Adrenal Stress Profile Results

[martinspencer_1967]

After being diagnosed with ME/CFS a few weeks ago I have just received my saliva test results. All of the readings are very high, which probably explains why I’ve been collapsing at work etc. I’m taking 2 x ADRENAL EXTRA at the moment plus liquorice to help my adrenals. Can anyone comment on my results and other things that can help me get over this? I’m trying to de-stress my life at the moment but apart from that what else can I do to help?

The ME/CFS specialist says that I probably had too much stress in my life which caused me to get ill. Any tips on getting better?

AM 10.51 (ref 2.68 to 9.30)

AM 9.63 (ref 0.75 to 2.93)

PM 4.08 (ref 0.36 to 1.88)

PM 2.65 (ref <=0.94)

Thanks

Martin

[greygoose]

Licorice and Adrenal Extra raise your cortisol, so perhaps it would be a good idea to stop taking them.

Have you had your potassium and chloride tested recently? If your chloride is too high and your potassium too low, you will make too much cortisol.

metabolichealing.com/electr...

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Have you managed to get vitamin D, folate, B12 and ferritin tested as advised in previous post

These may be causing problems

[userotc]

Besides/instead of taking things, why not try to reduce your stress. Regular meditation eg 2x daily, may help.

[cazzaleo]

Hi martinspencer_1967!

I’ve also had a diagnosis of CFS/ME and a saliva test I had also indicated above range cortisol all through the day. I was very surprised by that result, what with feeling so wiped out all the time I thought the test was going to show low cortisol!

I’ve been trying some adaptogens to try to reduce my cortisol (rhodiola, three tulsi, maca etc), I’m not sure if they’ve been a difference but worth you looking into.

I’ve read that phosphatidylserine can be useful for reducing cortisol but haven’t tried it yet.

Meditation/mindfulness, as others have suggested, is a good idea for helping reduce stress/cortisol and for anyone with CFS/ME as you probably already know, as it helps to switch off the body’s sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight), and switching on the parasympathetic nervous system instead (which is what we need as much as possible with CFS/ME).

When you say you’ve been collapsing at work, what has been happening? Are you fainting? Does it happen when you stand up?

[martinspencer_1967]

Having tested my basal temp and pulse for the last week or so I think that I’m definitely hypothyroid as all of my temps are low 36’s with one of my results being 35.9! My pulse is also slow despite being in poor condition. I think that chronic stress over a period of years may have affected my t3 performance. I also have high reverse t3 which means that t3 is getting blocked by the rt3nhence the hypothyroid symptoms, which include fibromyalgia. I think most of us with cfs/me have a thyroid problem. I’m speaking to Dr P soon so it should be interesting to see what he makes of my low temps/pulse.