ACTH

hi on 6th september i have to have a blood test to measure my ACTH levels.

I have to stop all steroid for twenty four hours prior to the blood tests.

what is likely to be symptoms during the twenty four hours?

what results should I hope for to be normal?

[milupa]

Hello JulieVictoria -

do you take hydrocortisone? How much and at what time of day?

I take 17,5 mg in three doses and slowly went down in preparation for a blood test, after five days on 12,5 mg I could not function in the afternoons and went back up.

It is not a good idea to stop HC suddenly, even for just a day.

Make sure the bllod sample gets cooled immediately after the draw! My last one sat in full sun for an hour, the result is meaningless but it is still there in my records, with a note that no further tests are necessary (pituitary adenoma and hypoadrenalism).

What is your blood test for?

[humanbean]

What kind of steroids do you take?

ACTH is tested for all sorts of different reasons and in many different tests, and is always done in a hospital setting. If you know the name of the test you are having you can look up what to expect, and how to prepare, in this document :

imperialendo.co.uk/Bible201...

If stopping steroids concerns you make sure that you are not alone for the time you are not taking it, and have someone available to take you to your appointment and returning home afterwards. You could also speak to the endocrinology department about your concerns. It must be something they have to deal with every day.

Good luck.

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I am stopping steriods to see if I am primary addisons or secondary addisons