Adrenal stress test results just arrived - cortisol improved! But DHEA still low. Is this enough to now proceed with thyroid medication?

[sip1]

This was my original one back in Jan

i824.photobucket.com/albums...

And this is the one received back this morning

i824.photobucket.com/albums...

My DHEA is lower than it was before, but the cortisol is much more even. I did at one point take DHEA, but stopped. I wonder if I should re-introduce this again, or perhaps 7-keto?

[sip1]

Am I right in saying DHEA can be low in hypothyroid people? If so, does this mean the DHEA might improve with thyroid medication?

[sip1]

Any have any ideas at all if this is a big enough improvement for thyroid medication?

It does say in the commentary that came with the results:

Decreased DHEA levels may be seen in *thyroid disorders*, cardiovascular disease, obesity, reduced

immunity, rheumatologic diseases, and excess cortisol production, or with administration of pharmacological doses of glucocorticosteroids

[lucylocks in reply to sip1]

Hi

Sorry I can't answer your question, but just wanted to say my DHEA is really low (lower than yours) but my cortisol isn't too bad.

It says on my report "Usually DHEA falls BEFORE cortisol falls"

So its seems if your cortisol has risen you would have thought your DHEA might have risen also.

How did you get on with taking the DHEA and do you mind me asking what you took to get your cortisol levels up.

There is a very good Adrenal Support Group based in the USA. who have a forum so if you do not get anymore answer here get back to me and I will give you the details.

Best wishes browny

[sip1 in reply to lucylocks]

Yes I don't really understand it - you'd think that both would change equally. The DHEA made a HUGE difference to my fatigue, but I only took it for a month, so almost certainly not long enough. I only needed 3mg each morning (didn't work until I'd reached a total of approx. 70mg though, so if I take it again I'll probably take larger doses to get it up to speed!). If I took larger doses it kept me awake, despite taking it at 6 am. I took a sublingual version. Yes please for the support group - not getting my head around it is causing stress alone! Lol

[lucylocks in reply to sip1]

Hi

The Adrenal website is adrenalsweb.org/

When you have read the info. you can then scroll down to links and click on Yahoo Group

it then takes you to the group which gives details on how to join the forum.

Once you are accepted on the forum you can post your results and ask for advice.

Hope this helps Elaine

[sip1 in reply to lucylocks]

Sorry I didn't answer about the cortisol. I haven't done anything specific to raise my cortisol, I've just been resting a lot since Jan, vitamins and supplements have helped too.

[lucylocks in reply to sip1]

Hi

Which supplements are you taking?

[sip1 in reply to lucylocks]

Vit C 1000mg

Vit B complex

Vit D3

Selenium, Vit A, C and E

Ashwagandha

Magnesium 200 mg x 2

Calcium

Agnus Castus

Raw hypothalamus

Raw Pituitary gland

Occasionally iron (although my levels ok, as was my vit b12)

copper

zinc

[lucylocks in reply to sip1]

Many thanks, I am taking some of the supplements, what is the raw pituitary gland and raw hypothalamus?

hope you do not mind me asking.

[sip1 in reply to lucylocks]

Course I don't mind I take these healthmonthly.co.uk/swanson... Raw Pituitary Glandular and healthmonthly.co.uk/swanson...

I've no idea if they work or not - it's meant to be 'like for like' so it's worth a shot They do other glandular products too, although these are the only ones I've tried so far.

[lucylocks in reply to sip1]

Thank you, I am wondering if these will help my daughter.

We both saw a nutritionist and did the adrenal saliva test.

Her cortisol is really low, the nutritionist prescribed her Dr. Wilson's Dynamic Powder but it did not help her.

Her G.P. has said she has CFS but I have been reading

if the hypothalamus is not working properly this can give all the symptoms associated with CFS.

Did someone advise you to take the Raw Hypothalamus or did you just research it.

Thankyou

[sip1 in reply to lucylocks]

What made the doctor think it was CFS? Did they rule out everything else? (Bet they didn't!!)

I think so many things can mimic symptoms of CFS, including thyroid and adrenal fatigue.

I don't think it'd hurt to try - I just stumbled across it really and thought 'why not'

[lucylocks in reply to sip1]

Hi

Her Doctor said everything is in "range"

she has similar symptoms to me and I am hypo.

She did see Dr. Skinner who said she was hypo. but she did not feel any better on thyroxine.

She then had the test to rule out Addison's with an endo.

and a scan on her pituitary which shows the pituitary O.K but there was a shadow on the scan so she went back yesterday for another MRI this time on the blood vessles in the brain which has really worried us.

Last night I did some research and found out the people with CFS had a slower flow of blood in their brains so we are hoping this what the endo. is looking at.

We will have now have to wait for the result of the scan.

before buying anymore supplements but I will bear the ones you suggested in mind.

[Heloise]

I did some research on DHEA a while ago and tried taking DHEA but had strong headaches so after reading more, I decided to try pregnenalone instead. It seemed it might achieve better results according to what I've read to improve DHEA. Sorry I can't provide the sources right now but you might look it up. I haven't had blood tests so I don't know how well it worked or if it worked.

[sip1 in reply to Heloise]

I tried the Pregnenolone, but I think it made me feel worse. Somehow depressed, so I stopped taking it after just a few days.

[Heloise in reply to sip1]

I guess that can happen. Sometimes we are not deficient, it just isn't working and when we add more, it gets worse. Trial and error I guess.

[sip1 in reply to Heloise]

I've done a bit more reading on the pregnenolone - and it does seem like the ideal solution as it's supposed to also convert to cortisol as well as dhea. Perhaps I'll ask the endo on Tuesday as it might be worth trying again. Heaven knows if they'll agree with me though! I didn't take it for very long. I tend to start taking things, and then panic about doing it wrong and stop. I probably didn't give it anywhere near long enough.

[Heloise in reply to sip1]

lol, that sounds very familiar to me. It's ridiculous that we have to be doing this on our own but it takes specialized medicine to accomplish. I like this man's videos and his explanations. There are 22 of them under this title but he says you may be lacking serotonin but, NO, the answer is not to start taking serotonin.

youtube.com/watch?v=nZ_CP7l...(Not working as expected?)