Cortisol Saliva test results - how do they look?

[MrsT79]

Hello,

Does anyone have any advice about my recent cortisol test results?

7.30am 10.3 (6-21 nmol/L)

12 pm 3.99 (1.5-7.6 nmol/L)

4pm 2.58 (0-5.5 nmol/L)

1030pm <1.5 (0-2 nmol/L)

According to the Medichecks interpretation they’re good.

I have been experiencing more exaggerated hypothyroid symptoms over the last few months/years and have been having a wide range of private tests before seeing an Endo privately next month.

Any advice or information appreciated.

Angela

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

MrsT79

According to the Medichecks interpretation they’re good.

I'm afraid I wouldn't trust anything they say about that test because it's not a particularly good one for a couple of reasons.

Firstly, when doing a saliva cortisol test, we should test both cortisol plus DHEA. We need DHEA testing as well as this helps with determining stages of adrenal fatigue (if present). In the initial stage, both cortisol and DHEA will be high, the more we struggle to produce stress hormones then DHEA will lower, and more advanced adrenal fatigue then cortisol will lower too.

Secondly, ranges are based on the levels of healthy people. Two of those ranges have zero as the lower limit. If anyone did have a level of zero, they would be very far from healthy, possibly even in a morgue.

Also when the result says <1.5 then there is no actual result. It could be anywhere between 0 and 1.4. For the bedtime sample, if it was nearer the low end the level would be good, if it was nearer the high end it would be too high.

Optimal levels according to rt3-adrenals.org/cortisol_t... are:

• Morning at the top of the range - yours is just 28.67% through range

• Noon approximately 75% of the range - yours is 40.82% through range

• Evening close to 50% of the range - if you can rely on the range at all then yours is 46.91% through range

• Nighttime at the bottom of the range - you don't have an actual result so it's impossible to say anything

[MrsT79 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thank you for your input SeasideSusie .I have a DHEA blood test booked next week along with thyroid, iron and vitamins.

I feel horrendous and have such low energy that as you point out they are still the mid to lower end of the ranges.

Thanks again.