Cortisol blood/saliva testing

[GussyG]

Hi All,

As newly diagnosed hypo, I’ve just started levo and very very slowly starting to pick up a little. In the meantime I’ve been investigating my adrenals & cortisol as I had a rapid decline in health following a majorly stressful event so want to check the connection. I have just done the Geneva Diagnostics saliva/DHEA test but was told it will take several weeks to get results, plus with Christmas I think it will be longer.

As I want to be supporting my system straight away and not wait another month, especially while starting Levo, is it worth doing a quick Medichecks blood cortisol to get an idea of what I’m dealing with ie high or low cortisol? I have a feeling my cortisol is very low.

Thanks

[humanbean]

is it worth doing a quick Medichecks blood cortisol to get an idea of what I’m dealing with ie high or low cortisol?

Personally I think it would be a waste of money. Some of the reference ranges provided are of the form (using made up numbers not real ones) :

Result < 3.6 Range < 2.4

How can one interpret such a stupid result and range?

[GussyG in reply to humanbean]

Well yes that does seem daft. Fair enough, thanks humanbean .

[GussyG in reply to GussyG]

I’m a bit worried I might be doing harm to my adrenals if I’m taking Levo without treating any possible adrenal insufficiency first. I keep reading you need to treat that first. Do people think a month to 6 weeks on Levo will cause problems?

[TiggerMe Ambassador in reply to GussyG]

You'd be better off being kind to your adrenals by supplying them with a good level of Vit C, salt and plenty of sleep whilst waiting for your results, they generally take 10 days.

It's hard to tell the difference between high and low cortisol just going on symptoms, which is why we always say test before as people get caught out

[GussyG in reply to TiggerMe]

Thanks TiggerMe. I know I’m being impatient….every day seems like a year currently. I’m on vit C and drinking electrolytes. As for sleep….that’s been evading me since I had my kids some 16 years ago, but I stick diligently with going to bed at 10pm and drift off once my teenagers have stopped rattling around the house. I usually wake around 4am so always getting at least 5 hours. Sometimes I get lucky and sleep past that. Tried everything on that and no joy. Just accepted that’s how it is!

[TiggerMe Ambassador in reply to GussyG]

4am wake up does suggest adrenal so lets hope those results show something useful, if you've only just started on Levo then you are likely under replaced at the moment while your body and dose levels are adjusted which joyously often brings anxiety into play 😬

I still often wake at 4am, take my pills, maybe have a cuppa and a biscuit, stand in the garden with the dogs marvelling at the night sky, answer a few worries on here and then nod off for another couple of hours, best sleep before midnight so I don't find it impacts too much, most important is not to stress about it 🤗🤗

What dose are you on, when did you start?

[GussyG in reply to TiggerMe]

I started 12 days ago on 50mcg. At first it made me feel worse, then a bit more energy in the mornings and now kind of back to how I felt before I started. I know it’s very early days and need to wait much longer! ‘Looking forward’ (perhaps the wrong phase) to a dose increase in January and my cortisol test results. I just need to get through Christmas with the dreaded mother in law 😩😂

[TiggerMe Ambassador in reply to GussyG]

Hmmm... timing isn't great for MIL tolerating I'm afraid 😬 you are likely to feel pretty ropey for a few months yet ☹️.... still time to book into a retreat? 😏🏃‍♀️

[JumpJiving in reply to humanbean]

humanbean GussyG The reference range on MediChecks blood cortisol is clearly shown as 133 - 537nmol/L

[humanbean in reply to JumpJiving]

Sorry, it seems I got blood and saliva cortisol mixed up.

Blood cortisol usually has a range of the type you've given. It is the saliva cortisol range that can be impossible to interpret because of the "less than" levels sometimes used for results and ranges.

[judburke]

I just did Genova saliva test last month and it took 3 weeks for the results. I was rather annoyed as I did it through Thyroid UK who (at the time) on the website said results were 7 to 10 days. This has now been corrected

[GussyG in reply to judburke]

Thanks Jud, yes I think my results won’t come until after Christmas now. It’s a frustrating wait!

[Entwicklung]

Did the results come through yet? (Currently awaiting some of my own so I know how you feel and I'm interested in how you're getting on).

[GussyG in reply to Entwicklung]

Hi yes they did! I posted results under a new thread…I can’t remember what I called it, sorry. Check my profile and then posts! It was really high. I also just got a cortisol blood (it was in the Thyroid Gold package with Blue Horizon). It came back as 623 (73.8 - 507). I’m just hoping it will come down as I increase my levo dose 🤞

[Entwicklung]

Ah wow that's interesting, thanks for the response. It's fascinating how the symptoms of high or low cortisol can be so similar too.

I'll check out your other thread - appreciate the heads up and hope all is going well.

[GussyG in reply to Entwicklung]

That’s so true, I was convinced my cortisol would be low as I had so many symptoms of low. I did ponder having a reduced sensitivity to the high cortisol, as in my body had adapted to it and no longer responded as it should, but that’s a rabbit hole I haven’t quite had the energy to explore. I heard Marek Doyle talking about it on a podcast. So for now I’m hoping it just levels out as I get to my optimal thyroid replacement dose, OR maybe it will crash and follow an adrenal fatigue type profile. Can’t wait to find out!! 😂🫠

Good luck with your results and post them when you get them back.