Don't know what to do :-/

[sip1]

I have recently had another adrenal test (3rd one now) which shows slightly high morning cortisol, and then the rest low. How should I go about treating this? Should I take nutri adrenal extra mid morning and early pm perhaps, or is this a bad idea? I genuinely am stuck at the moment with how to treat this. I'm due to have my thyroid panel re-tested on Friday, and have cut down by half as I was slightly over medicated (my FT3 was above range). I had palpitations but when I cut down, they went away. Now they're back - so I'm confused as to why! Perhaps I'm still taking too much, but I doubt it. I only take 1.5 grains.

I do NOT like Genovas graphs, as the graph shows my morning cortisol to be much higher than it actually is. It's only over by .4 but looks much worse than that! I had this last time too, where the graph seems exaggerated!

Also - I don't know if it would make a difference - but about half an hour before the second sample I swam for an hour. Could that have lowered my cortisol? I know cortisol increases during exercise, but drops back down again shortly afterwards. I understand that overall, exercise reduces cortisol levels (which I suppose is why exercise is good for stress!) I swim 5-6 times a week mid morning.

I know my DHEA is low, but it's actually improved as it's gone from 0.19 to 0.30. I'm taking DHEA again now, hoping I can raise this further.

[galathea]

My graph looked like that, except the last three figures were a straight line. I went to a natural thyroid/ adrenal forum on yahoo and got a cortisone dosing schedule. I took cortisone for two years gradually weaning off it and taking my temps three times a day as per drrind.com

For me, it was the answer and allwed me to get much better whilst I sorted the correct amounts of thyroid meds. However, other people do well with nax and with changing when they take their thyroid meds as per the c3tm method (Anyone got a link to this?)

Sorting my adrenals allowed me to take proper amounts of thyroid meds and this made a huge difference to my health. I self sourced the cortisone but its not for the faint hearted.

You need to do something though. Don't just leave it. What have you tried and how has this affected your results so far?

G xx

[sip1 in reply to galathea]

I tried to add my previous stress tests, but I can't add them (probably me!) but they differ every time, My first one in Jan was:

Cortisol

Sample 1) 11.3 (12 – 22)

Sample 2) 1.8 (5.0 – 9.0)

Sample 3) 5.9 (3.0 – 7.0)

Sample 4) 6.5 (1.0 – 3.0)

and then May:

Cortisol

Sample 1) 12.4 (12 – 22)

Sample 2) 6.1 (5.0 – 9.0)

Sample 3) 4.4 (3.0 – 7.0)

Sample 4) 1.0 (1.0 – 3.0)

I wasn't taking anything in Jan, as that was my first test. The second one in May I had taken DHEA on and off, but nothing for the cortisol (aside from supplements such as b complex, vit d, iron, vit c etc)

Before my latest one, I had taken adrenal cortex extract for a few weeks when I started NDT. Stopped taking that for 2 weeks before doing the adrenal stress test.

The results confuse me, as I don't quite know how to go about it now. I have started taking the ACE mid morning, and again just after lunch but I don't know if I should be doing something about my slightly high morning cortisol, or not?