More numbers for your comments please.

[mumcat2]

I've already had your positive reactions to my analysis of my most recent thyroid bloods,but I hope someone might be able to comment on adrenal (short synacthen) results…

This was done because of my very low blood pressure (97/47) after my chat to the endo. She now tells me that my baseline was 509 nmol/l which rose to 850. The units are not important (by what I've read) it's the rise itself that matters. From what I've found, the baseline concentration should at least double ;by my simplified maths,mine rose by 70% in round numbers. Endo's quote, " the consensus of the Endocrine MDT meeting was that you have got adequate cortisol response to short synacthen test therefore you do not have any evidence of adrenal insufficiency."

Given that I am definitely hypopituitary, following pituitary surgery and radiotherapy, does anyone have any opinion on this "consensus"?

I confess, I'm confused and pretty upset and low at the moment. Your encouragement means a great deal.

[Moggie]

Have a read.

imperialendo.co.uk/Bible201...

Moggie x

[mumcat2 in reply to Moggie]

Thanks Moggie! Does the moniker reflect a love of felines? Mine's descriptive as well!

[Moggie in reply to Moggie]

No - a miss spent youth with a bit of a fighting nature - lets just say claws were involved.lol.

Moggie x

[sallypg]

Hi, please enlighten me on what short synthacen is, thanks. Have you done a saliva test to get accurate reading if what tour cirtisol does during the day?

[mumcat2 in reply to sallypg]

Hi Sally, Short synacthen is a quick test to find out if your adrenals respond to stress by producing more cortisol. The "ACTH" part of its name refers to adrenal corticosteroid, the hormone trigger for cortisol. In this test, your blood is taken first to get a baseline level,then you're injected with man-made ACTH. Exactly 30 minutes later, another dollop(scientific term!) of blood is taken,and the level of cortisol is measured. It's a particularly important test when you have,as I have, a damaged pituitary, as ACTH is produced by the anterior pituitary normally, and my ant.pit. already gets help in the form of yet another hormone it should produce. It wouldn't be any surprise if I did need corticosteroid treatment at some point;this shortage of ant. pit. hormones was predicted when I needed surgery way back in the 70s.

Hope this makes sense!