Low Aldosterone & Renin Test

[MrJake]

Hello to all,
I have been seeing an endocrinologist for some time now as I feel like crap all the time. I do have hypothyroidism but seems to be under control by the lab work.

Had several cortisol and stim test and they seem to be OK according to the doctor. Several weeks ago I woke up again feeling like crap and almost passed out when I got up. I was shaking, had nausea etc. ended up going to the ER and they ran some tests. They said everything was fine - gave me a bag of fluids and sent me home. My endo ordered an aldosterone and renin test while I was there. They said these numbers were fine too..but they seem low.

6:00 pm
My Renin -  0.5 (0.2-1.6)
My Aldosterone - 1.6 (less than 16)
My Cortisol - 11

My blood pressures seem fine just a little high  - the thoughts that I had was...is my cortisol level pretty high for early evening? Maybe because I wasn't feeling well.

Don't know much about aldosterone or renin or even why they were ordered. Any input would be helpful. Seeing the doctor in a couple of weeks and didn't know if I should bring these numbers up again.

These episodes of not feeling well seem to come on every couple of months.

Again thanks for any input or questions I might ask.

Jake

[rumpled]

ERs are not good places to get diagnosed...

How much testing has your endo done? Even for men, you would need to get testosterone (preferably bioavailable testosterone), SHBG, DHEA sulfate, LH, FSH and estrodial so you pinpoint the source - pit, adrenal or other. Hormones are not just one source things.

What time did you get the 11 cortisol? Cortisol normally goes up and down but your morning should be highest and afternoon lowest - so if that 11 was say, 10pm, and that is a 2pm range, then that is not good. But it cannot be diagnostic since it was not at a time there is a range - ranges are around 8am, 2pm and midnights. But since you stimmed and have a low testosterone and a high cortisol, you may not be looking at low cortisol, but rather high - which is Cushing's syndrome. As a guy, the docs are going to tell you it is super rare (I know several guys with it!) but be persistent in testing.

Get a better doc too - you may need more testing. What is your ACTH?

[SHills523]

I am signed in on my wife's - using her computer that is why names are different. I also wanted to add I seemed to also be having hot flashes. So was thinking of asking to have testosterone tested.

[SHills523]

The cortisol level for afternoon levels was (4-11)

Some other tests that they did

NA - 138 (137-145)
K - 3.8 (3.6-5.0)
CA - 10.7 (8.8-10.7)
MG - 1.8 (1.5-2.3)

They said everything was fine and that I am just dehyrdrating. I think I am low as several times they tested just base cortisol I was always between 2-5. When they call me back to do a stim test my base always seems higher 19 and then after the stim I would be a 27. So they said I don't need to worry about addrenal issues.

So again I don't know how the renin and aldestrone test plays in here or if it does at all.

[rumpled]

Do you have the other ranges for cortisol - ranges differ so that it is so hard to tell.
How were your sodium and potassium?

Do you feel like you have low cortisol symptoms, or high?