Adrenal Insufficiency Community
High ACTH
About This Community:

This patient support community is for discussions relating to Adrenal Insufficiency.

Font Size:
A
A
A
Background:
Blank
Blank
Blank
Blank Blank

High ACTH

I got the following blood results recently I am HypoThyroid I take 100Mcg Levothyroxine

ACTH - 88.00 pg/mL ( Normal Range 7.2 - 63.3)
TSH - 2.660 uIU/mL ( Range 0.450 - 4.500)
T4, Free 1.59 ng/dL ( Range 0.82 - 1.77)
Thyroxie(T4) 11.3 ( Range 4.5 - 12.0)
Cortisol- AM 19.5 ug/dL ( Range 6.2 - 19.4)

What can we conclude from this ,do I have adrenal insufficiency ?
Related Discussions
12 Comments Post a Comment
Blank
Avatar_m_tn
I appreciate if some one can help me. Thanks
Blank
657231_tn?1364728793
You have elevated ACTH and your cortisol is on the high side - it is more likely that you have elevated cortisol than low cortisol from this testing. What time was the cortisol test done?

High cortisol tends to suppress the thyroid as well. Another clue.

A lot of the symptoms overlap.
Blank
Avatar_m_tn
Thanks for the response rumpled.  You are the only one seem to be active here.

Well, the testing was done at morning 9:00 AM fasting for 10 hours.

Cortisol is mild high, but one more thing is when I take thyroid medication in the morning before breakfast I get a headache ( on the sides I think its pituatory gland place).
Blank
657231_tn?1364728793
I am the community leader - others are active though.

I usually try to test closer to 8am. Fasting is great.

I have not heard of headaches specifically related to just taking the medication - can you ask for a different brand?

Cortisol testing takes time - one test does not tell the story so you have to test more than once and you have to test different ways - ie blood, urine and saliva.
Blank
Avatar_m_tn
Reg. my headache, Could there be a tumor in pituitary gland, what they call cushing's disease ?
Blank
657231_tn?1364728793
Pituitary tumors do cause headaches. Some docs do deny this though - oddly.

Your doc also runs lousy thyroid tests - did not mention that before - but he only runs the standard panel which does not tell much at all - so no free T3, just free T4 - so you don't know what the thyroid is doing totally. Have you had any antibody testing - hashimoto's? This guy acts like T3 is not important but that is what the body uses... so you don't know. But to his credit at least he ran the ACTH and cortisol together but no other hormones effected by cortisol or any other adrenal hormones...
Blank
Avatar_m_tn
Extremely sorry I just overlooked, yes my doc has done the T3.

T3 Uptake  32 % ( 24 - 39)
Free Thyroxine Index 3.6 ( 1.2 - 4.9)
Triiodothyronine 111 ng/dL ( 71 - 180 )
Thyroxine Binding Glubulin 19 ug/mL ( 13-39)

No Antibody testing.  My gut feeling if this headache goes all will be normal.
Blank
657231_tn?1364728793
Any other adrenal tests - like renin, aldosterone, or dhea sulfate?
The T3 looks decent. Your TSH is higher on the new, accepted scale of .3 to 3.0.

Is the doctor going to run any other cortisol tests?
Blank
Avatar_m_tn
No, he is running any cortisol tests. He increased the dosage of Thyroid to 112Mcg. And for headache he prescribed "INDERAL".
Blank
657231_tn?1364728793
But you had a high ACTH test! He should at least follow up with a few more tests... sheez....
Blank
Avatar_m_tn
Thanks, I am not even sure what question I need to ask when I visit the doctor he just looks at the lab tests and increases or decreases the dosage of thyroid. What should I do ?

Find a different doctor ?

Doctors nowadays are not trying to find the root cause.
Blank
657231_tn?1364728793
I say that over and over - they never look for a source - just toss a pill at everything.
You may have to find several docs - as in it may take a while to find the right doc... ack...

The guidelines say at least 3 tests... dang it.
Blank
Post a Comment
To
Go
Blank
Autoimmune Tracker
Log your symptoms
Start Tracking Now
Blank
Thyroid Disorder Tracker
Log test results & symptoms
Start Tracking Now
MedHelp Health Answers
Top Thyroid Answerers
168348_tn?1362772414
Blank
ChitChatNine
1756321_tn?1364494483
Blank
Red_Star
Queensland, Australia
393685_tn?1325870933
Blank
stella5349
Southeastern WI, WI
1139187_tn?1355710247
Blank
Brucergoldberg
dallas, TX
798555_tn?1292791151
Blank
LazyMoose
MN
657231_tn?1364728793
Blank
rumpled
Northern, NJ
RSS Expert Activity
1741471_tn?1349564002
Blank
Parkinson Awareness Month: Parkinso... Blank
May 10 by Michael Gonzalez-WallaceBlank
233488_tn?1310696703
Blank
NEW STUDIES ON PREVENTING PROGRESSI...
May 08 by John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAOBlank
2126606_tn?1346348724
Blank
Heroin Use in the U.S.
May 08 by Clare Waismann Kavin, Blank