume as the injection lady for 3 months cx

[Phat01]

Hormone tests are definitely worthwhile, I hope to get mine checked out eventually... After my MRI and bone test!