Adrenal FunctionSaliva Test: If anybody took this... - Thyroid UK

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Adrenal FunctionSaliva Test

winjy profile image
37 Replies

If anybody took this test, does it help for your health problem to be corrected?

I feel my cortisol is high due to levo.

NDT seem to have estrogen which increase cortisol. I experienced it.

Can adrenal function and cortisol problem caused by medicine be fixed.

I wonder if my doctor knows this test, I guess not.

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winjy profile image
winjy
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37 Replies
jacrjacr profile image
jacrjacr

I don't have the link but I read there is aconnection in t4 only meds and adrenal problems....taking vitamin c and b complex helps adrenals,giving up all sugar, eating a whole foods diet, and 8 hours sleep a night a MUST.....and stop stressing over all the small stuff and let things go...that is what helped me....and I went on ndt....and it can cause hair loss...stress that is and cortisol

Katepots profile image
Katepots

My cortisol is far too high but not the cause of NDT. I was however previously on just T4. Interesting.

I'm not particularly stressed, sleep well, eat a good diet, no sugar, gluten, casein, soy, nightshades...

I take Rhodiola and Siberian ginseng as I've read that they can lower cortisol.

winjy profile image
winjy in reply to Katepots

Is cortisol tested by endo?

I should check it up but I can feel that it is very high which makes ill all over.

Thanks.

Katepots profile image
Katepots in reply to winjy

Endo did bloods but I ordered a private saliva test online through bluehorizonmedicals

Howard39 profile image
Howard39

Hi

Yes I've had the tests privately. Cortisol is only half the picture tho- you need to have dhea measured too. Low dhea is v serious.

High cortisol can come from body stress i.e. Thyroids out of sinc or another illness. Stress itself or using mouthwash or steroids.

I've never heard of problems coming from thyroxine and I take reasonably high dose- medium of t3. Also ndt is made from pigs bladder so if it contained oestrogen no one with cancer would be allowed to take it. I am thinking of swapping over as most of my patients feel better on it.

To get a full picture I would suggest you use Geneva to test both.

To lower cortisol is not easy- holy basil and rhodiola help. Some people take pregnenelone usually if the dhea is on the low side but it can be used on its own.

No I doubt a gp will test dhea.

Tulsi tea is the best thing in the meantime with vit c powder and I'd suggest you check thyroid and all vitamin levels to be on the safe side.

High cortisol will make you feel anxious or stop you sleeping if it spikes at night.

If you need any more info please just message me.

Katepots is right a great diet is essential too.

Good luck.

Katepots profile image
Katepots in reply to Howard39

Great info thanks Howard. My GP and endo are completely ignoring my high cortisol and I know it is something that has made me really ill since my teens. I have Wolf Parkinson White syndrome and I suffered from hideous anxiety in my 20's which led to OCD and agoraphobia of which I cured myself with a lot of years of struggle.

Then I found out years later I am hypo (must have started hyper) and Hashimotos.

I've researched for the last couple of years and have sorted most things through self medication but I am at a loss with the cortisol and really need to test for bugs, parasites etc but again nobody is interested.

I take Rhodiola as read it could help. Great to hear holy basil and Tulsi tea may help I'll give them a go and also get private testing for dhea. Will look in to pregnenelone.

Thanks.

winjy profile image
winjy in reply to Howard39

Thanks.

winjy profile image
winjy in reply to Howard39

I tried more than 100 items tested before and they say I have no problem..but I have rather high colesterol (228)and fasting glucose..(109-119) and I am skinny (I got weight gain after surgery and levo, All doctors do not care my colesterol and glucose as they think it is not the normal range but not high compared to other patient. Recently I also took necessary blood tests including thyroid, reverse T3, B12, etc..

I tried every effort to lower my colesterol by diet but did not work.My father was diabetes so had blood circulation problem(passed away). My mother have thyroid cancer and had it removed several years before me and also on levo but she is very ill like me.

The thing is NDT gives me fever and my throat and neck is on fire with some pain and swollen. Maybe it affects my thyroid cancer residue and develop it again.

My oriental doctor gave up treating me last year as his medicine made me worse.

He just told me that there are a lot of people suffering from side effect of levo and I have to reduce dosage by boosting body function. But if I have hormone, imbalance, how can I?

Thanks.

Katepots profile image
Katepots in reply to winjy

Hmm did you try several brands of NDT or just one? Erfa made me ill due to the fillers used in it but I'm great on Thyroid S and it's reduced my high cholesterol too. The T3 definitely has a role in reducing cholesterol.

T3 is five times more active than T4

winjy profile image
winjy in reply to Katepots

I am allergic to talc in filler. I can't take synthroid and I take levo with no talc. Erfa made me sick on the first low dosage for filler. (caused asthma right away)

I tried NP thyroid. When I quit levo and started NDT from small dose I was very hyperthyroid as I have no thyroid gland.

I also tried Armour. Armour and NP thyroid are similar but NP is better I guess. Nature throid. it made me more dehydrated causing diarrhea but seem to work better.

I also tried thyro gold.. After all this I got pain on the upper left belly (liver) and kidney part.

WP thyroid is the same company brand of nature throid. However I am allergic to ragweed which is the same class of chicory root. I was advised that some lady allergic to ragweed was very ill on WP thyroid.

I will check my estrogen and other hormone but seem to increase my inflammation and have fever and pain on my throat and neck as if it affects my cancer residue or so ( I had this kind of pain some times before surgery)

Due to pain on my liver and kidney part I should discontinue NDT (I used them about 3 months..), I have bad circulation on my right side of body...

Katepots profile image
Katepots in reply to winjy

Crickey, yes no good for you! Sorry you've had so many problems.

winjy profile image
winjy in reply to Katepots

Thank you for your concern and advise.

elaine2447 profile image
elaine2447

Sorry you are going through this. I am also the Queen of stressheads!! Always have been for years but lived with it. It started with being widowed with a three year old, then the elderly parents accident and nightmare nursing homes etc. All told around 30 years of it and then when it all stops, I think the rot set in.

I started feeling completely out of control with the onset of Hashimotos which I only discovered through having osteoporosis and pursuing the problem with hyperparathyroidism.

I saw a Functional Medicine Practitioner who started me on a 1/4 grain of NDT and I reacted really badly to that all except for one day which was a real puzzle so only took it for 5 days. Most people on the forum and a group on FB said it would be to do with the adrenals. Anyway, I realised that the night before my "good" day on NDT I had dug out an old mirtazapine, only 15mg as I needed to sleep that night as I had a function to go to the next day and I really didn't think I would make it. I started googling and found a study was done some years ago with mirtazapine and is apparently the only anti depressant that suppresses cortisol. On the healthy individuals they experimented on it reduced by up to 30%. So now I know the reason.

I have since been taking organic holy basil in the morning and nighttime and an organic ashwagandha capsule at lunch time for the last two or three weeks. I am very sceptical of these supplements and more often than not they make me feel sick. However, fingers crossed, although I don't feel well with other health issues, I actually don't feel quite so stressed, so am hoping this will continue. The FMP practitioner I saw recommended a dried urine test via Regenerus but it runs into well over £200 and as I have spent in excess of £6k over the last two years on useless endos do not feel inclined to pay all this. I did do a finger prick test for morning cortisol which I was told was a waste of money. It was as I suspected at the top of the range.

Katepots profile image
Katepots in reply to elaine2447

Try Rhodiola too, it's helping me.

elaine2447 profile image
elaine2447 in reply to Katepots

Thanks. I'll have a look for it. Never heard if it before today.

elaine2447 profile image
elaine2447 in reply to Katepots

I've been looking at Amazon there are lots of it but confusing some reviews say too strong and caused anxiety another not strong enough and on another someone else said made them anxious. Some have a combination of ashwagandha and ginseng which I don't want. Wondered which you are happy with. I try to get organic if possible and avoid anything from China as their soil is so toxic.

Katepots profile image
Katepots in reply to elaine2447

I'll post which one I use tomorrow as no problems at all.

elaine2447 profile image
elaine2447 in reply to Katepots

Thanks

winjy profile image
winjy in reply to Katepots

I was advised that DHEA can cause problems in case of long term use as well as other hormones like estrogen, testosterone...etc. so I am worried...about it but I will try one.

Katepots profile image
Katepots in reply to winjy

I wouldn't play about with dhea unless you have had tested and know it's low.

The Rhodiola I take is

Natures answer 400mg

Just have one or two mls daily in my smoothie.

winjy profile image
winjy in reply to elaine2447

Before I had my thyroid gland removed I never had pain on my body all over except when I got flu.. and my pressure was not high under a lot of stress. I was 40 in 2011 when I had surgery. The thing is when I take levo I get ill and when I quit for 3 weeks...my symptoms are gone..But since I get hypothyroid and carpel tunnel syndrome and myxdema...

I had to back on levo and symtoms were back.. I tried NDT...also made me sick.

I tried antidepressants but they did not work making me weaker causing side effects. After I was taking them...my health condition got worse. I passed out and hospitalized at ICU.

But thank you for your information, I will try it later when my health is better.

I live in the U.S.

winjy profile image
winjy in reply to elaine2447

I guess I have adrenaline problem..cortisol too due to levo.

HLAB35 profile image
HLAB35

The problem with some herbs is that they make the most of what little reserves we have. When in fact there may be a general underlying deficiency (usually vit d, b vitamins and specific amino acids). In my opinion Vitamin D ( it's a misnomer as it's actually a hormone) is crucial - low'ish normal levels just don't cut it when you're stressed and you want to be on the high side as it is the master controller of the uptake of b vitamins and hormones. Vitamin B5 works in tandem with Vitamin D to manage our circadian rhythms (that's why some b-complexes for adrenal health contain extra b5). I've been trying this out and b5 worked, but just a bit too well, and I felt like I'd been knocked on the head - but it's definitely worth a try, but only if vit d levels are ok. There was a fab link that explained all this, but I've lost it...

winjy profile image
winjy in reply to HLAB35

Thank you for advise.

HLAB35 profile image
HLAB35 in reply to winjy

Found it - please thank SlowDragon for this one...she posted it a week or so ago ..

drgominak.com/vitamin-d-hor...

Arnold_Layne profile image
Arnold_Layne

If your father had diabetes you will almost certainly get it as well. There is only one way to avoid it - everyone really needs to check out Professor Tim Noakes on YouTube (his interview videos are the most accessible but all his videos are really informative, and easy to watch). His advice will become orthodox in future (some medical students have already realised he is right) and if you follow it your fasting glucose problem will go.

High cholesterol is not a problem at all - Noakes explains this very well. In fact high cholesterol is good - low cholesterol apparently causes cancer.

hels333 profile image
hels333

Taking the adrenal saliva test, which has to be done privately in the UK, most definitely helped my health.

It showed extremely high cortisol due to severe stress, and I have brought down the cortisol levels by taking DHEA cream that I buy privately online.

Bringing down cortisol has really helped me feel calmer, less stressed, sleep better, etc etc. I would urge you to research and try and remedy your high cortisol as it's not good to leave it high long term.

Good luck.

winjy profile image
winjy in reply to hels333

Thanks.. I think I have high cortisol level on levo...also on NDT due to estrogen dominance.

May I ask what brand of DHEA you use?

I was on levo for 5.5 years so my body is ruined completely.

hels333 profile image
hels333 in reply to winjy

Hi, I used Eurovital DHEA cream when DHEA levels were nearly flatlined, and now have moved to Eurovital Pregnenolone cream [which will make DHEA if one is low in it]. I have also used Natrol brand DHEA tablets. I took 50mg when I was first flatlined in DHEA some years ago. I bought the 25mg tablet bottle size so I could drop to one tablet when I could tangibly feel my adrenals improving.

I've never had problems importing the tablets nor the creams over the 10? years I've used them. Though on occasion I am hit with customs and excise if my parcel is opened! That notwithstanding, I won't be without my hormones as I feel so ill without them!

winjy profile image
winjy in reply to hels333

DHEA cream works? I tried 5mg DHEA and got serious side effects.

elaine2447 profile image
elaine2447

I'm not a great fan of the Daily Mail but whilst Googling DHEA, I came upon this which I thought was quite interesting dailymail.co.uk/femail/arti...

humanbean profile image
humanbean in reply to elaine2447

DHEA is classed as an anabolic steroid in the UK and is therefore a controlled Class C drug, so possession of DHEA is illegal. Some supplement companies will sell it to customers in the UK, but if customs opened your parcel it might be confiscated. I haven't a clue whether they would arrest you for ordering it.

It is listed by the government under the name

Prasterone (Dehydroepiandrosterone DHEA)

at this link :

gov.uk/government/publicati...

There is an earlier reference to DHEA being banned here :

gov.uk/government/news/harm...

What I don't know is whether there are types of DHEA that are legal and types that aren't. My chemistry isn't up to the job.

elaine2447 profile image
elaine2447 in reply to humanbean

That's interesting, so I won't be going down that route, not because it's illegal but I don't fancy anything to do with steroids. I am sure I saw a supplement on Amazon but then found that Daily Mail article. I do get a few benzos which I guess are deemed as illegal but they come via EU so customs never get involved. However, once we leave the EU will be a different story.

elaine2447 profile image
elaine2447 in reply to humanbean

Found it. Swanson are a very reputable company so makes you wonder what is in the capsules and they are very cheap too! healthmonthly.co.uk/swanson...

winjy profile image
winjy in reply to elaine2447

dose is too high. you better check your dhea level before taking it or start from low dosage to see how your body reacts.

elaine2447 profile image
elaine2447 in reply to humanbean

Seems like it is something different from DHEA examine.com/supplements/7-k...

humanbean profile image
humanbean in reply to elaine2447

That second link I gave above, from the UK gov site, mentions :

7-hydroxy DHEA and 7-keto DHEA

It was because of this I said I didn't know if there were different kinds of DHEA and that my chemistry wasn't up to the job. :(

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