hi just wondering why my endo has asked for me to have a 24hr urine test. what would he be looking for i have an underactive thyroid.

[tina2]

urine tests

[RedApple Administrator]

The 24 hr urine sample is often requested by endocrinologists when thyroid patients have ongoing symptoms despite being told their thyroid tests results are 'normal' (e.g. they've been told they don't have a thyroid problem, or they're already on an appropriate dose of medication). The usual reason is to rule out adrenal gland problems, by checking your cortisol levels. Cortisol levels should naturally fluctuate throughout the day, so a 24 hr test will give an overall picture.

Cushings syndrome occurs when the body is producing too much cortisol. It has many similar symptoms to hypothyroidism. Here's a link for more info about Cushings

patient.co.uk/health/Cushin...

If there is too little cortisol, then it could be caused by a pituitary gland problem, or rarely, Addison's disease.

patient.co.uk/health/Addiso...

[lm713]

It would be very interesting if it was thyroid hormone test - I haven't heard of this being used in the mainstream.