Help with adrenal stress test results

[Lindsayf]

Hi all

Would anyone be able to help explain my below results?

[mandyjane]

Your cortisol is low. You can try this- Think about the things that threaten your safety on a morning and right a list of how you are going to protect yourself. The adrenal glad is very sensitive to thoughts and feeling of threat and you can stimulate it to work a bit better. Or you might want to supplement your cortisol with something like nutri adrenal. The other course of action, especially as you are low all the time would be to see GP and ask to be tested for addisions. They might be able to do a cortisol blood test at surgery. Dr peatfeild was the expert on adrenal fatigue and thyroid, you might want to get one of his books.

[Lindsayf in reply to mandyjane]

My alarm goes off and I just can’t get out of bed. I feel like the life has been sucked out of me. Can you buy Nutri Adrenal as it prescription only? I had a short synacthen teat in 2016 and my Endo said that it came back fine. But I will take the results to her when I see her in a few months. I’ll have a look for DR Peatfeild’s book. Thanks

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Lindsayf]

Can you buy Nutri Adrenal as it prescription only?

No it isn't, you can buy Nutri Adrenal from quite a few supplement suppliers, even Amazon and Ebay.

[Lindsayf in reply to SeasideSusie]

Is it better to wait till I see the GP and ask for a morning blood test? Not sure if by taking this it will effect the results

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Lindsayf]

Yes, if you intend to ask for further testing then don't take anything at the moment.

[McPammy]

What medication are you on. Do you have thyroid issues.

My cortisol went very low. I had tests for Addison’s and it wasn’t that. I do have Hashimotos. What I found increased my cortisol was T3 medication. My cortisol levels tripled within 4 weeks after starting T3 medication. Then I felt great with cortisol and thyroid, which effects every cell in your body.

Try and have TSH, T4 and T3 tested as well as cortisol. If you are a poor converter of T4 to active T3 then you could need T3 medication.

[Lindsayf in reply to McPammy]

I have Hashimoto’s and I take 100mcg of T4 and 25mcg of T3. I was over range for T3 for months maybe years and decided to reduce as I want to be in the top range of normal. I’m due to have a blood test in a few weeks to check my levels.

[Barrister]

Ask for an early morning cortisol test before doing anything else because that will give you a better indication of whether your adrenals are producing cortisol. If it’s low then you may need a referral to an endo. Do you have any other low cortisol symptoms?

Clemmie

[Lindsayf in reply to Barrister]

I have been under an Endo for about 3 years as they test my T3 every 6 months. I did have a short synacthen teat about 3 years ago and the Endo said it came back fine.

In the mornings I feel like someone has sucked the life out of me and come 3pm I feel the same. Just before bed I feel awake and it’s so annoying. I feel emotional and like I can’t be bothered to do anything. I hate it

[Barrister in reply to Lindsayf]

A lot can change in 3 years, that why I suggested asking your GP for an early morning cortisol blood test. That’s the time you should be producing the most cortisol so if it’s low then you may well have a problem and that could be why you feel so rough in the mornings. I was fine and in the space of 5-6 months I became so ill, I nearly died and when my cortisol was tested it was 15 - it should have been 500! Diagnosed with Adrenal Insufficiency immediately. And I was taking T3 which wasn’t helping because my adrenals were failing so spectacularly.

Clemmie

[Lindsayf in reply to Barrister]

Thanks for that. I’ll speak to my GP and ask for an early morning test. I also need to talk to them about my bilirubin as my last few tests have shown that over and after reading about it symptoms can be fatigue. How did you get your levels back up? Hopefully now your feeling better? It’s so hard trying to make yourself feel better.

[Barrister]

I was called and told that I needed to see an endo immediately where I was then started on hydrocortisone that same day. I’m better than I was but still struggling with it as so much can go wrong when you have adrenal insufficiency. I hope you don’t have it but if you do at least you can start treatment. Good luck.

Clemmie

[Lindsayf in reply to Barrister]

Thanks for that. Do you know what the different is between the blood test and the synacthen test is?

[Barrister in reply to Lindsayf]

A cortisol test will just check to see what your cortisol level is. A SST will take a baseline cortisol then they inject ACTH to stimulate the adrenals and will check levels after 30 minutes and 60 minutes.

Clemmie

[Lindsayf in reply to Barrister]

Okay thanks for that. I’ll contact my GP and ask for one