Hi Everyone. Here are the results of my first cortisol saliva test:
Waking: 14.68 (14.0 - 21.0)
Noon: *3.66 (4.0 - 9.0)
4pm: 3.84 (2.5 - 7.0)
Before bed: 4.37 (0.8 - 4.5)
My G.P. said I definitely had no cortisol issues as "only one was out of range", but what do *you* think?
Cheers!
This is a subject I know a bit more about than the thyroid stuff.
As well as the one "out of range" result, your first sample is barely in range. It's obvious your adrenals are struggling. They compensate when your thyroid isn't functioning properly.
Have a look at AdrenalFatigueRecovery.com there's loads of useful info there.
Also very good for understanding what's going on is "Adrenal Fatigue: Understanding the symptoms of adrenal fatigue" by Dr Eric Berg. You can get a kindle copy very cheaply from Amazon.
Because you're in the early stages, you could sort it quite quickly.
Thanks Maggie. I'm looking at adrenalfatiguerecovery.com now and it definitely sounds relevant. Thanks for replying to this post. No one else seems interested!
I think it's because adrenal fatigue doesn't seem relevant initially when you have thyroid problems. I always ignored references to it because I didn't think it was relevant until I did a timeline last year and correlated my life events with my thyroid 'down times'. Then I did the cortisol test and realised I'd crashed.
Your results :
Waking: 14.68 (14.0 - 21.0)
Noon: *3.66 (4.0 - 9.0)
4pm: 3.84 (2.5 - 7.0)
Before bed: 4.37 (0.8 - 4.5)
Optimal results as listed in Example 1 on this page :
rt3-adrenals.org/cortisol_t...
Optimal levels
• Morning at the top of the range
• Noon approximately 75% of the range
• Evening close to 50% of the range
• Nighttime at the bottom of the range
If we compare your results to the optimal levels :
Waking : You : 14.68 ---- Optimal : 21.0
Noon : You : 3.66 ---- Optimal : 7.75
4pm : You : 3.84 ---- Optimal : 4.75
Before bed : You : 4.37 ---- Optimal : 0.8
Totals : You : 26.55 ---- Reference Range : (21.3 - 41.5) ---- Optimal : 34.3
To summarise :
You are producing approx 77% of the total cortisol you should be per day i.e. 26.55 as a percentage of 34.3. i.e. you need more.
Also, you need to move the cortisol you do produce around a bit, so that you have less at bedtime and more in the morning.
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!!! This is the point where my knowledge runs out to a large extent. !!!
You haven't included any test results for DHEA. I know this is relevant to cortisol production but I have never researched this connection. Maybe someone else can help. DHEA can be bought as a supplement online I think, but without test results it is not possible to know whether you need it.
Some useful links :
hormonerestoration.com/Cort...
functionalmedicine.net/pdf/...
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You need to increase cortisol throughout most of the day and reduce it at night.
Where I get stuck is in knowing what order things should be done in.
1) Should you try to raise cortisol throughout the day first? Raising it during the day may persuade your body to lower output at bedtime - but I don't know.
2) Should you try and lower your bedtime cortisol first? Lowering it at night may increase your cortisol in the morning - but I don't know.
3) Should you do both together?
In your shoes I would go with (1) first because your cortisol is too low for a greater part of the day than you have too little.
I suggest you research supplements and prescribed drugs to raise cortisol, then decide what you are prepared to try.
Ditto with supplements and prescribed drugs to lower cortisol.
Be aware that taking hydrocortisone to raise cortisol can seem like a good idea but it must be done very, very cautiously if you decide to try it. Take too much and it may bugger up your adrenals for ever.
Also, if you do start taking hydrocortisone remember it must be reduced very slowly as well. Some people take months over it. greygoose has used hydrocortisone, so she might be able to advise.
If you can afford to do so I would suggest re-testing every couple of months, but bear in mind that the supplements you take will affect the results and you must not stop taking things like hydrocortisone quickly.
You might find this video interesting :
vimeo.com/3818805 (Less than 4 minutes long.)
It is aimed at women, but is educational and relevant for men too. Amongst other things it shows how incredibly important cholesterol is.
Good luck. 
You're right in thinking that n° 1 is the best solution, HB. The reason the cortisol is relatively high at bedtime, is because the adrenals are struggling all day to make their quota, and only manage it when it's time to go to bed. If they made enough in the morning, they wouldn't have to struggle all day, so the bedtime level would be lower.
Besides, trying to lower cortisol is not an easy thing to do, and might end up lowering it when you don't want it low!
So, generally, you have to treat your adrenals well. Plenty of B vitamins, and vit C. And plenty of salt. Plenty of rest and protein. make sure you have a high protein meal as soon as you get up in the morning.
I don't really think your results are bad enough to warrant using HC, Hypoguy , my results were under-range. But if you did want to try it, just take a low dose, first thing in the morning, when the adrenals have their busiest time, and a second dose - if you feel it's necessary - before lunch. But, never, ever after 1 pm. Do not listen to those people who say you need to mimic the natural output of the adrenals and take it at intervals throughout the day. You don't need to do that unless you have Addison's. And, you don't have Addison's. So, never after 1 pm, or the adrenals will shut down, and you won't ever be able to come of it.
When you do feel you're able to come off it, as HB said, come of it slowly, very slowly, gradually tapering down.
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