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1448748 tn?1312956208

Low ACTH and Low Cortisol

Am cortisol was 2.1 and acth was <.5 so it was unmeasurable.... They lost my second sample after I was injected for the stim test.. so I do not have the results for that... wonderful right? but I am wondering if this gives me any insight or clue as to what is wrong?   Can being on prednisone for only 1 week and stopping it 2 months prior cause this low of an acth number or is this very likely a pituitary problem?   or is it something else.  I have been trying to convince my dr's its my pituitary for almost a year without anyone listening and now I think I'm on to something?
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Avatar universal
Be careful on going to a longer acting steroid like pred - there are way more side effects - they are sometimes hidden, sometimes obvious.

But you do need extra for stress and as well the acto-vial and needle for an emergency kit.

Helpful - 0
1448748 tn?1312956208
Oh, the correct lab results are actually acth <5 (0-46)   not <.5 and prolactin 5.1 not .5 (1.9-25.0) the test are correct.
Helpful - 0
1448748 tn?1312956208
Well, the tube was chilled, the base line I am confident was taken correctly, this is the second reading I have gotten like this , and those results came back the next day, so it was just the second sample that got lost...my other results were..., a prolactin which was .5, and an estradiol which was 62, progesterone which was again <.1 but did not do the other pituitary hormones and didnt address my low hormones besides my low cortisol.

He prescribed me 20 mg hydrocortisone to take both in the morning, so he cannot repeat the lab it wouldn't be right now that I'm on replacement would it?

He says he thinks he can see what is going on by the results he has, and left that message in my phone, but I don't know which way he is leaning...I thought the only conclusive thing with low acth and Cortisol is hypo pit? I have an apt mon with him, but want to be prepared die what he is gonna tell me...if he is leaning on pituitary, than I hopefully won't have to do much convincing to do the other hormone tests, and we can focus on getting my hydrocortisone switched to prednisone on a higher dose and get some extra for stress dosing and etc... If he is not, I've got to be prepared to convince him why I think it is and to do more tests to prove it....
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Are they going to re-do the test? After all - the point of the test was to see how much it rose and uh, they lost it? Crazy...

I am more inclined to think the low ACTH number was lab handling. If they did not take the sample away to spin right away or keep it chilled, it probably just degraded.

The pred that long ago should not be a factor.
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