Cortisol Saliva Test

[Jefner]

Everything is still wrong with me and since coming here back in 2016, there is no real improvement.

Spent enough money on help and private testing that could have added up to a decent deposit on a house, and after all that and working with an FD, adequate funds ran out and I am still in the same place.

Still having issues mainly with the severity of my anxiety, I just want rid of it so I can function again but it continues to plague me ever waking minute of my days, the worst being on waking.

Could be being post menopause, could be thyroid, cud be my Hashi's. Could be all combined. Either way I have never been able to find the root cause of why it came back so bad and stays with me.

Not had a 4 point saliva test done in a few years now so thought maybe I should again to see what my current levels are as back in 2016 my morning one was off the rails. Scans via my then Endo confirmed no adrenal tumors and after spending a lot of money on him,he just told me to go home and get my stress levels down.

December last year I had a full blood panel done for a new Endo that I consulted with, as a few long term users on here, will know that my T3 levels have always been low in the range, so I thought I would tackle that again. Included in that full blood panel was my morning cortisol

Cortisol ........ 9am 602 nmol/L (145.00 - 619.00 nmol/L

Am assuming although in the range it's still a little high.

T3...........5.6 pmol/L (3.50 - 6.50 pmol/L)

NOW..... I was gobsmacked to see my T3 levels so high in the NHS range. A couple of weeks before I was advised on here to split my 10mcg T3 dose into 2 with 1 dose being taken around 8hrs before I had my bloods done...which I did. Before that I had always taken my full 10mcg in the mornings. My new Endo even agreed it was the best idea. Anyway after my lab results came through he said my T3 was normal so I never consulted with him again as I didn't see the point of wasting any more money.

Comparing to the Blue Horizon Lab that I have always used, my T3 levels have always been at the low end of the range BUT with the NHS result you can see it's higher in the range, nearer where it should be. Could it be that one of the labs have not been giving me correct results or could it be that my NHS result shows higher because I had taken a small dose 8hrs before whereas with Blue Horizon over the years, I had never done that and had always taken my full dose in the morning!!!!

Anyway, I usually use Blue Horizon Medicals but because I am watching the pennies because I am under private therapy now, Medichecks does cortisol saliva test much cheaper than Blue Horizon. . Never used this company before. Are they ok please?

I am just so desperate to find out why my anxiety is still so bad, there is no shaking it and I have no life anymore; just sat indoors all day in fear and flight mode and not able to get out much now due to the agoraphobia.

thanking you for your advice in advance

[SlowDragon Administrator]

The recommended cortisol and DHEA test is via Regenerus as includes DHEA

thyroiduk.org/help-and-supp...

regeneruslabs.com/products/...

portal-app.inspira-regeneru...

[Jefner in reply to SlowDragon]

wow 18 days is a very long time to wait for the results with that company

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Jefner]

Yes. It’s sent to USA for processing

[Jefner in reply to SlowDragon]

omg that's a long time in the post before they test. Are they accurate?

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Jefner]

It's not that long in the post, they actually use planes to send mail to the US.

I've used Regenerus a few times and often I get the result back in 5-7 days after I send it off to their UK lab by Royal Mail's Special Delivery Guaranteed Next Day by 1pm. Regenerus lab in UK then send it off to the US.

[Jefner in reply to SeasideSusie]

thank you. I think it's worth testing again but as before I have no idea how to deal with it if my levels come back high again. Plus I altered my sleeping patterns last year because of building works next door that are now into the 3rd year but nearly finished. I don't go to sleep until around 3am and not been getting up until lunchtime so that won't have helped. My thinking behind it was to tolerate less hours of noise so help my mental health but think I have knocked my circadian rhythm out and created another problem. Am trying to change that the last couple of weeks now things have quietened down so I suppose that will have a huge impact on my results

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Jefner]

If that's your sleep pattern then you'll need guidance on timing of the test, best ask your FD when you've received the test and read the instructions and timings.

[Jefner in reply to SeasideSusie]

i don't consult with an FD now

[TaraJR in reply to Jefner]

I did this 4-point with DHEA recently. The results were emailed to me in 7 days.

[Jefner in reply to TaraJR]

who did you use please?

[TaraJR in reply to Jefner]

Regenerus

[Jefner in reply to TaraJR]

and yet they say it takes around 18 days

[TaraJR in reply to Jefner]

Yes they did on mine, but it was just 7 days. I was very pleasantly surprised.

[Jefner in reply to TaraJR]

what prompted you to test? Do you have cortisol issues and Hashi's like me?

[TaraJR in reply to Jefner]

I had Graves, then RAI, and I've been hypo ever since 1990. I was stable for 20 years, but was then very ill for 2 years. I tested Cortisol several times and it as usually too high. I thought it was good to test again (after 3 years) and it's only high in the morning now.

I never found a good way of lowering my levels before though

[Jefner in reply to TaraJR]

yeah that's the issue that showed up on mine when I first did one a few years ago. First one I did back in 2016 when my body crashed was around 82 and the top of the range for morning was 35. Kinda explained my anxiety, or so I thought. Tested a couple of times since and much much lower now but still the anxiety is bad on waking. I just never found a way either

[SlowDragon Administrator]

What are your actual thyroid and vitamin results and ranges

Always test early morning and last dose levothyroxine 24 hours before test

What vitamin supplements are you currently taking

Are you gluten or dairy free

[Jefner in reply to SlowDragon]

last tested in December and I have done my own testing for years so know the gaps to leave

tsh 0.04 (0.55 - 4.78)

T4 18.9 (11-22.70)

Vit D 188 (<49)

B12 912 (211-911)

Folate >24 (<5.40)

Ferritin 76 (10-291)

I am not totally dairy free but have been gluten free for years. I have a b complex, vit C, Magnesium, D3+K2, Apex OmegaCo3-SE, digestive enzymes. After a one off consult with my FD a couple of months ago she recommended I also take:-

, Apex Histo-X - to support histamine breakdown - not started them yet

Apex Tributyrin - to shift microbiome to a more favourable balance and support immune system. Also helps with blood sugar regulation. Only started started and had them for ages

Apex Nourish Greens - for extra nutrition

[radd]

Jefner,

Great FT3 levels. Many members benefit from splitting their T3 dose to prevent the peaks and troughs but also to prolong the duration of its actions. In other words you get more for your money. 

Sorry you are still not feeling well. Maybe those T3 will start improving your health. Have you tried magnesium for your anxiety? I’m not vegan but really like the Dr Vegans calm and sleep combos. 

Cortisol looks and sounds high. This may be horrible to experience but at least you haven’t progressed to the low stage yet. The Medichecks Cortisol Saliva test doesn’t test DHEA which is a useful measure to get a better picture as there is a general sequence in which both cortisol and DHEA raise and lower, so useful to collaborate the two measurements. 

[Jefner in reply to radd]

but my sudden higher T3 levels, even having been on the same dose for years, doesn't make me feel any better. I have magnesium at night before bed. I have tried and looked at EVERYTHING over the years to find out WHAT has triggered the anxiety again so I can deal with it but can't find it.

Is there another company other than Regenerus that does the cortisol test as 18 days is a long time to wait, plus I am terrified of the findings to be honest but think I should test again as I haven't done so for a long time

[radd in reply to Jefner]

Yes, its good to test if you are still suffering so badly.

There are other companies but the turn around time is roughly the same for all.

[Jefner]

last tested in December and I have done my own testing for years so know the gaps to leave

tsh 0.04 (0.55 - 4.78)

T4 18.9 (11-22.70)

Vit D 188 (<49)

B12 912 (211-911)

Folate >24 (<5.40)

Ferritin 76 (10-291)

I am not totally dairy free but have been gluten free for years. I have a b complex, vit C, Magnesium, D3+K2, Apex OmegaCo3-SE, digestive enzymes. After a one off consult with my FD a couple of months ago she recommended I also take:-

, Apex Histo-X - to support histamine breakdown - not started them yet

Apex Tributyrin - to shift microbiome to a more favourable balance and support immune system. Also helps with blood sugar regulation. Only started started and had them for ages

Apex Nourish Greens - for extra nutrition

[Blissful in reply to Jefner]

This link may be of interest:

Do you experience unexplained headaches or anxiety?

amymyersmd.com/article/hist...

I don't recall the details, but there's a strong link between T3 and Histamine (which also acts as a hormone I think).

I remember reading that Paul Robinson, author of Recovering with T3, found he had high histamine and when he fixed that, his health vastly improved.

[Sneedle]

Hi there, medichecks does not include dhea and does not use ranges for all its samples. If you use it, most likely folks on here will tell you it's not that helpful.

[lh22]

Sorry to hear you're still not feeling well.You mentioned you are post menopause - so obviously your hormones levels will have changed. For some women, this can cause all sorts of unwanted symptoms. Have you checked your hormone levels - estrogen, progesterone, testosterone,DHEA? It may be worth getting these done, if you can.

[Jefner in reply to lh22]

I am on hrt but after a bad experience with a private specialist I just went back to low dose. Am going to discuss again with my GP but don't hold out much hope tbh

[Digger0]

Just as a thought. Have you spoken to a health professional about your anxiety? It might have nothing to do with your pre-existing conditions and may be treatable.

[Jefner in reply to Digger0]

i have had it for most of my life and I am 60 now

[BB001]

You asked whether medichecks was OK. With regards to blood tests, medichecks is the one i use. I did an experiment because I wanted to know whether to trust medichecks or blue horizon blood tests. One experiment was GP results versus blue horizon. The other was GP results versus medichecks. I tested TSH, fT3 and fT4.

For each, the blood was taken at the same time as my GP blood draw, by the practice nurse.

I found that medichecks blood test results were almost identical as those of my GP. Whereas blood horizon were very different.

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to BB001]

BB001

I found that medichecks blood test results were almost identical as those of my GP. Whereas blood horizon were very different.

Which lab did the Medichecks and BH tests - it should show on the results sheet. Both Medichecks and BH use Eurofins County Pathology and Medichecks now sometimes use INUVI. If both were done by Eurofins CP then there shouldn't be a difference.

[BB001 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Interesting to know, thank you. When I can remember where I've put the results, I'll look.

[Knackeredandcross]

hi there

I have spent a lot of time looking into anxiety causes and treatments for my daughter and have just come across many articles referring to issues with the vagus nerve which has a huge impact on anxiety levels. There are many ways suggested to improve the condition through diet, breathing and exercise. It might be worth taking a look at that if you haven’t already as it seems you are doing all the right things. The only other thing I could suggest is to try and increase your iron as it isn’t optimal and that can contribute to anxiety. Very best of luck

Low ferritin issues

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Knackeredandcross]

Knackeredandcross

Have you got the link to the website that has that image about ferritin please, I'd like to include it in my ferritin notes as it's more detailed than the list I've got.

[Knackeredandcross in reply to SeasideSusie]

I haven’t I’m afraid, I’m sorry. Someone posted it in one of the Facebook thyroid groups and I just screenshot it 😕

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Knackeredandcross]

Oh that's a shame, never mind

[TiggerMe Ambassador in reply to SeasideSusie]

It comes from 'The Iron Protocol' which is a book by Caitlyn Hartigan, there is a website but this isn't on it as it seems more Facebook orientated 😐

[houston8]

also here are some suggestions

[houston8]

how come this won’t let me post photos of chart/graph? it’s asking me to describe it?? then when i try i still cannot post!?

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to houston8]

To describe it you can put any word or even a full stop will do.

Is your image JPG or PNG, I think those formats are acceptable, but being a total tech numpty I may be wrong. helvella can you help?

[TiggerMe Ambassador in reply to houston8]

Just put the cursor in the box and use the space bar if you don't want to describe it 🤗

[Jefner]

today I feel like hell with so much fatigue. I am so ready to give up, there seems no way out in at least feeling a little better, I have tried everything

[Popeye44]

I'm sorry you are feeling so overwhelmed by your anxiety. Please understand that the mind learns patterns of behaviour. After one episode of anxiety you wake up the following day and your mind says "Oh yes, we're waking up so this is what I should do now - anxiety attack". It's perfectly possible that your anxiety has absolutely nothing to do with any chemical levels in the body and more to do with your mind. The more you worry about it, the more your mind knows how to deal with it keeping you in an anxious state most of the time. If you have funds I would suggest you see either a Registered Hypnotherapist from general-hypnotherapy-regist... or an EFT practitioner from therapy-directory.org.uk

If funds are limited try watching some videos from The Tapping Solution (EFT) on YouTube.

I hope this helps you to reduce your anxiety and feel better x