Cortisol/Aldosterone levels help

[NicoleP1991]

Hello Everyone,

I appreciate you reading this question and taking the time to answer.

I have a long history of symptoms that I think are related to adrenal/endocrine issues. I have recently developed severe allergies to odd foods like chicken, gluten, tomatoes. I get extremely painful headaches, dizziness, heart palpitations. I am experiencing hair loss and weight loss along with bouts of colitis/diarrhea, stomach issues, and vomiting. I have fatigue and anxiety/depression. I am at a complete loss because I am so tired and also feeling so sick but all tests seem to be coming back normal.

I recently saw an endocrinologist who tested by thyroid and did a Stim Test. Here were the results:



thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), ultra sensitive
0.90 u[iU]/mL
0.40-4.00


triiodothyronine (T3), serum
102 ng/dL


thyroxine, serum, free
0.98 ng/dL
0.58-1.64


Before Stim AM
Cortisol
8.0 MCG/DL
4.0-22.0
aldosterone, serum
2 NG/DL
***




After Stim
Cortisol
27.6 MCG/DL
4.0-22.0


aldosterone, serum
3 NG/DL





vitamin b12, serum
485 pg/mL
200-1100
urea nitrogen/creatinine ratio, serum
N/A
6-22
urea nitrogen, blood
19 mg/dL
7-25
testosterone, serum, free
0.15 ng/dL
Units converted. See lab report for original value.
sodium, serum
138 mmol/L
135-146
red blood cell distribution width
12.7 %
11.0-15.0
reactive lymphocytes, blood, as percent of total leukocytes
0.0 %

protein, total, serum
6.9 g/dL
6.1-8.1
potassium, serum
4.3 mmol/L
3.5-5.3
platelet count
284 THOUSAND/UL
140-400
neutrophils as percent of blood leukocytes
76.1 %

monocytes as percent of blood leukocytes
2.3 %

mean platelet volume
8.5 fL
7.5-12.5
mean corpuscular volume, RBC
91 fL
80-100
mean corpuscular hemoglobin, RBC
30.5 pg
27-33
mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration, RBC
33.4 G/DL
32-36
lymphocyte count, blood, automated
18.8 %

leukocyte count, blood
10.0 THOUSAND/UL
3.8-10.8
hemoglobin, blood
14.6 g/dL
11.7-15.5
hematocrit, blood
43.9 %
35.0-45.0
globulin, serum
2.3
1.9-3.7
Vitamin D
23 NG/ML
30-100
folate, serum
15.4 ng/mL
>5.4
erythrocyte (RBC) count
4.81 MILLION/UL
3.80-5.10
eosinophil count, blood
2.5 %

Eosinophil Absolute Count
250 CELLS/UL
15-500
eGFR if not African American
116 mL/min/1.73m2
> OR = 60
eGFR if African American
134 mL/min/1.73m2
> OR = 60
CREATININE
0.72
0.50-1.10
chloride, serum
103 mmol/L
98-110
carbon dioxide, serum, total
26 mmol/L
20-31
calcium, serum
9.4 mg/dL
8.6-10.2
blood glucose
83 mg/dL
65-99
bilirubin, serum, total
0.5 mg/dL
0.2-1.2
basophils as percent of blood leukocytes, automated count
0.3 %

aspartate aminotransferase (SGOT), serum
14 U/L
10-30
alkaline phosphatase, serum
48 U/L
33-115
albumin/globulin ratio, serum
2.0
1.0-2.5
albumin, serum
4.6 G/DL
3.6-5.1
alanine aminotransferase (SGPT), serum
13 U/L
6-29
Absolute Neutrophils
7610 CELLS/UL
1500-7800
ABSOLUTE MONOCYTES
230 CELLS/UL
200-950
Absolute Lymphocytes
1880 CELLS/UL
850-3900
Absolute Basophils
30 CELLS/UL
0-200


Thank you so much!

[rumpled]

The cortisol was after a stim test so for that, it was okay, otherwise it would have been high.

I would go see an allergy/immunology doctor and see if they can help. You need more testing there, and it could be a mast cell issue.

[tacolino]

Hi there. Im not a doctor but will offer my opinion.
Most of your blood work seems in the perfectly normal range.
You had a very broad range of tests.
The Cortisol test did seem post to show  a slightly elevated Cortisol result (Not much outside the range) Doctors often would only be concerned at twice the normal or higher!
Anyway this result would cause  them to look at a possibility of investigating further  for Cushings .
Kidney and liver tests all seem ok too.
A few questions;

Do you take any prescribed medication at present?

How are your BP numbers?

Have you ever had a 24 hour urine collection to check for Adrenal issues?

Have you had any imaging work of the Kidneys and Adrenals?

Any Renin Blood tests?

Are there any underlying health issues?

Adrenal issues are often very difficult to diagnose and some tests are tricky and often avoided. Its important to know of your BP numbers as a starting point. If they are high, have you had a 24 hour ABPM test? If so how are the nightime numbers? this is significantly in some adrenal problems, as BP at night should lower a bit, but in this case it reverses at night and rises.
Hope im not going on too much.
Come back with more fetail