Cortisol Saiva Test Results

[Ohc9]

I have just revieved adrenal saiva test results and I am having difficulty interpreting them. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thankyou in advance. Ciara

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Ohc9

These are the optimal levels for people without an adrenal problem from rt3-adrenals.org/cortisol_t...

• 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

and from stopthethyroidmadness.com/l...

8 am: at the tip top part of the range (so if top of range is 9.5, people are right there, maybe even 9.4)

11 am-noon: in the upper quarter (though not at the very top of provided range)

4-5 pm: right “around” mid-range

11 pm to midnight: at the very bottom (Literally. So if range is 1-4, people are at 1, not even 2)

Your waking sample is way too low, midday sample too high, 2pm sample way too high, 4pm just about right, 6pm way too high, bedtime sample is anyone's guess because they stupidly don't give a proper result, it could be at the very bottom or it could be 3/4 of the way through, nobody knows.

The high results can indicate stress.

Unfortunately you didn't do a test which included DHEA, which is important when testing cortisol.

Here is Dr Myhill's interpretation of adrenal testing which probably doesn't help much because yours is a bit like a yoyo.

drmyhill.co.uk/wiki/Adrenal...

With results like yours I think you need someone experienced in treating adrenals to guide you.

[Ohc9 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Hi SeasideSusie thnkyou very much for your help. I had adrenal tests done about 3 years ago that included DHEA levels. Are these results of any use or too outdated? Thanks again. Ciara

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Ohc9]

No, they're far too old, wouldn't be relevant now. You can't use a DHEA result from 3 years ago with a cortisol result from last week, chances are your DHEA is very different now anyway.

[SilverAvocado in reply to SeasideSusie]

I agree with the last comment. These look like quite a difficult case. With the 24hr test the shape is very important, as well as the independent scores. So it should be pretty highghin the morning, then reduce quite sharply by midday, and then a gentle reduction down to midnight when it is at its lowest.

Your shape is completely up and down all day, including an incredibly low morning. These are easily the worst results I've ever seen, including in made up examples!

My first though would be to retest quite soon, to confirm that the bottles didn't get mixed up! You may even have some success if you complain to the company and say the results look implausible.

A friend of mine was given a free retest by Medichecks just because he has very poor conversion and his results looked strange. He didn't even ask, they just posted it out.

[Ohc9 in reply to SilverAvocado]

Hi SilverAvocado thankyou very much for your reply, I have already ordered a retest as I thought the results seemed strange, I wasnt aware they might do it for free. The last time I got this test done my results were

Morning - 1.3

14.00 - 1.3

18.00 - 0.9

Bedtime - 0.5

So this set of results seems very strange in comparison.

[SilverAvocado in reply to Ohc9]

Wow, those are very low results! It may be that your more recent ones are an improvement, because your levels are a little higher.

Have you been tested by a conventional doctor and looked into Addison's? You may need to have prescription treatment with levels this low!

[Ohc9 in reply to SilverAvocado]

Hi SilverAvocado thanks again for your reply. I had my levels retested. I'm unsure how to post a picture in the replies so I updated the picture in my original post to the most recent results. I had an appointment with my doctor yesterday and he prescribed 25mg daily of hydrocortisone. I have been doing a little research on the medication online and haven't seen many success stories. Hopefully it works for me. Thanks again for your help.

[SilverAvocado in reply to Ohc9]

I can't remember what the previous results were, do not sure to compare. They still look pretty bad, with a complete loss of the ideal shape.

I think hydro cortisone is the thing you want to be on. Have they given you an actual diagnosis of Addison's? If not I would push to confirm whether that is what they think and get a full diagnosis.

I think all you can do is wait and see. Or search other posts for more info on adrenals. It doesn't get discussed enough in the forum. I'm trying to read up myself at the moment, and only finding snippets in books mainly about other things at the moment.

Here are a few links I've got but haven't fully looked into yet:

[SilverAvocado in reply to SilverAvocado]

rt3-adrenals.org/cortisol_t...

drmyhill.co.uk/wiki/Categor...

recoveringwitht3.com/techni...

[Ohc9 in reply to SilverAvocado]

Thank you very much for the links I will have a read now. He didn't give me an addisons diagnosis just referred to the adrenals being burnt out. I have another appointment in July so I will ask about addisons diagnosis then. Have you taken hydrocortisone yourself? Im finding they have made me much more energy less, have spent the majority of the last 3 days asleep. Hoping this is just a temporary side effect.

[SilverAvocado in reply to Ohc9]

No, I haven't. A handful of ppl on the forum will have, so maybe you could make a new post and ask.

I think it would be a good resource for the forum as a whole, because adrenals are often mentioned, but not too much detail.

[WhisperSoftly in reply to Ohc9]

Can you please post your results if you test again, please!

My TSH have gone from 6.5 to 15.5 and I am on Thyroid medication.

Had this issue for almost 2 years. I feel like I am dying. I might have Tertiary hypothyroidism, or some idiopathic disease.

I am fairly sure my Adrenals of Pitutary are not working properly.

They have ran test but no blood test are showing the true issue that they have ran. My Endocrinologist seem aloof or puzzled as to why my TSH is going higher and higher from 6.0 to 15.5 and yes I lost my gallbladder have Bile Reflux.

I am extremely ill and can hardly eat much of anything, although I do try to take supplements when I can. Most all Fats especially Beef Meats I can no nonger digest at all.

I do eat Gluten free, I did start eating Gluten free shortly after losing I lost my Gallbladder .

My Immune System seems to be attacking itself. I am ill.

Thank you any suggestions are welcome.

[Ohc9 in reply to WhisperSoftly]

Hi Whiper thanks for your reply. I have posted my retest results on my original post above. Im not sure I would be in the position to give you any advice unfortunately I dont have much knowledge on the subject of adrenals. My doctor looked to get these tested as I have not had any improvement with thyroid medication over the years - I have been on levothroxine only, levo and t3 combination and am now on naturethroid. My doctor thinks the low cortisol levels are the reasoning behind my continued symptoms.

If you are concerned about your adrenals you can get them tested through medichecks.com it may provide some clarity to your ongoing issues? I follow the autoimmune paleo diet and have been completely gluten free since being disgnosed with hashimotos and while i'm definitely no where near better I do feel this helps.

[AnnaSo]

I am having a similar problem, but my mid-day levels are the only ones out of range - too high. I also struggle to make sense out of this and how to proceed to get it down a bit! If I follow cortisol reducing protocol I worry my levels will drop throughout whilst I only need the mid-day spike to lower...

Saw you’re on NDT, I believe it is not recommended if cortisol is not stable (as well as low iron)- perhaps that’s why you’re not too well? I myself want to move onto NDT but worry my adrenals are not ready for it.

[WhisperSoftly]

Ohc9 Thank you for the reply. Have felt a little better, but still not well. TSH they says means nothing if your Adrenals are not addressed properly. Read your pamplet if you get one or ask pharmicist. It says in black & white Adrenals must be addressed before giving Thyroid meds. The truth, their are virtually no Endocrinologist or doctors that know how to address or believe in adrenal issues here where I live and we have a population of near a million people. You have to drive south or north of here 4 hours to find any doctors that have knowledge or care for these issues and no way am I going to be able to do that with the way I feel. Ask your doctor to kindly take his time and read the short pamphlet inside the thyroid bottle or ask your pharmacist to give it to you and have your doctor read it throughly and see if I am not correct.

Let me tell you another serious issue, not with me but with a well known specialist physician here in my city. He has been extremely ill for over 2 years and has gotten so bad he had to drive 4 hours down to a specialist hospital to see a highly skilled and trained doctor. That in itself tells you how badly we need good, skilled physicians instead of hundreds of ER doctors playing part time doctors who do not know a damn thing. If you have a issue I recommend you see a good OBGYN over many other physicians. If they can handle a pregnant woman with a child and keep them healthy that tells you a lot about the specaility that may give you hope. 30 years ago we did not have all these issues with finding a knowledgeable physician that would listen to you for more than 5 minutes and who really cared for you on a personal level.

All the med students that are graduating or starting to practice today and even the ones who have been working in our health system now are the most untrained physicians I have ever seen in my life. That is why I can not wait for our governor to be gone so they get our health system fixed in our state to one that does give preferential treatment to the poor or wellfare recipients. I am not against anyone being treated for their health issues, I just believe we all should be treated equally for our issues and our dear veterans should be getting preferential treatment if anything for all they sacrificed for us, yet sadly they get even worse care than many. I am actually very ashamed that someone who is supposedly a highly trained physician has a lack of proper training and listening skills.

I pray you are doing better and I hope everyone here is doing well and gets well. Thank you again sincerely for the reply. From my heart.