Adrenal fatigue

[Kwizzbit]

Hi everyone I have incredibly low cortisol all day and night and this assume I’ve got adrenal fatigue. I’ve been taking vitamin C and drinking liquorice root tea since discovering it. I mentioned it to an endocrinologist and she took a blood test to see what it said as a Random Sample. What should I do to remedy my adrenal fatigue, safely ? I’m already self medicating on NDT contrary to the wishes of the endocrinologist...

[humanbean]

How do you know you have incredibly low cortisol all day and night? Do you have some test results you can post?

If your results really are low all day and all night then you need to be tested (properly) for Addison's Disease. A random cortisol blood test isn't useful and isn't diagnostic for Addison's.

[Kwizzbit in reply to humanbean]

I had the 24 hour saliva cortisol done with medichecks but was not aware that it’s not great as my figures were less than 1.5 for each measurement; no specific figure given. My morning was 12 and it should have been closer to 25 ( upper point for waking cortisol) the rest were all reported at “<1.5” ...

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Kwizzbit]

Kwizzbit

As mentioned in reply to your previous post

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

you would be better retesting with Regenerus or Genova and get both cortisol and DHEA tested, and get some proper results with numbers, and plotted on a graph so you can compare with the normal cortisol curve.

Regenerus - thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/testin...

Genova - smartnutrition.co.uk/wp-con...

If all the results come back bottom of range then you should discuss with your GP and he should investigate further, not just the random cortisol sample, to see if you have Addisons.

Regenerus is possibly the one that's easiest as they send results direct to you (Genova send them to ThyroidUK and then TUK have to send them on to you).

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/testin...

[Deecam in reply to Kwizzbit]

Hi Kwizzbit once you have your test results against reference ranges see your GP and ask for a cortisol test. What your GP probably won't advise you is to have the cortisol blood test as early in the morning as possible and definitely by 9.00 am at the latest. Don't eat, drink (except water) or take meds prior to the test, instead take them straight after.

Good luck.

[Bramble83]

Kwizzbit do you know what your random blood cortisol result was?

Even though it wasn’t taken at 9am it can still tell you a lot.

If your cortisol is very low you would definitely need further blood testing from your endocrinologist.

I have Addison’s disease so have been through a lot (!!) of cortisol testing, i’m Just not familiar with saliva ranges as they don’t tend to be used for diagnosis.

[Hidden in reply to Bramble83]

Yeah, it grates at me to see so many people getting salivary cortisol tests done, because they're really not very helpful or accurate at all, and they're paying for it when they could just get a free 9am cortisol blood test done, followed by free 24-hour urinary cortisol and free SST.

[Hidden]

Listen to your endocrinologist.

They literally spend years learning about adrenal conditions among others and they know what they're talking about. If you don't have faith in your current endocrinologist, then find one through the Addison's Disease Self Help Group (ADSHG) if you're in the UK, because they have a list of endocrinologists who are specialists in adrenal insufficiency.

Adrenal insufficiency -- if that's what you have -- is a serious condition which is not to be messed with. It is a potentially life-threatening condition. Your endo should do a 9am serum cortisol blood test, followed by a 24-hour urinary cortisol test, and then if those come back low, they should do a 'stim test' or a Short Synacthen Test and other pituitary blood tests.

[Undiagnosed-20-years]

good place to start

amazon.co.uk/Your-Thyroid-H...