Aa
should cortisol double?
I recently had the cortisol stimulation test. Blood draw at 7:30 am.....then injected and tested after 30 and 60 minutes. Seems like I read that cortisol levels should double by 60 minutes. Mine didn't---one doc seems a little concerned, the other says no problem at all. What to think!
Charlotte
Charlotte
You say you know you don't have adrenal insufficiency... based on what? (That came out sounding harsh, but was meant to sound softer and more curious than challenging)
The baseline cortisol is inside normal ranges but the response to the ACTH was underwhelming. They do look for doubling and a final number in mid thirties... exact number is kinda arbitrary and varies from doc to doc.
Thyroid meds mess up adrenal glands sometimes... so does not enough thyroid... annoyingly enough.
Low potassium can also be a sign of adrenals taking a vacation.
I would not draw the conclusion that they are fine when the evidence points in the other direction. Especially since many MDs are genuinely terrified of adrenal cases and will normally lean as far as possible AWAY from saying you have a problem with adrenal. We're finding that getting diagnosis and treatment for adrenal conditions is equivalent to getting a doctor to really believe that I can communicate with the mother ship by means of an electronic chip that the aliens from the planet Zargon implanted there last July when I was abducted...
(Moderate sarcasm to the medical profession somewhat intentional)
The baseline cortisol is inside normal ranges but the response to the ACTH was underwhelming. They do look for doubling and a final number in mid thirties... exact number is kinda arbitrary and varies from doc to doc.
Thyroid meds mess up adrenal glands sometimes... so does not enough thyroid... annoyingly enough.
Low potassium can also be a sign of adrenals taking a vacation.
I would not draw the conclusion that they are fine when the evidence points in the other direction. Especially since many MDs are genuinely terrified of adrenal cases and will normally lean as far as possible AWAY from saying you have a problem with adrenal. We're finding that getting diagnosis and treatment for adrenal conditions is equivalent to getting a doctor to really believe that I can communicate with the mother ship by means of an electronic chip that the aliens from the planet Zargon implanted there last July when I was abducted...
(Moderate sarcasm to the medical profession somewhat intentional)
What kind of bad reaction are you having to the thyroid meds?
I have no adrenals, take thyroid meds without a problem - have for years! While high cortisol suppresses the thyroid (TSH), I don't know if low cortisol has that effect. It would not make sense if it did. It just takes a long time to adjust to thyroid meds - it took me a year once to find the right dose (but I was on high cortisol... now it takes less time!).
Are you taking enough salt? Sodium will help balance the potassium naturally as well as help with the nausea, palps and light headedness... I take salt tablets or eat salty foods. When salt goes down, most time K goes up but in some of us, K goes down too - I am like that as well and I know a few of us. V-8 with salt (don't go low sodium on anything now) is helpful when you feel cruddy - down a couple of glasses and see if that helps. I also make sure I have anti-emitic drugs around as tossing the cookies is bad when the adrenals are wacky. Ask your doc to set you up with an emergency kit. Look at addison's site about what you need in one.
I have no adrenals, take thyroid meds without a problem - have for years! While high cortisol suppresses the thyroid (TSH), I don't know if low cortisol has that effect. It would not make sense if it did. It just takes a long time to adjust to thyroid meds - it took me a year once to find the right dose (but I was on high cortisol... now it takes less time!).
Are you taking enough salt? Sodium will help balance the potassium naturally as well as help with the nausea, palps and light headedness... I take salt tablets or eat salty foods. When salt goes down, most time K goes up but in some of us, K goes down too - I am like that as well and I know a few of us. V-8 with salt (don't go low sodium on anything now) is helpful when you feel cruddy - down a couple of glasses and see if that helps. I also make sure I have anti-emitic drugs around as tossing the cookies is bad when the adrenals are wacky. Ask your doc to set you up with an emergency kit. Look at addison's site about what you need in one.
My cortisol baseline was 14.3 mcg/dL. At 30 minutes--19.7. At 60 min--23.5. My ACTH was 18 pg/mL. The reason I'm asking is that I'm having a bad reaction to my new thyroid meds prescribed for hypothyroidism. I read that this can happen if my adrenals are sluggish. I also have episodes of low potassium. I know I don't have adrenal insufficiency...just trying to determine if adrenals are sluggish and if I need to improve that function before continuing thyroid meds. I get very weak, light-headed, anxious, agitated, get palpitations, feel fatigued and nauseated, and am very cold at times. I figured this group would be well-informed. Thanks for feedback!
Charlotte
Charlotte
I have heard two standards, the doubling, and also getting over a set number in the thirties.
What are the exact numbers, and what is your ACTH?
What are the exact numbers, and what is your ACTH?
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