High Cortisol results : Genova saliva Cortisol... - Thyroid UK

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High Cortisol results

Bean101 profile image
75 Replies

Genova saliva Cortisol results

7am. 14.82. Ref range. 2.68-9.30

12 3.37. Ref range. 0.75-2.93

4pm. 1.88. Ref range. 0.36-1.88

10pm. 0.99. Ref range. <0.94

DHEA. 0.15. Ref range. 0.25-2.22

Please note

I took 125mg Klaire AC at 8am ( I have been on AC for years

Thyroid Test

FT3. 5.3. Range 3.1-6.8

FT4. 16.9. Range 12-22

TSH 0.02. Range 0.27-22

Blood test taken as recommended in this group

62.5mg T4

15T3mcg

My T4 is too high! When taking 50T4 my blood results were 11

I was surprised by the high cortisol as I feel I have low!

symptoms

Vibrating

Exhausted

Hypoglycaemia

Brain fog

Depression

Shaking hands

Restless legs

Dehydration

Low Blood Pressure

I have had Hashimotos for 26 years and nothing much left of my thyroid

When diagnosed my THS was 76

D101 gene +|+

D102. +|~

I have been on Thyroxine and T3 for 18 months and the T4 gives me ulcers!!

I have tried to go back on Erfa and just feel awful

I have tried all different combinations of thyroid meds and all make me feel I’ll

Supplements

B complex

B 12

Selenium

Chromium

Molybdenum

Potassium ( my body wastes it)

Vitamin D

Vitamin C

Vitamin K

any advice would be appreciated

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Bean101 profile image
Bean101
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SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator

FT4: 16.9 pmol/l (Range 12 - 22) 49.00%

FT3: 5.3 pmol/l (Range 3.1 - 6.8) 59.46%

Was last 5mcg dose T3 Approx 8-12 hours before test

Do you normally split the T3 as 3 x 5mcg doses

what makes you say Ft4 is too high ….if anything it’s a bit low

Suggest you try increasing levothyroxine to 75mcg

Perhaps try splitting the dose…..so 50mcg at bedtime and 25mcg waking (or vice versa)

When were vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12 levels last tested

Restless legs often low iron/magnesium

Are you gluten free/dairy free?

Bean101 profile image
Bean101 in reply toSlowDragon

Thank you for your reply

I have been gluten and dairy free for many years and I have a clean diet

Last dose of T3 12 hrs before test

I think my T4 looks to high for the small amount I am on! I have tried to put the T4 up by 6.25mcg but can’t tolerate it.. I get more ulcers in my mouth, shaking and feeling awful

I spilt T4 37.5mcg am and 25mcg afternoon.. I can’t tolerate any meds bedtime, or in the early hrs of the morning.

Cortisol blood test

15th Feb

538. Range 133-537

Monitor my health results

HB 200

Vitamin D 96

Ferritin 135ug

TSAT 43%

Active B12 300

Folate 8.4ug

Cholesterol 4.8

HDL 2.25

Non high density 2.6

Cholesterol HDL ratio 2.1

Triglycerides 0.8

LDL cholesterol level 2.2

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator in reply toBean101

which brand on Levo have you got

Have you tried other brands

Different brands have different fillers

Would Endo or GP permit trial of liquid levothyroxine

Bean101 profile image
Bean101 in reply toSlowDragon

I am on mercury pharma, I have tried wock hard and that upset my stomach, GP won’t let me try liquid

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator in reply toBean101

Try Teva …..it really suits some people

or there’s Aristo now called Vencamil

Or there’s Accord to try

Mercury Pharma has acacia in it

List including ingredients

thyroiduk.org/if-you-are-hy...

Bean101 profile image
Bean101 in reply toSlowDragon

can I get Aristo on line?

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator in reply toBean101

which brand is your T3?

Bean101 profile image
Bean101 in reply toSlowDragon

Thybon henning

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator in reply toBean101

so Thybon Henning is lactose free

As you are dairy free you very likely need lactose free levothyroxine

That’s Teva or Aristo

Aristo currently only available as 100mcg tablets

Teva available as 25mcg, 50mcg, 75mcg and 100mcg

is your levothyroxine prescription NHS or private

Some of these online pharmacies only supply private prescription

Find out by emailing/phoning if they can supply Teva or Aristo

thyroiduk.org/if-you-are-hy...

How GP should write brand specific prescription
Bean101 profile image
Bean101 in reply toSlowDragon

my Thyroxine mercury pharma is from the NHS, I have tried to change it to Aristo but they will not do it

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator in reply toBean101

GP could and should specify brand levothyroxine

Would have to get 100mcg tablets

You would have to explain to GP that you would cut 100mcg to get dose you need

Government guidelines for GP in support of patients if you find it difficult/impossible to change brands

gov.uk/drug-safety-update/l...

If a patient reports persistent symptoms when switching between different levothyroxine tablet formulations, consider consistently prescribing a specific product known to be well tolerated by the patient.

If symptoms or poor control of thyroid function persist (despite adhering to a specific product), consider prescribing levothyroxine in an oral solution formulation.

academic.oup.com/jcem/artic...

Physicians should: 1) alert patients that preparations may be switched at the pharmacy; 2) encourage patients to ask to remain on the same preparation at every pharmacy refill; and 3) make sure patients understand the need to have their TSH retested and the potential for dosing readjusted every time their LT4 preparation is switched (18).

You may need to take prescription around to different pharmacy

Ring or ask around to find a helpful pharmacy

Small independent pharmacies often much more helpful

LucyYoga profile image
LucyYoga

Hi- im not 100% sure but I thought when you are taking ACE you should stop it for at least a few days before doing saliva cortisol test as it will give you a falsely high reading.....

Bean101 profile image
Bean101 in reply toLucyYoga

I wanted to see what my levels were like on AC I will do another test off it and see

LucyYoga profile image
LucyYoga in reply toBean101

Ah ok - yes good idea to repeat. Will probably explain though why cortisol came out high but DHEA still low

LucyYoga profile image
LucyYoga

Yes.... here are the guidelines from Genova diagnostics lab re cortisol saliva testing- ....These are the things to avoid

11. For most accurate results, avoiding certain supplements for up to 2 weeks

before the test is advised. You may or may not get off these supplements,

depending on the condition you are taking them for. Supplements that can

affect cortisol level:

Adrenal Glandulars, Adrenal Cortex, 5 HTP, Ashwaganda, Astragalus, Over

the counter cold remedies, DHEA (72 hours before test), Cordyceps, GABA,

Flonase, Holy Basil, Jujube, Maca, Licorice root, Kava kava, Magnolia root

extract, Melatonin, P5P (can lower cortisol for some), Pregnenolone,

Progesterone, Rhodiola, Phosphatidyl serine, Relora, Siberian Ginseng,

Theanine, Valerian, Zinc

12. Certain prescription medications affect cortisol, please work with your

doctor for discussing the best way to do the test if you’re taking one of these

medications:

Hydrocortisone, Prednisone, Florinef, Anti-depressants, Anti-anxiety meds,

Blood pressure meds, ADHD meds, Beta blockers, Asthma meds and sprays,

Sleeping pills, Pain killers for arthritis, Pain killer for migraines,

compounded progesterone

Bean101 profile image
Bean101 in reply toLucyYoga

Thank you, very helpful.

humanbean profile image
humanbean

I'm just guessing here, but is Klaire AC an Adrenal glandular product? If it is then it probably explains your above range cortisol, because Adrenal glandulars contain cortisol.

You provided these results from a Genova saliva cortisol test.

7am. 14.82. Ref range. 2.68-9.30

12 3.37. Ref range. 0.75-2.93

4pm. 1.88. Ref range. 0.36-1.88

10pm. 0.99. Ref range. <0.94

DHEA. 0.15. Ref range. 0.25-2.22

And this result from a cortisol blood test

15th Feb

538. Range 133-537

The reason the saliva tests and the blood test for cortisol produce results that are wildly different is because they aren't measuring the same thing.

The saliva test measures Unbound Cortisol, the blood test measures Bound Cortisol.

Unbound Cortisol can be thought of as "Free" or "Active", although those aren't the descriptions used by doctors.

Bound cortisol can be thought of as "Total" or "Inactive", although those aren't the descriptions used by doctors.

Assuming that your blood test for cortisol was done at about 8am - 9am then it is actually a good result because that is the time when cortisol should be at its highest, and being at the top of the range would be optimal.

However, your saliva cortisol is too high. Optimal levels for a saliva cortisol test are listed on this link (see Example 1) :

rt3-adrenals.org/cortisol_t...

However, I think your adrenal glandular leaves us with a problem in interpreting your results.

Be aware that taking supplements that increase Cortisol can, if taken for long enough, affect your natural adrenal gland output permanently, but hopefully your dose is low enough for that to be a minor problem for you and your adrenal glands will cope without your Klaire AC.

How do you feel if you come off it? How long have you been taking it, and if you have come off it since starting it what is the longest you've managed without it. When you first started taking it was it before or after you started taking thyroid hormones?

Regarding your thyroid results, there are two sets of results.

Thyroid Test

FT3. 5.3. Range 3.1-6.8

FT4. 16.9. Range 12-22

TSH 0.02. Range 0.27-22

Blood test taken as recommended in this group

62.5mg T4

15T3mcg

My T4 is too high! When taking 50T4 my blood results were 11

What date and time were these two tests done? Was there a change of dose between the two sets of results? If yes, from what to what. Were there more results than just T4 for the second test?

Bean101 profile image
Bean101 in reply tohumanbean

Klaire AC is Adrenal cortex.. I have been on AC since seeing Dr Peatfield many years ago.

it’s hard to tell how I feel off AC as I’m always feeling very poorly! I have reduced the AC today to 50mg and hopefully will come off it to re test in a couple of weeks.. I can feel my dose of T3 when it hits! Fast Hr spacey feeling in my head.

My blood pressure is always low and I have hypoglycaemia so I thought I needed the AC!

Blood test for cortisol would of been done at 8.30/9 am

blood test when on 50mcg T4 11

FT3 4.5. (10T3)

TSH 0.02

I think from 50T4 to adding another 12.5T4 the results have gone up to high! This test was done June 2021

TiggerMe profile image
TiggerMeAmbassador

Hi Bean, I'll flag up that your folate is a bit low or quite a lot low depending on the range, sometimes it is really vague with >4 being the aim others 3.89- 19.45 some go up to 60

Also the mention of mouth ulcers rings the zinc deficient bell, I have just been looking into this, you like me being dairy free mightn't be getting enough without supplementing... I'm under range

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator in reply toTiggerMe

good point re zinc

Bean101 profile image
Bean101 in reply toTiggerMe

I can’t tolerate taking folate/ folinic, so trying to get it up by eating liver! I will re test ..

I am low in zinc so I will look into this

Many thanks

TiggerMe profile image
TiggerMeAmbassador in reply toBean101

Do you happen to know what your albumin level is? It seems to be connected to low zinc...

Bean101 profile image
Bean101 in reply toTiggerMe

I have just had Albumin tested

47 range 35-48

TiggerMe profile image
TiggerMeAmbassador in reply toBean101

That's good! Mine has dropped from 44 to 36 in the last 2 years...since giving up dairy?

Bean101 saliva cortisol panels are not valid if you are taking ACE, it is recommended to stop it for 2 weeks before if you wish to test.

Your FT4 doesn’t look too high? How come you feel this way? X

Bean101 profile image
Bean101 in reply to

I didn’t release I had to stop the Ac i thought it would show me what my levels look like on the AC!

I don’t know why I feel like this, something is off

I took 25mcg T4 with 5mcg T3 at 2pm and I can feel it now.. my body starts to tingle, tight chest, breathless.. and so tired, legs shaking

in reply toBean101

It’s not a popular opinion on this forum with some but I think rt3 is worth considering if you have an issue with T4. It could be that the increase in D3 enzyme is preventing your T3 from getting to where it needs to and you are missing out on some conversion. Have you ever tried increasing T3/being T3 only?

Bean101 profile image
Bean101 in reply to

I have done a rt3 many years ago and it was ok then, but I was only taking 90 mg Erfa. I don’t seem to do well on too much T4

My health hit a wall two years after being on 100 mcg T4

I use to take 60mcg T3 many years ago and felt better than I do now, then menopause hit and I couldn’t tolerate it, changed over to Erfa couldn’t take more than 90mcg.. I was housebound most of the time, then thought T4/3 might be a good idea! I have been on that for 18 months, tried every combination and get stuck with 62.5T4 and 15T3. I’m housebound/bedbound much of the time.

I try and reduce T4 to 50mcg and put T3 up but I can’t tolerate it.. can’t tolerate what I am on either.

in reply toBean101

Bean101 I’m terribly sorry you are bedbound, my heart goes out to you. But I really think we can crack this.

This is only a theory but reading what you say I wonder if you are a candidate for T3 only, and that the intolerance to it and Erfa was actually something else preventing you from using your thyroid hormone.

IMHO there are two main reasons why we can’t tolerate T3 - iron and cortisol.

What are your symptoms when you try to raise the T3?

Do you take HRT?

Bean101 profile image
Bean101 in reply to

I tried T3 only January 2022 I felt dehydrated, blurry vision, dizzy couldn’t think, exhausted, vibrating, very high anxiety, shaking.. passing out feeling

I tried Paul Robinson CT3M and thought I was going to die

I would like to do an iron panel but my Dr won’t do it and I’m not sure of the accuracy of medichecks

I don’t take HRT due to Dutch test and genetics ( my mother passed away young due to breast cancer)

in reply toBean101

I tried T3 only January 2022 I felt dehydrated, blurry vision, dizzy couldn’t think, exhausted, vibrating, very high anxiety, shaking.. passing out feeling

How much T3 did you get up to? Do you find taking T4 gets rid of these symptoms or was it because your T3 dose was higher than 15?

I tried Paul Robinson CT3M and thought I was going to die

Was this on T3 only? What dose of T3 did you use to do CT3M?

I would like to do an iron panel but my Dr won’t do it and I’m not sure of the accuracy of medichecks

Yes I understand. How about a Monitor My Health one? Apparently they are part of the NHS I believe?

Bean101 profile image
Bean101 in reply to

I got up to 27.5 mcg T3 then added 25T4 and the ulcers started.. I never had ulcers on Erfa.. I have tried stopping T4 and adding Erfa but my Hr went so fast I was awake all night! I’m not sure what happened..

I have the doom feeling and passing out feeling this afternoon.. I have just done my BP 117/76 Hr 83 blood sugar 5.4 I’m not sure if it’s adrenal, but BP looks ok

in reply toBean101

Have you ever tried T3 only without the AC?

Bean101 profile image
Bean101 in reply to

No

in reply toBean101

OK.

I wonder if your cortisol is too high and that is why you cannot tolerate the T3? Your response to CT3M really seems that you do not need your cortisol to be spiked any higher. How do you feel about lowering your AC?

Bean101 profile image
Bean101 in reply to

I took 50mg of AC this morning and this afternoon I felt like a passing out feeling.. BP was good 117/ so maybe low thyroid symptoms

in reply toBean101

I wouldn’t halve it so fast, I’d reduce it much slower if you’ve been on it years. And yes I’d say you need to give it a good few months of reducing the AC and monitoring your response. It would certainly take a while to rid your system of the AC if testing rules are something to go by. Monitor BP and RHR every day and see how you go 🙂 I wouldn’t increase your thyroid hormone as best to change one variable at a time to avoid confusion.

Bean101 profile image
Bean101 in reply to

ahh ok I probably have reduced today to fast, I will go slower

Many thanks

Bean101 profile image
Bean101 in reply to

T4 doesn’t get rid of the symptoms.. the 27.5mcg T3 was too much for me

I have tried 5T3 and 30mcg Erfa CT3M dose, I paid Erin T3 group to help guide me

in reply toBean101

oh yes I know of Erin. What did she think was stopping you tolerating?

Bean101 profile image
Bean101 in reply to

she told me to go on HC

in reply toBean101

Hmm… was this based on cortisol saliva results?

Bean101 profile image
Bean101 in reply to

No

in reply toBean101

hmmm. OK. Maybe stick to trying the lowering of AC over a few months for now 🙂

Bean101 profile image
Bean101 in reply to

my bp this morning is 100/69 Hr going fast!! Only reduced AC by a smidge. I don’t understand if cortisol looks high on saliva test, then bp would be high! Do you think results could be high adrenaline?

in reply toBean101

I think we can disregard these saliva results, they aren’t designed for AC. No it won’t be adrenaline, adrenaline is created in different part of the adrenals and isn’t measured on cortisol saliva panel.

That BP has dropped a lot from what you said the other day. What is your HR? How much did you drop by?

Bean101 profile image
Bean101 in reply to

I dropped AC by 25mg so taking 100mg, my Hr is 96 but I think it’s high because I’m so hypo when I wake up in the mornings..

in reply toBean101

I wouldn’t drop anymore and I’d monitor how you are. The adrenals may now just need to wake up and respond x

in reply to

It’s not a popular opinion on this forum with some but I think rt3 is worth considering

Sorry, new here. Why is it not popular with some?

in reply to

it’s a good Q… tattybogle will be most diplomatic for this. Tatty, why is it that some don’t think rt3/d3 is relevant?

tattybogle profile image
tattybogle in reply to

D3 and rT3 are not the same thing .

D3 is one of the 3 deiodinase enymes~ D3 inactivates T4 to Reverse T3 , and recycles Reverse T3 and T3 to T2.

The action of D3 can be upregulated or downregulated depending on what is going on in the body .

(eg if there is too much thyroid hormone, the efficiency of D3 is increased, to get rid of excess T4 and T3 safely... it's kind of a safety valve)

When D3 is upregulated:

more T4 will be converted to (inactive) reverse T3 ,

and less T4 will be converted to (active) T3 .. meaning there will then be less T3 that is allowed to get to the thyroid hormone receptors.

,....... and at the same time , (active) T3 is inactivated to T2 faster

...... and at the same time , (inactive) reverse T3 will be recycled to T2 faster

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

rT3 (Reverse T3 ) is an inactivated form of thyroid hormone that doesn't do anything.

Reverse T3 is one of the products of the activity of the D3 enzyme.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

it's very expensive to test Reverse T3 . so before ordering it you need to ask what /if any practical difference the reverseT3 result will make to what you chose to do next .... and answer the question "what can reverseT3 testing tell you that testing fT4 and fT3 cannot ?"

there are loads of possible reasons for rT3 to be high ... but when the reason relates to thyroid hormone levels ( eg fT4 levels are too high ) then this can usually be deduced by looking at the thyroid hormone levels (fT4 and fT3).... and if fT4 is relatively high the obvious thing to look at is try reducing dose accordingly ....you don't need to pay for an expensive rT3 test to tell you this .

 Hidden

list of posts with explanations / discussions about Reverse T3: healthunlocked.com/thyroidu....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

.
Beau55 profile image
Beau55 in reply totattybogle

Tatty this makes a lot of sense but I was struggling on t4 containing medication and my t4 was midrange (16 ref range 12-22) with a high RT3. Do you think it’s always possible to determine this from thyroid levels alone?

I wish mine had been obvious because I would have stopped trying to push the NDT a long time ago. I just continued on completely confused and bewildered x

tattybogle profile image
tattybogle in reply toBeau55

whether fT4 is 'too high 'for an individual is presumably relative , not an absolute.

yes 'obvious' would be nice , but it rarely works that way in reality .... like when was i getting overmedicated symptoms with fT4 at 119% on 150mcg Levo ,.... then a few yrs later not getting any overmedicated symptoms with fT4 200% on 125mcg Levo

If the reverseT3 test was reasonably priced and didn't involve sending samples across the altantic to get it tested ,then i'm sure we'd all be much more relaxed about the subject of testing it , as it definitely has it's uses as an extra pointer/ clue ... it's just unfortunately a very expensive one .... and in a lot of cases it's an unnecessary expense .

plus ~ misunderstanding is still rife... people thinking rT3 is the problem , when it's the result of the problem not the cause.

in reply totattybogle

Thank you🙂

Regenallotment profile image
RegenallotmentAmbassador in reply to

I’ll have a go, I don’t have an opinion on it, just learning. There seem to be a camp that think it’s irrelevant as a bi-product of excess hormone and the body just packaging it neatly and safely out of the way. There is another camp that think it’s a sign of trouble and we should all try to get ours down, and an additional offshoot that say so many things can cause rT3 you’ll never know what caused it so waste of time and money, you will know it’s high but not why. I will now take cover as my misconceptions are spotted and corrected 😬🌱

in reply toRegenallotment

Now, you made me curious:-) I will have to find more info about it.

in reply toRegenallotment

Yes Regen, that’s right.

As someone in the latter camp we think this because we believe rt3 is likely a. reflective of higher D3 activity which is known to block T3 access to cell nuclei (which is possibly its worst offence) it could go some way to explaining why some people must be T3 only b. Indicative of losing T4 to rt3 conversion when we’d prefer it as T3 altho it’s also an important metabolic brake so that point needs to be viewed in context c. Can be used as a general inflammation marker / illness / slowed metabolism etc.

Possibly the body is so overwhelmed by chronic inflammation / illness / chronic hypothyroidism and all its associated damage that the body makes rT3 to our detriment, so a way to get around that is to lower T4 medication and raise T3.

Regenallotment profile image
RegenallotmentAmbassador in reply to

makes perfect sense to me and is actually the way Roseway suggests I deal with my current flare/swing. Reduce T4 further and continue with T3, 2 days in my HR is back down. I must have been swimming in rT3. CRP was raised and so were antibodies, so lots of correlation perhaps no causation to be drawn though. So many variables. Fascinating area.

in reply toRegenallotment

Yeah, for sure and so much still just don’t know… I’m sorry you’re in a flare but I’m glad Roseway seem to have a solid plan! Those guys sound like gold dust! x

Regenallotment profile image
RegenallotmentAmbassador in reply to

yep very reassuring in a ‘seen it all before’ kinda way. When someone says the words…..’well the numbers don’t tell us everything, tell me how you are feeling’ then you do feel properly looked after. Yep feel better already only spoke to them on Weds. 🌱

in reply toRegenallotment

oh gosh yes, that would be Valium to my ears!

in reply to

I have looked for information about rT3, but it is only mentioned as a problem on US sites, not European sites. Does that mean we do not have as much knowledge about it in Europe (yet)? Or was it only discovered pretty recently? I have read all of Dr. Peatfield´s books (written some 20 years ago), but I don´t recall him mentioning rT3, at least not as a problem.

Jaydee1507 profile image
Jaydee1507Administrator in reply to

rT3 is no longer rated as a useful test as there are so many things that can cause a raised level that are unrelated to being hypthyroid.

Better to look at conversion rate on Levo and get key vitamins to optimal.

tattybogle profile image
tattybogle in reply to

Tired thyrodi . you may find further rT3 information in the links in this post : healthunlocked.com/thyroidu....

(in case you missed it, it was buried in my earlier reply to someone else)

in reply totattybogle

Thank you🙂

TiggerMe profile image
TiggerMeAmbassador in reply toBean101

Makes sense wanting to know what your levels are on a 'normal' day doesn't it

humanbean profile image
humanbean

When people start running low on thyroid hormones the body tries to compensate for the low levels with cortisol, one of the stress hormones. It isn't a good substitute, but it helps to keep people alive. Some people are good at creating cortisol, some aren't, or might only be able to create high levels of cortisol for a while then their levels drop.

If people are low in thyroid hormones and high in cortisol for a long time then it becomes their "new normal" (and makes them feel terrible).

If the patient is then prescribed thyroid hormones the cortisol level should reduce again, but if the high cortisol has become "normal for the patient" it can take a very long time to reduce. I sometimes wonder if some people find their cortisol never reduces.

I think of the thyroid hormone/cortisol problem as being something like a balance problem.

Using completely meaningless numbers...

Suppose I need a total of 50 thyroid hormones and 50 cortisol hormones to feel well. But my thyroid hormone levels reduce to 20 as a result of hypothyroidism and my cortisol rises to 80 in response.

When I start taking thyroid hormones I might end up in the early stages with thyroid hormones = 40 and cortisol is still 80, making a total of 120. This is when the internal vibration/trembling might happen. If the cortisol drops back to 70 then the patient might tolerate thyroid hormones a little better. Then the thyroid hormone dose is raised to 50. If the cortisol stays at 80 the patient will feel awful, but if it drop back to 50 they will start to feel normal.

Another problem would be if the patient isn't good at creating cortisol and their cortisol level ends up being only 60, while thyroid hormones are stuck at 20, making a total of only 80. This could cause poor tolerance of thyroid hormones and internal trembling might happen too.

...

I thought I had low cortisol about 10 years ago, but saliva testing showed the opposite. My cortisol was over the range in saliva samples 1, 3, and 4. It was in range but high in range in sample 2. I was taking T3 only at the time. I actually made use of this information and started taking T3 around the same time as I had created sample 2 because it was when my cortisol was closest to "normal". It did help to increase my tolerance.

I also had very low iron and ferritin at the time I started taking thyroid hormones. I found my tolerance increased as my iron and ferritin improved. I'm sure that low levels of any nutrients could have an effect on tolerance. In my case my iron/ferritin were my bug bear. But for other people it might be some other nutrient that they struggle to optimise.

Bean101 profile image
Bean101 in reply tohumanbean

Thank you for your reply

Why would after taking T4/3 a couple of hrs later my feet go numb and I get pins and needles

humanbean profile image
humanbean in reply toBean101

Your reactions could be a combination of the thyroid hormones and your excess cortisol. I really think you should try to do without the adrenal glandular for a couple of weeks if you can, then get a blood test and a saliva test done.

...

Your feet symptoms sound rather like peripheral neuropathy, and vitamin B6 deficiency or toxicity can cause this. (They aren't the only causes.)

Peripheral Neuropathy : en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perip...

Deficiency : en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitam...

Toxicity : en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megav...

We suggest on this forum that people take brands of B Complex with quite small doses of B6 (no more than 25mg, or possibly 10mg, I can't remember which).

...

Do you have regular testing for your potassium and sodium level? Getting those levels wrong could be dangerous. Do you know why you are losing potassium? How do you treat the problem?

in reply tohumanbean

Additionally, Bean101 retaining too much potassium can be low adrenal function, so if you’re losing it maybe your adrenal function is too high?

In any case, I agree with HB. I’d like to see how you do on a much reduced AC.

Bean101 profile image
Bean101 in reply to

Thank you for your help

I will come off AC and re test in a couple of weeks and post back

Bean101 profile image
Bean101 in reply tohumanbean

my B complex has only 1.25 mg of B6

I will contact my GP and get sodium and potassium tested..

if I don’t take high potassium foods, fresh OJ and raw coconut water a couple of times a day I wake up with cramp in the night..

I feel my body runs on adrenaline or maybe high cortisol so maybe it reduces my potassium .

I will test my cortisol again off AC in a couple of weeks

Thank you for your reply

humanbean profile image
humanbean in reply toBean101

Oh, I forgot to mention...

If you struggle to tolerate folate, it might mean that you have MTHFR gene problems :

mthfr.net/methylfolate-side...

mthfr.net/preventing-methyl...

Bean101 profile image
Bean101 in reply tohumanbean

yes I do..

TiggerMe profile image
TiggerMeAmbassador in reply tohumanbean

Wise words HB 🤗 different strokes for different folks

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