help with interpreting saliva cortisol results

[lisabax]

can anyone help please. I wasn’t expecting high although I’m under a lot of stress, but I can’t make much sense of these. Thank you!

[SlowDragon Administrator]

What are your most recent thyroid and vitamin results

What supplements are you taking

Looking at previous posts you have taken adrenal supplements in past

[lisabax in reply to SlowDragon]

Thank you SlowDragon. Thyroid tests results 19 August 2024

TSH <0.01 ( 0.27 - 4.2 mU/L) F T4 18.8 ( 12 - 22 pmol/L) F T3 6.1 ( 3.1 - 6.8 pmol/L)

Not taken any adrenal supplements for a long time. Thought I might need them but these results indicate my levels are high (?) so I'm a bit confused. Supplements include B12, Vitamin D, Vit C, Zinc and probiotics. Not tested vitamin levels since 2022, when all were in range.

Hope that helps?

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to lisabax]

So you need to test vitamin levels at least annually

Looking at test results you are taking Levo plus T3?

Was test done as recommended …..early morning, ideally just before 9am, only drink water between waking and test and last dose levothyroxine 24 hours before test

This gives highest TSH, lowest FT4 and most consistent results. (Patient to patient tip)

T3 ….day before test split T3 as 2 or 3 smaller doses spread through the day, with last dose approximately 8-12 hours before test

[lisabax in reply to SlowDragon]

I will organise the vitamin test. I am on Erfa thyroid. Test done early morning. My dose of Erfa is split in 2, the last one about 12 hours before test. I think this is what is recommended? Thank you for your help.

[TiggerMe]

Your DHEA is very low and this balances out cortisol, perhaps take a look at this... marcellepick.com/how-to-bal...

[lisabax in reply to TiggerMe]

Thank you for this. I will read it in full. My DHEA has been low for many years and because I have had oestrogen receptor positive breast cancer I can’t supplement. So it’s a tricky one

[TiggerMe in reply to lisabax]

Ah... ok so lowering cortisol is the only option, have you tried CBD Oil?

[lisabax in reply to TiggerMe]

Thank you TiggerMe, no I haven’t recently although I did give it a whirl a couple of years ago. Didn’t do any testing but just going on how I felt (strung out) I didn’t notice any difference, but so kind of you for your suggestion

[humanbean]

I have high cortisol, and have treated myself with Holy Basil (HB) for years. In my case the worst result for me was the bedtime one and I had dreadful insomnia that went on for decades. I take the HB in the evening. It has helped to reduce the time I take to get to sleep (on average), although I still have bad nights where I am very restless and can't get to sleep.

The product I take is this one :

dolphinfitness.co.uk/en/swa...

If I don't take the HB I find it almost impossible to settle.

A link you might find helpful :

juliarosscures.com/identify...

A lot of people recommend Adaptogens for people with cortisol problems. I wrote a thread about it quite some time ago that you might find helpful :

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

[lisabax in reply to humanbean]

Thank you humanbean. I do get to sleep although often awake in the night but definitely don’t get enough sleep. It’s the wired feeling in the day that scares me but I’m under a lot of stress