Testing and Pregnenolone

[AKatieD]

Hi All

Some 9 months ago I did the 4 stage saliva cortisol test and started taking pregnenolone after a problem was found.

If I now check up on how the pregnenolone is doing do I have to stop taking it before doing the saliva test and if so for how long?

Should I also be testing progesterone/ oestrogen etc to see if they are ok too as the pregnenolone will affect them?

Thanks

[magsyh]

If you want to know if the pregnenolone is helping use it as normal. I do the same with progesterone. I have just started pregnenolone for the same reason as my dhea is also low. How do you find using it, do you feel better with it? I test all my hormones regularly because not having a gallbladder and having low cholesterol I don't produce enough hormones and that is where all my problems come from since I stopped ovulating. My cortisol is also low. How much pregnenolone do you take? I'm starting slowly.

[AKatieD in reply to magsyh]

Thanks for your reply.

Been taking 75 of preg for several months. I think it makes me feel better but over the lockdown I had trouble getting my usual T3 supplies. Everything got a bit messed up and I started to feel worse again so bit confused about where the problem lies.

It could be that my partner bought a different brand of preg and it did not agree with me (capsules - I read sublingual was better so going back to micronised tablets).? Or I am wondering if I should test progestèrone/ oestradiol or cortisol again to see what is happening there?

STTM says to stop supplements for 2 weeks before saliva cortisol test but I imagine that will make me worse again so not keen to do that. Or perhaps just stop day before like when we do thyroid tests?

Which tests from which company do you use (I have just done thyroid tests so I mean for other hormones)?

Thanks

[magsyh in reply to AKatieD]

I used regenerus labs for cortisol and DHEA. I use medichecks for progesterone and other hormones. My hormones are all messed up. I just don't know what needs fixing first because none of my symptoms add up. I'm waiting to hear from a private clinic in London. Hopefully get some answers coz I feel I can't go on like this.

[AKatieD in reply to magsyh]

Best of luck. Know how you feel about cant go on.

I have ticked off the thyroid levels and have reduced high iron levels have through blood doning.

Then going to try cortisol and sex hormones and see if anything comes up. No faith that any one else will do a thorough job.

If you make some progress pkease let us know what you find!

[posthinking01 in reply to AKatieD]

Hi there I take a pregnenolone cream by Bio Vea - Eurovital

[Giagal in reply to posthinking01]

Have you felt the benefit from using the cream? How often do you apply it. Thanks

[posthinking01 in reply to Giagal]

yes - once a day

[Giagal in reply to posthinking01]

Thanks for the reply. Did you not consider progesterone cream instead as this help increase cortisol?

[posthinking01 in reply to Giagal]

I have gone down the route of all the hormones - oestrogen - progesterone I would have preferred as I feel that is my problem - I have none at all - but I am looking at the adrenals not generally - the sex hormones to help adrenal function - unfortunately when I used progesterone cream or the tablets - my breasts swelled alarmingly - and I wasn't prepared to have that happen - it so helped in every other way but not the breast issue - have used pregnenalone cream and the same thing has happened - gives me energy to get things done but breasts swell again. I think DHEA was the best option out of all of them but DHEA reduced cortisol so I had a problem with the adrenals going low - I could see it in my face there was a problem - I have diagnosed adrenal insufficiency. I have now upped my steroid so perhaps I might try DHEA again - could be I was on too low a dose. Hope this helps.

[Giagal in reply to posthinking01]

Thanks again for taking the time to reply. Its a nightmare trying to balance all the hormones and that on top of thyroid issues makes this all a bloody nightmare really. My dhea is also low but having low cortisol I cannot take anything for it. Take care