Has your GPs acted on saliva cortisol results?

[FoggyMoggy]

I'm considering getting mine tested this way, but if it my GP isn't going to act on it, it could be a wasted expense. On the other hand, it may help me with other alternative treatments

[Hidden]

FoggyMoggy,

Most GP's or endo's won't recognise the saliva test results but then they wouldn't treat you anyway (unless you have Addisons or Cushings).

The whole point of having the saliva stress test is so you have concise results of your cortisol's behaviour over a 24 hour period giving you info to help consider the appropriate supplements and adaptogens.

Adaptogens are natural products that will encourage balance in your adrenal hormones i.e. help low cortisol increase and high cortisol decrease. It is important you administer the correct supplements as they can be very powerful.

Confirmation of a high or low cortisol test can also give you an answer as to why your thyroid meds aren't working well.

flower007

[FoggyMoggy in reply to Hidden]

Thanks Flower...that was what I was coming to realize so thanks for confirming

[Spanglysplash]

It won't be wasted as it gives you so much valuable information on how to treat them yourself. The doctor can't help you unless it's addisons anyway which is rare. so either way you'll be treating them yourself if you want to recover. It was the most useful test I did, well worth the £70!

There is a test here for £30 but it only gives you a reading for cortisol, 3 samples rather than the 4. But if on a limited budget it would still be very useful.

verisana.co.uk/cortisol-def...

[FoggyMoggy in reply to Spanglysplash]

Many thanks Spangly - I'll take a look

[SilverAvocado]

My understanding is that the NHS doesn't believe in adrenal fatigue, only the total adrenal collapse states of Addison's.

So you won't have any conventional doctors taking these results seriously. I had quite strange results, and took them around to 2 different endocrinologists who I happened to be seeing at the time. Both of them poo poohed the results.

But I've now been getting great improvements by treating adrenals, so shows how much they know

[FoggyMoggy in reply to SilverAvocado]

Interesting - thanks for that SilverAvo

[Hidden]

Hi, my GP did act on my results taken a year apart. My results were awful, my waking cortisol is only 3 for instance. I've lost all my underarm and most of my pubic hair, and this was on a leaflet I found online from British Endo's . it also clearly stated steroid injections can affect adrenal function, and I had 6 years of those into joints. I definitely had to make a case for myself. I think she took it more seriously because I wrote out the results plus ranges in a way she could understand. Half the trouble is GP's don't know how to read the results and get worried about something that isn't familiar to them.

She prescribed 10 mg of hydrocortisone, which I know wasn't enough for me. Like an idiot I lowered my thyroid meds at the same time expecting to get over medicated, and all that happened was my BP shot up, my palps came back and she got scared. HC is pretty expensive on the NHS, something else to factor in.

Since then I've been self medicating HC and got up to 30 mg, nothing much happened for a month, but now along with taking NDT plus T3 my temps normalise for a good chunk of the day. Whereas before just on T3 and no HC I was still tumbling as low as 35 deg. I've been taking 20/25mg for about 4 months now and just reaping the benefits. My BP has also gone down, not normal but on the right track. My weight gained on T3 has also stabilised.

[FoggyMoggy in reply to Hidden]

Thanks for that, Helcaster. It looks as if the numbers they give vary from lab to lab. Or maybe it's that saliva Cortisol uses different numbers than serum. My Cortisol has been around the 600 figure, just above range...so it's high rather than low Cortisol but low body temperatures like you. 35 is very low! Glad you have warmed up!

[SilverAvocado in reply to FoggyMoggy]

Foggymoggy, mine was like yours when NHS tested - an above range number. When I did the 24hr test it showed I was very above range in the morning, and below range all the rest of the measurements. I haven't been able to find an explanation for that particular pattern, but it's obviously not good

[FoggyMoggy in reply to SilverAvocado]

Thanks SilverAvo

[Hidden in reply to FoggyMoggy]

Yes foggy the saliva has a different measurement from say serum. The range is 21-42 something like that. My 24 hour cortisol has been around 15 for the last couple of years. I know late morning it was in the 400's for a serum test. The beauty of the saliva test is you're doing it in your own home so that in itself makes it more accurate, plus of course you're doing it 4 times from waking to bedtime. The highest should be on waking in the 20's, mine is really low at 3. I didn't get anywhere with supplements in a year I think because mine is really low, so now I take hydrocortisone. I have noticed a big difference in temps, sorry if I'm repeating myself lol!

[FoggyMoggy in reply to Hidden]

Thanks Helcaster - that's very helpful - fine to repeat yourself! With my foggy brain something then will stick if repeated often enough, lol!

[Hidden in reply to FoggyMoggy]

No problem

[FoggyMoggy]

Ah thanks Epictetus...well that's no different than getting a free one on the NHS - glad I saw this post!

[FoggyMoggy]

Yes that sounds right, Epi! I think there was the more expensive Cortisol saliva test that would give you the measurements throughout the day - the one that was £75, I think!

[Spanglysplash]

No I think you just get 3 data points. Maybe morning afternoon and evening. I haven't used them yet but others in another forum have with no complaints.

[Spanglysplash]

Oh I thought you got the separate readings, the 3 separate readings. Not so good if they just give you an average.

[Spanglysplash]

Not a good test at all then, sorry.

[SilverAvocado]

Thanks,Epictetus, that sounds interesting. I'm getting a few indicators at the moment that I might have a lot of inflammation - one from the optician who said my optic nerves look swollen!

Do you have any books or links to recommend where I can find out any more about cortisol and inflammation?

[FoggyMoggy]

I'm not sure I've got the right end of the stick, but my Cortisol levels were on the high side last time they were measured and I have very irritable bladder (always have!) so that do i blow that theory?!

[FoggyMoggy]

Yes I need to relieve my bladder thru the night...but I have always been like this...it is a hereditary thing. That is unchanging..but the things that have changed are I used to feel hyper, I now feel hypo. I used to be thin, never put on weight, now I am much bigger, I am always fatigued and now feel cold a lot whereas I never used to in my teens and 20s

[FoggyMoggy]

Thanks very much for your reply and information, Epi. I will have a look at the article...I do have Vit D deficiency though it is rising with supplements (though I don't always take them due to constipation side-effects!) although Vit D deficiency is a factor in so many illnesses (sigh)

Alas, I don't have any old thyroid measurements...I avoided blood tests for ages and feeling only hyper was so long ago ie in my teens, 20s and 30s. Having said that, there must be lab results available from all the blood tests I've had in my life but how to get hold of them without a huge cost!! Any ideas?

Oh....I'm just editing my response because I've just started reading the article and yes, saying about Vit D supplementation on its own not necessarily a good thing! Vey interesting! I do try and get sun in the summer but again it's lately not making a difference so does seem as if there's something else going on. many thanks for the link. Am off to continue reading...

Am editing again...can we get measure of our calcitriol? I suspect not!