An alternative doc I saw is charging $250 just to go over the results of my saliva test on the phone. I refuse (and cant afford) to pay it. I had him send them to me and I will find another way of understanding them.
If anyone could help that would be great- it was a saliva test, tested at wake up, noon, evening and night.
My estradiol was within normal limits. My progesterone was low 104.78 (normal for pre-menopause is 127-446. My progesterone/estradiol ratio was low 65.49 (normal is 200-600 pre menopause).
My morning and noon cortisol was normal though not in the optimal range 9.36 and 4.30 respectively.. My evening cortisol was low .59 (normal 1.8-12), and my night cortisol was low .74 (.9-9.2).
This is what the lab's report says: Progesterone to estradiol (Pg/E2) ratio and reported symptoms are consistent with estrogen dominance. Supplementation with topical progesterone to correct this relative deficiency is a consideration.
Diurnal cortisol pattern and reported symptoms are consistent with evolving (Phase 2) adrenal gland fatigue (hypoadrenia),although concomitant thyroid and/or iodine insufficiency cannot be ruled out.
HELP! Thanks. Renny
Posted by sandim (Member # 30251) on :
A lot of people go through estrogen dominance before menopause. I am 35 and I have estrogen dominance. I also take bioidentical cortisol and thyroid bc mine were not optimal. At this time I'm not taking progesterone. It made me too sleepy.
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
Looks like you need progesterone and cortisol supplementation .. (I am only a novice here.)
Take progesterone at night if it makes you sleepy. Mine was prescribed that way, but now I use the topical version and it really doesn't make me sleepy. ( I use it at night most of the time. )
Posted by renny1985 (Member # 25222) on :
Is this Lyme related? I obviously would love to talk to the doc but he is too expensive. I am going to bring these results to my LLMD- not sure how he will feel about saliva testing- he is pretty mainstream-ish.
I am only 25... why would my progesterone be so low? Also, was curious HOW low the cortisol was and if this could be indicative of Addison's or another issues outside of Lyme...
Thanks for the help. Renny
Posted by Razzle (Member # 30398) on :
Many women are low in progesterone...has to do with all the xenoestrogens (plastics, etc.) and other toxins in our environment, plus the lousy quality of the food most people eat. Dr. Dan Purser is an expert on this subject and I just recently heard a talk given by him. He says saliva progesterone is unreliable and uses blood levels in his own medical practice. His website is http://www.danpursermd.com/ - I know he's selling his books on there, but the bottom line of them is that bio-identical hormone therapy can make a world of difference for women with many diagnoses. He's Lyme-friendly - I got to talk with him briefly after his presentation and he thinks that Lyme damages the pituitary gland and this is what causes the hormone problems (thyroid, adrenal, reproductive).
If you had Addison's, the cortisol would not be as high as your numbers are. Doesn't mean you don't need adrenal support, though.
And yes, a thorough thyroid test panel would be good to make sure there isn't an issue there as well...by thorough, I mean Free T3, Free T4, TSH (a pituitary hormone, not a thyroid hormone, btw), & thyroid antibodies. Reverse T3 may also be needed...see http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com for more info.
I've been using bio-identical progesterone in topial form (the product I'm using was developed for a particular company by Dr. Purser) and have found that it really helps me with insomnia if I use it about an hour before bed. Dr. Purser also says women do not need to skip using the progesterone during our monthly cycle...we can keep using the progesterone as long as it is bio-identical. The primary contra-indication for bio-identical progesterone use is if one is on birth control pills...
I hope this helps...take care,
Posted by renny1985 (Member # 25222) on :
Thanks for the help! I hope my LLMD will run these tests. Do you think I need further testing for adrenal function? How do you do "adrenal support".. I wonder if this could help with some of my symptoms.
I will ask LLMD to check progesterone in my blood as well.. just to get a better idea. Thanks again, Renny
Posted by philly78 (Member # 31069) on :
I know a little bit about the saliva test. I had one done about a year ago and researched my own results a little.
When looking at your progesterone/estradiol ratio...I do know that it would depend on what time of the month it is for you and that it would affect the results. That is what I was told.
As for your cortisol levels, I'm a bit confused as to your results. What lab did you use? Was it Diagnos-Techs? My morning cortisol was 9 and it stated that was depressed...not normal. The normal...at least on my test for the am is between 13-24. For the noon sample, 5-10 is listed as the normal. Evening normal is 3-8 and midnight is 1-4.
What do they have listed as the normal (for the morning and noon levels as you didn't say) and is it measured in nM's?
Did they also test your DHEA?
You do appear to start out high then trend down, although the night level is a bit higher than the evening one. But overall that is a good thing as you should be highest upon wakening and trend down throughout the day.
When I had mine done, my cortisol levels were depressed in the am and at noon, and elevated in the evening and at night. So, I had an extremely difficult time getting out of bed....felt sluggish all morning and afternoon, then had my burst of energy around 5pm and couldn't fall asleep at night.
I corrected through diet and with vitamins and an adrenal supplement.
There was a good website I had come across that explained the test very well. I'll see if I can find it for ya.
Posted by philly78 (Member # 31069) on :
I found the website I was talking about that does a decent job with the results. It shows you different test results and gives a brief explanation of what each means.
Hey thanks so much for the info... here is more specific info on the values they found for me...
Cortisol morning 9.36nmol/L (normal range is 5.1-40.2, optimal range is 18-35).
Cortisol noon 4.30 nmol/L (normal is 2.1-15.7, optimal is 6-12).
Cortisol evening 0.59 nmol/L (normal is 1.8-12, optimal is 4-8)
Cortisol night is 0.74 nmol/L (normal is 0.9-9.2, optimal is 2-6).
Progesterone is 104.78 pg/ml (normal is 127-446) Estradiol is 1.60 pg/ml (normal is 1-10.8) Ratio of progesterone to estradiol is 65.49 (200-600).
They didn't test my DHEA. I am super fatigued in the am.. okay midday and exhausted by like 4pm or so... Thanks for your help. Renny
Posted by renny1985 (Member # 25222) on :