Hi. Last year I did a "run of the mill" cortisol test. It was one of those urine tests. It showed I had high cortisol.
Dr. had me take a couple adrenal supps.
I just saw my LLMD. He wants the saliva test done using the 4 spits. He told me to stay on my adrenal supps.
Why would he have me stay on the supps for the test?
I can only think that he wants to see what the levels are on supps.
What are your thoughts?
Sometimes I feel tired and wired, sometimes i just feel tired. I don't handle any stress even on my supps so I'm guessing maybe I'm not getting enough cortisol when I need it and too much when I don't
So confused. Posted by daise (Member # 13622) on :
Hi TS96,
A "4 spit" saliva test is important because it tells what's going on at the cellular level.
I don't know anything about the OK from your LLMD about staying on the supplements during testing. I guess your concern is that the supplements could give a skewed result.
Maybe you could directly bring that up with your LLMD, by reminding him or her that it's a concern.
Maybe you could take a look at the other recent post on cortisol and adrenals. The thread is: Hydrocortisone and Adrenal Insufficiency (adrenal fatigue.) This thread is on this forum, the Medical Forum, page 1 or page 2, right now.
Having high cortisol may mean your adrenals are about to get fatigued from working so hard to make too much cortisol. High cortisol means anxiety and stress.
It's really hard for the patient to handle, and then with Lyme, too.
Because others are reading this thread: Too much cortisol causes muscle damage and inflammation.
It's all about giving the adrenals what they need, at the moment, until levels are balanced, naturally, by your own body. That's why the 4 spit saliva test is needed (4 samples of your spit, in one day.)
If you are a woman, maybe you have PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome.) With that, often noticeable is excess hair on your upper lip, arms, thighs, etc., light or dark.
You get acne and oily skin and hair usually at puberty. Sometimes it persists. And periods that are not regular or are absent. It's important to know about it because it is one way that a lot of women get diabetes and heart disease.
You can do a search here under the Medical Forum for PCOS. There are five types of PCOS. Often it causes high cortisol levels (and high androgen levels, such as testosterone, or DHEA, etc.) and high insulin.
daise Posted by tanzi2u (Member # 9237) on :
Count me confused as well on this whole adrenal/cortisol issue.
Daughter dear is the epitome of low cortisol: hypothyroid, hypopituitary, hypoglycemic, low blood pressure (2 florinef a day allows her to make it up to low normal blood pressure yet she still gets light-headed and dizzy), gets exhausted very easily and is anxious.
Yet when her doc tested her blood, her cortisol level was too high, ACTH was too high (he questioned this), and DHEA was high normal. So it appears her adrenals are working and responding. (She also started getting woozy after the 5th vial of blood was drawn and fainted after the 7th. Just exactly in that mix was the vial for the cortisol test - who knows.)
However now that the thyroid is under control, he is revisiting the adrenals and decided to do the 4 saliva tests. Of course on that test day, daughter dear was having a rare somewhat decent day, so don't know if anything will show up.
I am ready to give up...but I can't.
Posted by daise (Member # 13622) on :
Hi tanzi2u,
Possibly--possibly--your daughter could have PCOS.
I put PCOS information on the thread, "Hydrocortisone and Adrenal Insufficiency," near the very end of the thread. It's on page 1 of this forum--right now.
I'll PM, to alert you.
daise Posted by TS96 (Member # 14048) on :
TanZitu, Keep us posted on your dd saliva test results. I too have low bp, dizzy light headedness. Also told I probably have hypo pititary/hypothalamus issues.
I take lots of extra celtic sea salt to help the low bp.
Daise, thanks for all the info. I don't think I have PCOS issues. No excess hair issues actually had massive hair thining over the coarse of my illness.
Periods are regular and heavy and hair has always been dry.
I am getting my DHEA tested at the same time my saliva test is being done.
Question... Are you suppose to do the spit test a certain time of the month for women? I think I was told to do it between day 20 and 22 of the cycle??? or is that just for other hormone testing?
Posted by daise (Member # 13622) on :
Hi TS96,
You wrote: "Question... Are you suppose to do the spit test a certain time of the month for women? I think I was told to do it between day 20 and 22 of the cycle??? or is that just for other hormone testing?"
Great question. I don't know. I had my two saliva tests done after menopause.
Anyone know?
daise Posted by TS96 (Member # 14048) on :
I'm gonna call the lab tomorrow to see if the test has to be done on a certain day of the cycle.
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