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adrenal fatigue

I have read a bit of the questions on adrenal fatigue.  I have been to MD and she checked various things, thyroid came back normal, adrenal cortisol by blood test came back at 17.6 at 1:00pm in the day.  My doctor said the range is 3 to 17.  she acts like nothing is wrong, but my symptoms are flushing terribly bad in evenings occasionally, bed time, blood rushing to head, any confraontation no matter how small I flush, cannot think clearly, it was doing all this so badly that I think it caused a myriad of other symptoms, I went from walking uphill 1/2 mile everyday to hjardly getting out of bed, any little stresses cannot handle, heart/chest area feeling squeezed, stomach quivery, -herblist has told me it is adrenal all along and has me taking B vitamin, pantothenic acid separately, adrenal support, I am taking l tryptophan, st johns wort (it has caused much nervousness and anxiety), and a hormone balancing combination.  I don't want a medication (unless no side effects and it would help!)  but I i would like to know more, will this progress into addisons or cushings (I have lost weight, not gained, I onlyu started out at 100 lbs anyway, now down to 97.  


This discussion is related to Reference Ranges.
3 Responses
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393685 tn?1425812522
For the cortisol level you had a 1:00 that is a bit high.

You see cortisol controls the rest and weight cycle of the body. So after rest or sleep that is when you should be in the upper ranges and then it depletes through the day.

Unless you are waking at 12:30 in the afternoon and then testing - you don't seem to be right on those ranges.

That can actually be the reason for the 3 pound loss too. If you are buring high cortisol in the afternoon you are burning energy. You must be high in metobolism normally.

I think best to have your doctor run a 24 hr cortisol level. Either seeing if he can test 3 times one day - morning - afternnon and early evening - ( which they are very reluncant to do)

or suggest a saliva test you do at home that caculates a 24 hour cycle and send the test off to ZRT labs yourself.  It however may cost you to run it and insurance companies have a hard time paying for them.

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219241 tn?1413537765
Hi, I too have been suffering from what I believe to be Adrenal Fatigue. VERY hard to convince any doctor of that though. They keep blaming the fact I had my thyroid out last December and the medication doesn't seem to be appropriate (changed it 5 times this year and I still keep creeping into the hyper levels, with a brain that just won't stay focused, and extreme tiredness!)
  Alot of doctors don't allow for the fact that the higher number on the lab tests can in fact be too high for any one individual. Unfortunately they still go by the book and refuse treatment. I would suggest you go see an endocrinogist or at least find a new primary care doctor who may be more sympathetic. I have had over 15 years of misery and am now kicking butt. Still got a few weeks to go to see what my blood tests reveal..but no cortisol tests were done...which I will if after all the others show 'nothing' then request. Like you I am determined to feel back to at least a little bit more normal!
Cheers!
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168348 tn?1379357075
Hello and Welcome .. I'm sure Stella5349 and some others can help you. She is at work right now, but she knows tons on the subject as well as others, too!

C~
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