Low cortisol saliva test

[kuklachica]

Hello all... I just had a cortisol saliva test and the numbers were weird, I think. I am hypothyroid (autoimmune) and since starting the thyroid meds my life has become unbearable. I can't sleep for more than 6 hours (if I am lucky) and usually 3-5 hours is the norm. I used to sleep at least 8. I am soooo emotional (like, crazy emotional) and I was never like this. I feel like I am running on fumes all the time and there are no fumes left. i can't think (my brain just doesn't work) and it takes all of my energy to even figure out what to eat for breakfast (which i am putting off for the moment cause i just can't figure it out). i can hardly move off of the couch and can't even dream of getting anything done around the house. i have had horrible gastro problems since starting the thyroid meds as well, so much so that i had an endoscopy and colonscopy last week. weird thing is, that best I have felt was when drinking the salty magnesium liquid then the gallon jug of salty sweet stuff.

here are my numbers. my doc looked at this and told me they were BS and went on a long tirade about how it was all crap. (He used the word BS, not my word).

I need to start some supplements or something because ic an't even function any more. i feel like i am dead.

Here are my results and reference ranges:

9:10am - 4.4 (rr 7.0-10.0)
1:15pm - 1.9 (rr 3.0-6.0)
4:45pm - 2.0 (rr 2.0-4.0)
8:45pm - 1.5 (rr <1.5)

DHEA 9:10am 294.4 (rr 33.0-496.1)

BTW I am a 27 year old female.

[rumpled]

Armour can be a good medication but it has a high level of T3 to T4 so if you don't need that much T3 it can make you very much hyper so often you need a bit of T4 to balance it out or take a T4 and T3 combo with cytomel.

Sorry to imply you ordered the tests - but certain labs are not seen as reputable. I know the pitfalls of reputable clinics - I used to seek out the docs that were listed in magazines as top docs but found out they were the mostly the worst as it is sometimes a popularity contest... some though are good so it is a rather hard to decide. Wasted a lot of money and time.

You do have options - I hope you can find some decent doctors!

[kuklachica]

Yes I do have Hashimoto's. However, my recent symptoms described above (since being put on a high dose of armour over the course of a week - 75mcg levoxyl to 90 mg armour) through me into a spiral and nothing like i've ever experienced in my life. i would rather have lived without thyroid meds then go through that.

the test ordered above was ordered by a doctor, not myself. I am no longer at that office because of their disregard for how armour made me feel and putting me on such a high dose right off the bat (and a few other experiences that made me a little less than comfortable). However, it was ordered by a very well know, reputable clinic.

[rumpled]

Do you have Hashimoto's?
The whole "thyroid must have adrenal issue" is not something I personally believe. Many people have just one problem. They are not in the same hormonal loop. Many have both but you can certainly treat them both at the same time. The good chance of adrenal vs thyroid is bunk IMHO. Again, the pituitary and hypothalamus run the show and the loops run separately and while high cortisol can impact TSH, low cortisol does not.

The order your own tests are not seen as reputable but if you have symptoms, your PCP should order some sort of testing from reputable labs. So I would  get a new PCP. And find a decent endo. It is difficult but they are out there.

[kuklachica]

I've seen my PCP, an Endo, and naturopath. My PCP will NOT test me- he pretty much freaked out when he saw the cortisol test (went off on how it's BS and fraudulent) and wouldn't listen to me about how I felt.

Endo said it didn't mean anything and he's not a natural doc so he doesn't pay attention to these types of tests.

Naturopath said that because it wasn't flat-lined it didn't matter and just upped my thyroid meds.

It seems that when thyroid problems are present there is a good chance of adrenal problems at the same time as well? So they don't directly effect each other, but when one is out of balance, it puts the others in jeopardy of being out of balance as well.

My TSH, when diagnosed, was 15.4 (rr .4 - 4.0) and FT4 was .8 (rr .7 - 1.9). And I've had thyroid problems for at least 10 years with bad symptoms. So there is a good chance they my adrenals are tanked.

[rumpled]

What type of doctor have you seen? It does not have to flat line? There are some links in the health pages to read to give information.

I take thyroid meds - that is not in the same hormonal loop. High cortisol can suppress TSH but low?

Can you get your PCP to test you?

[threepalms]

I have the salt cravings as well.  Headache and dizziness.  Have to take motion sickness pill to drive anywhere.  Mostly just rest.  Last winter I had a tan even though I didn't leave the house!.  Blood pressure started off low now is high.  Blood sugar is high even fasting.  Doesn't make sense.  The worst part is my doctor doesn't know enough to help me and refuses to send me elsewhere even though I have excellent insurance.  It's hard to navigate when you are sick.  If you can't help me...get out the way and let someone else look at the situation.  Hate to have to shop around for a new doctor in the middle of a health crisis that is almost 2 ys long (16 mos).  Still hopeful I will get a diagnosis sooner than later.

[kuklachica]

Yes- lost 30 lbs in the last year, about 15 of it in the last 3 months since starting thyroid meds and all symptoms have become worse. Haven't been trying to lose weight, but have been eating a lot better (gluten free, not much sugar, lots of protein, etc.). But have been eating every 2 hours the past 2 months and just keep losing weight.

Nauseous and/or irritated stomach all the time. BP has dropped from being somewhat high 130ish/80ish to 100ish/70ish in the last 3 months.

Not a noticeable tan, but dark in some areas such as around scars (scars are light, skin is dark). Moles/blemishes are becoming much darker and larger. And I spent almost no time outside this summer.

I used to not like salt until the past 3 or 4 months. Now I can't get enough salted foods. Craving things like bacon.

None of my docs will do those tests. They say since my cortisol wasn't flat-lined, nothing is wrong.

I can't make it much longer like this. Feel so horribly SICK and emotional. Feel like there is something wrong with my body. Haven't had any weird sodium or potassium readings during blood tests. But my doc hasn't tested any of that since I started thyroid meds so am not sure if any of it changed.

[rumpled]

Have you lost a lot of weight? Are you nauseous all the time? Is your BP low? Do you have a tan? It does sound like you crave salt?

I would find another endo and get a proper set of testing for cortisol and ACTH as well as renin, aldosterone etc at the proper diagnostic times as well as a stim test (which is the standard before starting treatment).

Do you have issues with potassium and sodium?